FREE DISCS AND GEAR!?!?!

[drdye]

Did anyone else see the add in the new Disc Golf World???  Its on the other side of the "First Tee" page(page 4), its got a stop sign and says "Free Portable Pins!!!  Free Discs and Gear!!!  Everything but the goat!..?"  Then, it has the website freedg.org

I went to the website and checked it out!!!  Looks like a pretty cool contest!!!  Go there sign yourself up, then send emails to your friends and get entered into a 2nd contest!!!  Pretty easy!!! 

Anyway, it looks like they are giving a bunch of cool stuff away, thought I would pass on a cool link for free DG equipment!!!

Free stuff good

[Jon Brakel]

I went to the site and couldn't find out what stuff they were giving away or to how many people or basically anything that the law requires to be explained when running a promotional contest. They promised to not send me any spam but they had already broken that promise by sending me an e-mail with their link in it already. I went there to try to figure who they are and what they are doing.

What I found is that they aren't disclosing what they are doing or who they are. They are saying that they will be making a big announcement on May 15th. Seems kind of fishy to me.

[whofarted]

i wonder if they are mining for data - selling the names and e mails and then distributing some plastic with the profits made

[stpitner]

I went ahead and signed up with an alias email address (feature that yahoo offers).  I created an email address alias that is only going to be used for that site, and so I'll be able to tell you how much spam I get from it.  It is still delivered to my preliminary email account, but is highlighted a different color.  I can delete the alias at any time if the spam gets out of hand.

So far I've just received the one email saying thanks for signing up.  I'll post if I start getting more junk from them.  I'd like to believe that if they are going to take up some article space that it's something legit.  Only time will tell I suppose...

Scott

[whofarted]

I'd like to believe that if they are going to take up some article space that it's something legit.  Only time will tell I suppose...

someone, somewhere has to pay for this - you gotta wonder what their motivation is

[whofarted]

and it could be very sincere, but if they dont give any info it leaves the rest of us with questions

[Bruce Brakel]

If you do a google link search you find that they are not linked on any websites whatsoever.  There's a red flag.  If this was a legit promotional event, someone would be promoting it.  It's a scam of some kind.  I think it is a scam to collect donations.

[drdye]

Man, we got some skeptical people here on this board

Actually, I have to confess, I know the guy running this thing.  I posted just to help a friend out and give him a little exposure.   I can assure anyone interested in entering that you can without any reason to be thinking it is a hoax or something bad!!!  No name selling, no data mining, nothing at all like that.  It is an honest contest, why would someone pay for that add if its not ligit???  He does have his name and address clearly posted on the site!!!

I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THIS IS LIGIT!!!  To the best of my knowledge it is all legal as well.  The guy running this thing has been a close friend of mine for quite some time and this whole thing has all been in the works for 3 or more years!!!

I talked to him a gave him the feedback you guys have posted.  He is going to go and add some information based on the concerns some of you had.

[mirth]

url?

[drdye]

url?

Freedg.org

[mirth]

pat?

[Jon Brakel]

Man, we got some skeptical people here on this board

Actually, I have to confess, I know the guy running this thing.  I posted just to help a friend out and give him a little exposure.   I can assure anyone interested in entering that you can without any reason to be thinking it is a hoax or something bad!!!  No name selling, no data mining, nothing at all like that.  It is an honest contest, why would someone pay for that add if its not ligit???  He does have his name and address clearly posted on the site!!!

I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THIS IS LIGIT!!!  To the best of my knowledge it is all legal as well.  The guy running this thing has been a close friend of mine for quite some time and this whole thing has all been in the works for 3 or more years!!!

I talked to him a gave him the feedback you guys have posted.  He is going to go and add some information based on the concerns some of you had.

Sorry Joe, didn't mean to doubt a friend of yours. Starting with that carny at the Lake County Fair in 1976, I've been ripped off too many times in my life to not know by now that nothing is free. His website leaves out his motive and I'm suspect when I don't have a clue about some one's motive. I would trust someone that you say is your friend and is trust worthy and I'll wait for his announcement on May 15th. Thanks for setting it straight.

[pickax]

These types of posts are called astroturfing and are generally frowned upon on the net.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=astroturfing
n. The use of paid shills to create the
impression of a popular movement, through means like letters to
newspapers from soi-disant `concerned citizens', paid opinion
pieces, and the formation of grass-roots lobbying groups that are
actually funded by a PR group (astroturf is fake grass; hence the
term). This term became common among hackers after it came to light
in early 1998 that Microsoft had attempted to use such tactics to
forestall the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust action against
the company.

This backfired horribly, angering a number of state
attorneys-general enough to induce them to go public with plans to
join the Federal suit. It also set anybody defending Microsoft on
the net for the accusation "You're just astroturfing!".

[drdye]

pat?

Yup

Jon, no problems   Just dont want anyone to get the wrong impression of my buddies vision!!!  More info will be come if you sign up!!!

