Recently, several hundred Oklahomans and I had the opportunity to become Internet millionaires at Online Income Seminars held both in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. It is hard to say who sponsored these free events as credit was given to the Web Resource Group, Inc., the Online Business Association of America and possibly, American Home Business Association.

The facilitator, Tim Payne/Paine/who-knows-it-was-never-in-writing, was outstanding. He dazzled with memory tricks and outright gifts totaling $20 in cash. Tim smoothly jumped from offer to offer in his copyrighted presentation. We heard lots of examples of success and saw a number of pictures of Tim's family of ten children. The memory tricks were based on a photographic memory or possibly the stacking technique. This is a method of tying a series of unrelated objects together with mind pictures. However Tim did it, he was impressive. He also gave us motivational platitudes and frequent reminders about the tax benefits of owning one's own business.

Tim's thesis was that people respond to great deals or "$10 for $1." Based on this premise, Tim sold shrink wrapped memory training books discounted to $60, which well over twenty people purchased right on the spot. An examination of my neighbor's book revealed information readily available in the library or any bookstore.

Later, Tim offered $3000 (his figure) worth of Internet mall websites, training, discounts on travel and shopping, membership in the Online Business Association and a gumball machine for only $249. Over half of the middle aged, middle class audience signed up then and there. Tim skipped the fact that a generic search engine submission package will rarely generate much traffic. No mention was made of the enormous failure rate of mall websites where you don't even own a domain name.

Curiously, some of the affiliated businesses of this Online Income Seminar don't seem to have websites. Those websites that do exist, well, suck. Can I say that? How about dreary and unimaginative? Don't actually go there. <www.hotwebbusiness.com and www.net-bizz.com>

Timpaine.com or timpayne.com does not seem to exist although it was mentioned in the presentation. Tim's e-mail address was never made available.

By the way, we got freebies. The online success kit was a CD containing "the world's best collection of Internet software browsers, plug-ins and online tools" that I am afraid to load on my PC. Tucows, a respected freeware/shareware site at www.tucows.com, apparently provided the contents of the CD. This means anyone could download them as desired. We received a booklet entitled "How to Profit from Putting Your Home Business on the Internet" that gave basic information and the Internet address of an actual Internet marketing expert, Dr. Ralph Wilson at www.wilsonweb.com.

All in all, the three hours at Online Income Seminars was time well spent. It is good to be reminded that if something sounds too good to be true, run like the wind. Great speakers are rare. Honorable great speakers are priceless.