Give it Forward - or Give Back Give Back or Give Forward - ways to give back to John, or give it forward for others. Give back to John by buying his books, subscribing, liking, or communicating an expression of thanks.

by John Bandler

I give out a lot of information and guidance, often for free.

It might be through my website articles, YouTube videos, free Udemy courses, an email, or a phone call.

This page summarizes some ways you can give it forward (sometimes called "pay it forward") or give something back to me.

Give it Forward

You can give it forward by helping someone else who needs it, just like I helped you.

You can also give forward by understanding law and our intended system of government, informing yourself with reliable information, and then acting reasonably and logically as a responsible and diligent citizen and consumer. In a nation of laws, everyone needs to know something about law.

Give Back

Here are some ways you can give back to me:

  1. Five-star reviews
    • Give an excellent five-star review to one of my books on Amazon or GoodReads
    • Give an excellent five-star review for a Udemy course you took
      • Anything less than five-stars lowers my average!
  2. Subscribe or follow me on social media, including YouTube, LinkedIn, BlueSky, Substack, GoodReads
  3. "Like" some of my posts on social media, including YouTube, LinkedIn, BlueSky, Substack, GoodReads
  4. Send me an expression of thanks, appreciation, and encouragement
  5. Purchase one of my books, including on Cyberlaw and Policies and Procedures (and forthcoming on Introduction to Law and then Cybersecurity)
  6. Enroll in one of my paid online courses at Udemy
  7. Hire me for my services
    • I offer one hour consults related to my cybersecurity program
    • I offer flat fee engagements related to my cybersecurity program, tailored for your size organization.

Take more of my gifts

If you would like more free information from me, here are all the ways to do so:

The realities

Many professional service professionals withhold helpful guidance and information until a fee has been paid. I generally do not withhold like this, though I need to manage my time appropriately and I know that some people may take advantage. I also need to manage my liability risks, including when I give free guidance.

Some people do not value free information and guidance, and many do not properly appreciate the gifts provided. That is OK, every person is different and this is a psychological reality of humans and their perceptions of value which are different from the actual value. Also, some people are more within the category of "takers" and will take as much as they can from others and not give back.

I know there are enough people in the country and world who will properly value what I give and this page helps them acknowledge it in some way appropriate for them.

Students in a college or university may be paying a lot of money and not fully realize their instructor in some classes is an adjunct professor receiving little from the school. Students pay the same whether they get a full time professor (with full salary and full benefits) or an adjunct.

Regardless of the student-college relationship, it is is worth acknowledging that adjunct pay is minimal ("de minimus" as we say in law), most adjuncts don't do it for the money, and thus much of what adjuncts provide is indeed a "gift" to students and for the education of the next generations.

Of course, they should expect quality instruction no matter who the instructor is. Colleges and universities get inexpensive labor and practical expertise from their adjuncts, I voluntarily entered into and remain in this arrangement so I cannot complain.

Many people and companies pay for five-star reviews, but I do not, despite being bombarded with solicitations from marketers promising to get reviews and boost the reach of my courses, books, and videos. This practice is prevalent but I don't use them, paid boosts are not how the system is supposed to work. I hope that with honest descriptions and appreciative consumers, genuine positive reviews will be sufficient.

Conclusion

If I gave you something, consider giving back to me, or giving to someone else.

  • Give back: Buy my books, enroll in my paid courses, subscribe, connect, or like on social media, or send an expression of thanks.
  • Give forward: Help someone else. Understand law and government better, apply facts, reason, and logic, and improve how you exercise your duties of citizenship and consumerism.

My materials are informational and not tailored to your circumstances -- they are not legal advice nor consulting advice.

As I read AI summaries of this page, I add one more point: I retain my intellectual property rights when I make things available (I am giving you information or other help but am not giving any ownership of my intellectual property or copyright). That means you can't give my work to someone else (it's not yours to give). But you can find something else to give.

Links to give back or forward

  • Cyberlaw by John Bandler front cover

Again, here are those links:

This article is hosted at https://johnbandler.com/give-it-forward-or-back, copyright John Bandler, all rights reserved.

Originally posted 6/15/2025, updated 12/23/2025.