AllAdvantage, All the Time?

To Jason Kirschner, PC '01, it smelled like a chance to get rich quick. While most people seeking to capitalize on the .com boom chase hungrily after IPO's, Kirschner has opted to try to make himself the referrer for hundreds of fellow Yalies, earning five cents for every minute they (and the people they refer) spend browsing under AllAdvantage's auspices. "I realized that I have an opportunity here with all these web-browsers all around me to make some serious cash," Kirschner said.

However, results have not been as stellar as expected. "Unfortunately, the yield off of Pierson was weak," he said. "I'd say I talked to 50 people and dropped flyers at every door but only two people signed up. That's the only college I've done so far." But he adds, "People have been generally nice in receiving me, though my friends think I'm crazy."

But Kirschner is undaunted, instead hinting at a strategy reminiscent of a certain recent election campaign. "I'm probably going to change my pitch," he said. "And hit Old Campus since the freshman may be more impressionable."

So how long till Kirschner gets his new BMW to drive up Science Hill? "To be honest, unless I sign up 100+ I'm probably not going to make much money," he said. "Right now, I have 33 direct referrals, and 47 indirect referrals, which translates into $150 a month if everyone surfs 15 hours a month"

Not all of this potential can be realized for a while, though, since AllAdvantage does not have enough advertising to cover the number of interested people. Thus, there is a wait before users get the "viewbars" which display advertising. "I'm hoping that in October a lot of my people get their viewbars and the cash starts to flow," Kirschner said.

Another element of his next blitz? Including a photocopy of his first check, due any day now, on the flyer. If you want to help the poor guy out, his referral code is ALT-762.

— Kushal Dave