[Bruce Brakel]

I think anyone with some experience being scammed or dealing with scammers could only get the wrong impression from the way he is presenting whatever it is that he is doing, assuming he is doing something up and up.  I've looked at his redesigned website and all I can think is, "So what is this going to be, a golf disc airplane game?" 

[Jon Brakel]

** TELL A FRIEND
1. Go to the e-mailbox linked to the email address
used to sign up and open a fresh email letter.

2. Double check that your from address on that
email is the same as on our sign up form.

3. Use the to: section to enter email addresses of
any disc golfers you know that might want

FREE DISC GOLF GEAR.

4. In the email tell them to visit the site
freedg.org right away! They must come
sign in here before May 14th, or they will
ONLY be eligible for the second chance
contest, & our third Amazing Announcement.

5. Tell them to save or print that email from you.
They will need this exact information later.

6. Include the FULL first and last name you used
above in the closing of your email.

Check out this example:

Hey everybody,
I heard about an awesome contest.
They're giving away tons of disc golf gear.
There's no cost to enter. Go to
http://freedg.org to hear more. Be sure to
check it out before May 14th!

Later,
your "sign up" name

The tell a friend part really doesn't make any sense to me. When you sign up there is no place to put in who sent you there. I don't understand how signing up a friend could get me a second chance at anything.

[SERG]

The tell a friend part really doesn't make any sense to me. When you sign up there is no place to put in who sent you there. I don't understand how signing up a friend could get me a second chance at anything.

I found this confusing myself. Finally I stopped looking for somewhere to "Tell A Friend" because I assumed it isn't there.

I signed up anyway 

[drdye]

I think anyone with some experience being scammed or dealing with scammers could only get the wrong impression from the way he is presenting whatever it is that he is doing, assuming he is doing something up and up.  I've looked at his redesigned website and all I can think is, "So what is this going to be, a golf disc airplane game?" 

Well, I guess you will just miss out on possibly the biggest disc golf contest ever!!!

If there is something specific that you think that makes this look like a hoax or something bad, please point it out.  I am not sure why you get that impression or what is giving you that impression.  If you are going to criticize please be specific so that it can be productive, instead of just saying it looks like a scam to me.  Is it that you dont have all the info you think you need???  Of course there will be more info to come, you just have to sign up to get it.

If you want to find out more I guess you have to sign up, I assure you that there is nothing sinister about this contest!!!  You sign up on that page, you get an email on the 15 that is basically a survey that allows you to decide what the prizes are!!!  How cool is that, all the contestants get to decide what they could win!!!  I dont see what is sinister about it???

I would put my name DR DYE on the line to say that this is legit!!!  In fact, take a close look at the pic in the top of the page, hey that is me throwing a disc!!!  Really it is me!!!  I would not put my name or face to something that I did not think would be beneficial to both myself and my friend running the contest and the disc golf world.


Jon, you send your friends emails with "FREE DISC GOLF GEAR." as the subject...In the email tell them to visit the site and sign up themselves...The friend must save and print the email from you for verification purposes...The idea is you see the site, you sign up, send your friends emails like I stated, they sign up, send it to their friends and so on.  

Does that clear that up for you??[td][/td]

[drdye]

I think anyone with some experience being scammed or dealing with scammers could only get the wrong impression from the way he is presenting whatever it is that he is doing, assuming he is doing something up and up.  I've looked at his redesigned website and all I can think is, "So what is this going to be, a golf disc airplane game?" 

Well, I guess you will just miss out on possibly the biggest disc golf contest ever!!!

If there is something specific that you think that makes this look like a hoax or something bad, please point it out.  I am not sure why you get that impression or what is giving you that impression.  If you are going to criticize please be specific so that it can be productive, instead of just saying it looks like a scam to me.  Is it that you dont have all the info you think you need???  Of course there will be more info to come, you just have to sign up to get it.

If you want to find out more I guess you have to sign up, I assure you that there is nothing sinister about this contest!!!  You sign up on that page, you get an email on the 15 that is basically a survey that allows you to decide what the prizes are!!!  How cool is that, all the contestants get to decide what they could win!!!  I dont see what is sinister about it???

I would put my name DR DYE on the line to say that this is legit!!!  In fact, take a close look at the pic in the top of the page, hey that is me throwing a disc!!!  Really it is me!!!  I would not put my name or face to something that I did not think would be beneficial to both myself and my friend running the contest and the disc golf community.


Jon, you send your friends emails with "FREE DISC GOLF GEAR." as the subject...In the email tell them to visit the site and sign up themselves...The friend must save and print the email from you for a later purpose...The idea is you see the site, you sign up, send your friends emails like I stated, they sign up, send it to their friends and so on.  

Does that clear that up for you??[td][/td]

[Chainmeister]

Joe

My reactions was similar to Serg's.  I wasn't sure how it worked with telling a friend.  In any case, I figured most disc golfing folks I know already troll this board.  Based on your assurances I signed up but didn't bother to find any friends.