by Tora

Created on: March 24, 2009

I've been a member of MyLot since December of 2006, when I first started actively searching for ways to make some extra money online. MyLot instantly appealed to me because it is a discussion-oriented online community that gives its members monetary rewards for their activity on the site, and I received my first payment a little more than a month and a half after joining.

One of the things I like most about MyLot is the number of ways members can earn money by using it. Members can earn money from MyLot when they participate in discussions, comment on syndicated news articles and blogs, upload photos to MyLot's interest categories, or-most recently added-complete certain offers (called "Tasks"). Hundreds of new discussions are posted every day on topics ranging from sports to politics to frugal living tips, so it's never hard to find a discussion to participate in.

The minimum amount that members must reach before they can receive a payment by PayPal is only $10. It's a very easy goal for an active user of the site to meet, especially if he or she uploads photos when starting new discussions. Something that new users may find frustrating is the fact that MyLot's earnings do not update in real time. They are calculated once every 24 hours, which can lead to a bit of guesswork when a member is scrambling to get the last few cents needed to make payout by the last day of the month.

MyLot does not disclose the algorithm by which members' earnings are calculated, but on average I earn between 2 and 5 cents for my participation in discussions. Posting on MyLot is definitely not a way to get rich quickly, or even to make a significant amount of money on the Internet. However, if you're a person who likes to discuss a wide variety of topics or would like to make some new friends in different parts of the world, you would probably find that MyLot is a great place to do just that.

One of the biggest problems I've found with MyLot in the time I've been a member is the lack of administrator involvement. There is rarely any contact with any MyLot administrator(s) at all; occasional announcements are made regarding new site features, but that's about it. And, unlike the majority of forums on the Internet, MyLot doesn't appoint official moderators for any of the various interest categories. Instead, the site relies on its members to flag discussions that are inappropriate or violate the discussion guidelines.

While there are a few things that I would like to see change on MyLot, such as the lack of visible moderators, I'm very happy with it overall. I've met a lot of really interesting people in my time there, and I've always been paid promptly on or before the 15th of the month after I reach the $10 minimum. It's certainly not a way to get rich, but it's worth checking out if you're looking for a reliable site that pays as promised.

Learn more about this author, Tora.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.