The whole CPA (cost per acquisition) world is dominating my email inbox these days. I, like most web publishers whose email addresses are publically available on their sites, am being spammed like crazy from folks repping CPA deals. Typical emails have subject lines like, "Our company wants to make money with your company" or "Advertising Inquiry."

Then they explain how if only Sherpa will offer our readers their credit card, long distance phone service, merchant account, insurance program, mortgage application service ... or some other shyster-esque service, they'll pay me BIG BUCKS monthly, no minumum or maximum limit!

When I first got these emails a few months ago, I figured they were really dumb sales reps, so I'd write nice little notes saying "We're not in your target market, and we don't accept CPA." Now the trickle is a flood and I just hit delete.

All in all it's risky business. This new unsavory CPA world.