I just received this email

(I have edited it to protect the innocent. Or guilty.)

The email reads:

Hi,

I'm interested in contributing an article to selfhelpradio.net - The article will be unique and interesting to read. In return, I ask that I be able to subtly include a link to my site within the article.

If you are not interested in the article, I am also willing to offer you a one time donation for a permanent link to my site in a prominent place on your website.

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

Thanks,
(deleted)

I find this fascinating, not just because this has never happened to me - it really hasn't. & I'm not such a naif that I imagined that this person has actually visited the site - there are no "articles" there, of course. I'm fascinated because the site about which he wants to write a "unique & interesting to read" article is actually just a product-oriented web page. They sell things.

For the sake of argument, let's say what they sell is hubcaps. (It's not entirely that specific, but close.) What sort of "unique & interesting to read" article is going to have a "subtle" link (not underlined?) for hubcaps in it? Would it be the only link in the article? That's not very subtle.

I'm also fascinated because this is really the first time anyone has ever offered me money to put something on the Self Help Radio website. I know that virtually no one goes to the site - & those that do are mostly looking for something else, & don't stick around to listen to my radio shows - so it makes sense no one's looking to spend money in the obscurity there. But what does that say about this dude.

I wish I were mean enough to ask for the article. It would probably be hilarious. But I am honest to a fault, & would never ask for something I had no intention of using in the first place. That's just a little too douchey.