According to a Washington Post article (link below under green or orange-red print) people are using internet sites to get input from there users on good sports bets and stock market moves, choosing the picks of the most successful and then selling the efforts for real cash.

The sports bet picker interviewed doesn't mention if he does any extra work to get to his good record.  All he seems to get are kudos though, not pay.

There are other sites gleaning picks from their best stock pickers. From what I've been told it takes a lot of research to be a good stock picker.  So, unless we've been lied to again ...

Some people will give away the farm to get praise. Unfortunately, these are often people with low self esteem.  I'd say that this is one reason to raise your kids with a higher level of the stuff, though right wingers hate kids with self esteem.  (In fact though they may only hate when other's kids have plenty of self esteem.)

You would do well to ignore those who warn you against nuturing the self esteem in your kids.  There might come a time when you are old (especially with the outlook on getting the money you were promised as the government took 15% of your paycheck every year for Social Security getting dimmer and dimmer) of needing some help from the kids.

No, Mom, Dad, I can't help you. I spent every extra hour I could muster on researching and giving away information to these folks on the Internet because for once in my life they made me feel good about myself.

But then, the extreme right churches have those sites beat all to heck.  They put people down constantly and still collect 10% from them.

I do believe that there is a place for volunteerism.

Helping the right side win at politics, anti-war efforts, or fighting necessary and non aggressive wars, etc.

Otherwise, one would want to know what the volunteers get from their experience beside cheap praise and an internet banner or whatever nonpayment these volunteers are get.