# How Exactly does one make money online? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 7, 2012, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548 "2012-07-07T21:10:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oodles\_of\_O\_s](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@Oodles\_of\_O\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oodles_of_O_s)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2012, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/1 "2012-07-07T21:10:10Z")
Hello this is my first post I have heard a lot about making money online but I have never really gotten how it works šŸ˜• I am not even interested in the amount that can be made I just want to know some ways people work online and I am looking to actually try them. Any Suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/2 "2012-07-07T21:21:24Z")
Selling tangible goods on line, or selling a service are the two ways you can make money Selling goods: a buddy of mine needed some extra money. He is an auto technician and like most techs had boxes of small parts accumulated over the years. He started putting together goodie bags of parts and selling on eBay. He made almost twenty grand that way. Selling service: harder and more likely for you to become scam bait. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/3 "2012-07-07T21:28:11Z")
I had a friend who did part time online tutoring work for [this company](http://www.smarthinking.com/) (basically grading ESL studentsā€™ essays), not the greatest pay in the world but she could fit the work around her schedule. ---
**Author:** ![Oodles\_of\_O\_s](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@Oodles\_of\_O\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oodles_of_O_s)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/4 "2012-07-07T21:43:30Z")
Thanks Rick i wouldnā€™t want to get scammed although like i said i just wanna try it out Zomby that site seems interesting Iā€™ll be checking it out šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/5 "2012-07-07T22:02:54Z")
Since the OP has many correct answers, letā€™s move it from General Questions to IMHO. **samclem** , moderator ---
**Author:** ![Oodles\_of\_O\_s](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@Oodles\_of\_O\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oodles_of_O_s)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/6 "2012-07-08T06:40:51Z")
ok Samclem thanks! ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/7 "2012-07-08T15:21:29Z")
I write a blog that has Google Ads on it. I donā€™t have very many readers (a couple dozen?), and I only post about twice per week, but currently Iā€™m pulling in about $50 per month. ---
**Author:** ![gunnergoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e95f7d/32.png) [@gunnergoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gunnergoz)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/8 "2012-07-08T18:12:09Z")
The only other semi-reliable way to make money online seems to be to set up a porn site of some sort. Even that has to be done in a way that does not bring on lawsuits for copyright infringement or criminal prosecution for transmission of forbidden images, e.g. child porn. And now there is so much porn available online, for free, that pay sites are less and less viable and the profits are in - surprise - linking to other sites who pay for clicks. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/9 "2012-07-08T18:34:35Z")
An aquaintance of mine is currently making about $100 a month on a few dozen youtube videos he made that have ads attached. With enough volume I could see it turning into a full time income. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/10 "2012-07-08T21:04:21Z")
Write trashy porn / romance and self-publish ebooks on Amazon. Thereā€™s a steady market for it, and as a bonus the consumers of the genre arenā€™t super-critical about literary quality. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Oodles\_of\_O\_s](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@Oodles\_of\_O\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oodles_of_O_s)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/11 "2012-07-08T21:45:13Z")
haha so we fall back to porn well i mean it is only logical since 80% of the internet (or so iā€™ve heard) is porn. Well i have encountered another problem it seems that making money online is only big in the US in which i do not live. Zombyā€™s site for example is US citizen or via U.S. work permit only. I found another one called Amazon mechanical turk but that one is also only available for people living in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/12 "2012-07-09T14:58:08Z")
Send me 100 bucks and Iā€™ll be happy to tell you. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/13 "2012-07-09T18:26:04Z")
> [@Oodles\_of\_O\_s](#): > > haha so we fall back to porn well i mean it is only logical since 80% of the internet (or so iā€™ve heard) is porn. [Not anymore.](http://youtu.be/x0EnhXn5boM) Surprised the hell out of me, too. ---
**Author:** ![Oodles\_of\_O\_s](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@Oodles\_of\_O\_s](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oodles_of_O_s)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/14 "2012-07-09T23:02:42Z")
Hhahaha thanks Kaio you have to just be amazed at the fact that weā€™re now gossiping more than watching porn and itā€™s considered progress or an achievement for this generation. Although both are good for business. Hari Seldonā€¦ -\_-" ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2012, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/15 "2012-07-09T23:11:48Z")
No donā€™t listen to **Hari**! Heā€™s giving you the ā€œignorance feeā€. The going rate for this information is $75, which Iā€™ll happily allow you to send to me. But wait, thereā€™s more! If you order withing the next ten minutes, Iā€™ll even make sure to include a chapter on the things Wallstreet fat cats donā€™t want you to know about making money _in person_! At no extra charge, you canā€™t pass up a deal like this. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/16 "2012-07-11T16:28:04Z")
> [@Oodles\_of\_O\_s](#): > > haha so we fall back to porn well i mean it is only logical since 80% of the internet (or so iā€™ve heard) is porn. I canā€™t believe Iā€™ve been missing out on 20% of the internet all this time. :rimshot: ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/17 "2012-07-11T23:28:19Z")
Thereā€™s always [Amazon Mechanical Turk](https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome), with lucrative money-earning opportunities galore! ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/18 "2012-07-11T23:43:23Z")
Not sure if this applies but [Clark Howard](http://www.clarkhoward.com/topics/workathome_help/) has a list of legitimate(as far as he can tell) work at home opportunities. None of them will earn you a fortune though. Also not sure how many of those qualify as ā€œonline.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/19 "2012-07-12T01:16:40Z")
> [@Oodles\_of\_O\_s](#): > > Hello this is my first post > > I have heard a lot about making money online but I have never really gotten how it works šŸ˜• I am not even interested in the amount that can be made I just want to know some ways people work online and I am looking to actually try them. > > Any Suggestions? The general answer is the same as in any other venue: You offer a product or service and charge a fee to the consumers of that product or service. I sell physical goods through my website. I have also created content to expand my website and generate an audience, whose attention is a product that I then sell to an advertiser (GoogleAds). Some people write a blog to attract an audience and then sell their attention to advertisers. Some people produce information (software or data, where data is images, movies, text, or audio) and then sell it on the internet . Some people _gather_ information (like your name, address, phone number, and spending habits) and then sell it on the internet. Amazonā€™s Mechanical Turk is a work opportunity: you visit, do a job, and get paid (not much). In a general sense, this fits my first definition, in that you offer a service and get paid for it. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548/20 "2012-07-12T05:02:48Z")
I make around $50 per month with various types of affiliate marketing. I know people who could live off what they make from it. But they also spend most of their time doing it. For awhile, I was making $35 - $50 per month doing paid daily surveys. But after I turned 45, I didnā€™t fit the demographic, most of the companies wanted. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-does-one-make-money-online/627548.md?page=2)