Search Cactus: Straining to Survive in the post-Dotcomm Apocalyptic World
Written: May 27 '02 (Updated Oct 27 '03)
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If you don't have high expectations of making a fortune, Search Cactus can be an easy way to pick up a few extra dollars every month.
It's a simple premise, really. Use Search Cactus as a search engine and get paid to pick on certain results over others. When your account reaches at least $20, you can "cash out" and a check is mailed to you by the end of the following month.
So what's the catch?
The first catch is that as a search engine, Search Cactus doesn't really work all that well. Yahoo, Excite and Google are all much better search engines giving a better variety and bigger selection of results. Forget the idea of using it in place of your usual search tool. Search Cactus functions more as a way to make money.
The second catch is the most you can make any day on Search Cactus is 15¢. When you key a word into the search box, if there are any results available to be paid on, you will see an "eye" next to it. The maximum number of eyes per day is 15, hence the 15¢ maximum. This does not include if you have people in your downline, so there is potential for more. However, most people who have been on the Internet for any length of time are either already participating in these programs or have decided they are not worth it.
Once you've clicked on a result with an eye, you have to wait at least 20 seconds for the site to credit. Return to the Search Cactus homepage, and you can start the process all over again.
The third catch is that there have been problems recently finding words which credit. I read the boards at Mycoupons to get words which will credit. Usually I have a problem reaching the 15 words per day. There is also a problem with duplicate results under different words which don't credit.
Recently this was remedied somewhat as Search Cactus is now working with the search site info.com. What this means is that I have yet to find a word that won't show at least one "eye" on a search result and this has made reaching my cash-out level much easier. I am hopeful it will continue, but in my experience on the "get paid to..." sites, good fortune like this only works for a brief time.
Search Cactus administration has cracked down on board which list valid results as well as programs which have helped finding results in the past. I used to use Search Cactus assistant, made by a small company called RJ Soft which helped me complete the program each morning in about 15 minutes. Now it takes about the same amount of time, I am just making a lot less money.
The other thing to know about is what has become known as SID's. If you hold the cursor over a result with an eye next to it, on the bottom bar of your browser will appear the link. In there is a code "SID=" followed by a number. The general theory is that you have to click on 15 unique SID's each day - if you have already clicked on a result with that SID number, it will not credit. In my time doing this program, this seems to prove true. Each day I work with a list of SID numbers and it helps stop me from clicking on duplicate results.
Most days, even with all this, I don't make it to locating 15 crediting results. This is just the way it has become in the online rewards sites in the past few years, and I have lowered my expectations. Search Cactus has been prompt sending out checks to me and I have never had a problem not getting paid from them.
There are also a group of sign-ups which pay money to do what is asked: either signing up for a credit card, a book club, a movie club, and other Internet sites. This cash is added to the cash you accumulate in your account performing searches.
Some people might feel this is too much trouble to go to for 15¢ per day. For me, it comes out to about $50 per year which I throw in our vacation fund.
© 2002 Patti Aliventi
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About the Author
Member: Patti Aliventi
Location: Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire
Reviews written: 2493
Trusted by: 703 members
About Me: Ambien is zapping my creativity.....
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