You Know It’s Election Season (AGAIN) When the Internet Trolls Awake

I'm pleased to say I have some avid (and vocal) followers. Oscar Wilde said it best: "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about."

This is an updated repost from the last election, but not much has changed since then. In fact, some people have made a cottage industry of posting and ranting about me (and others). They are true Internet Trolls.

Google defines them as:

“A person who intentionally antagonizes others online by posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content…”

Here’s an older example from one of them but lists the same attacks as today:

With respect to this tired and rehashed issue, here is my official response:

• Did I work at BlueHippo? Yes

• Was I a Senior Vice President? Yes

• Was I a Partner in the Firm? No

• Did I Share in the Company Profits? No

• Was I a W2 Salaried Employee? Yes

• Was I offered to become a 25% Owner Where I Could Share in the Profits? Yes

• Did I Accept 25% Ownership and/or Profits? No

• Was I a Co-Founder? No

• When Did I Resign? May 2004 (14 months after the business started)

• When did the FTC prosecute? 2007 (about three years after I resigned and four years after it started)

• Did the FTC ever contact me about my former employer? No

• Did I cooperate with state regulators? Yes (this is published on my website and was in the CDA Press)

• Was my cooperation under duress or did I need immunity from prosecution? No

I’ve never run from my association with that firm. In fact, I’ve made it a point to disclose my association with my former employer (not partner) on this website (click here) and in the CDA Press.

The idea behind the BlueHippo service was a good one, but it was poorly executed. That’s why I resigned and later started a competing business. My business was wildly successful and has served hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers, and it continues today. Contrast that with my former employer filing liquidation bankruptcy in 2009 and the owner being fined about $13 million. My 20-year-old firm experienced NONE of those ISSUES.

If anything, it’s a case and point of when you do things for the right reason -- and treat people well -- you get rewarded with great success. I’ve been fortunate that my life is full of such accomplishments and successes.

When it comes to politics, it's important to remember there are people who will tell you what they are against, but will never tell you what they are for. It's important to know the difference between these two types of people. But there are some people who stand out with extreme angry traits, which leads to...

Have You Ever Wondered about What Kind of People

Are Obsessed with Angry Online Rants?

Here's what AI says about them:

A person who openly, obsessively, and angrily rants about someone online is often described as a troll, a cyberbully, or someone engaging in narcissistic rage. These individuals often aim to provoke, harass, or inflict emotional damage on a specific target, driven by insecurities, a need for control, or the anonymity of the internet.

Key characteristics of this behavior include:

• Trolling / Rage-baiting: Using inflammatory or malicious content to illicit strong reactions from others.

• Narcissistic Rage / Vindictiveness: Aggressive, often irrational outbursts, frequently occurring when someone with a high sense of entitlement feels slighted or threatened.

• Cyberbullying: Sustained, targeted, and harmful behavior directed at a specific person.

• "Shit-stirrer" or "Flamer": Terms often used to describe those who create hostile conflicts or flame wars.

This behavior can be driven by a desire for attention, a lack of emotional regulation, or personal insecurity.

Oscar, despite it all ... you were right.