Blog Minx

We all have our own physical and ethical boundaries when it comes to money. Check out the results of a survey CNN Money carried out asking adults what they would and wouldn’t do. It covers the usual issues like lending money, keeping money if you find it and stealing.

There are ethical concerns when it comes to making money, specifically. There are so many ways to make money now, especially online, but not all of them are respectable.

Consider these ‘make you go hmm’ questions:

• Would you recommend a product you either haven’t tried or don’t like?
• Would you link from your site to someone or something you don’t respect?
• Would you manipulate your audience (by lying, exaggerating, false linking etc) to increase your revenue?
• Would you make yourself appear ridiculous for money? This isn’t unethical but it sure is uncomfortable!
• Would you be kind to someone (a boss, for example) even if they weren’t kind to you, out of fear of losing your job?

I have probably been guilty of some of these at some stage, particularly when I was a poor student willing to take on any odd jobs for extra cash – once I wore a fruit costume to hand out muesli bars – or work in low-level service jobs with sadistic managers/chefs who delighted in tormenting the staff.

These days I’m rather less willing to dress up or be whacked with wooden spoons, because there are better ways I can make money. But I still try and keep ethics in mind if signing up for the latest ‘make money fast’ scheme.

What about you? What random things have you done for money, and what questions do you ask yourself before you promote a product or take on a job?