One might think that with all of the information available on the web and other places, people would quit throwing money at diploma mills. One would also think that people would be very hesitant to start a diploma mill operation with all the attention that has been given to this topic over the last few years. I guess some people will never learn.
In this case, two people are being sued for selling fake degrees online. The police were able to buy MBA diplomas for $65.00 and $179.00. It just baffles me to know that people still have the nerve to do this, and that there are people who think that by throwing some cash at a web site, they can take advantage of something they didn't earn. 
It had been a while since I'd heard about any high profile diploma mills. With the postings and conversations happening on eLearners and other sites that keep warning people to do their homework when picking a school to attend, I would hope that the message is getting out. And I believe it is. What this news story proves is that people still must remain vigilant in their efforts to educate others and themselves.
I think it's the job of people like me and others who contribute to blogs and forums having to do with online education to provide all of the information we can on diploma mills and other perils that plague an otherwise honest, legitimate industry . I do know we all sound like a broken record at times, but if it saves people the disappointment in the long run, and we're able to educate people in the process, then I think it's all worth it.
Diploma mills work toward reversing any progress made by the distance education industry. Administrators and students are working to improve the distance education experience, relieve doubt expressed by traditional academics, and to ensure that the students get the best education possible.
As a student who loves distance education, I take the responsibility to share information with others and to educate people as much as possible. It's just something I like doing. The whole diploma mill thing just brings me down sometimes and I see it as a scab in our world that we keep picking at, but never really goes away.
It just shows that we have to work harder to get the word out and help everyone we can not to fall into these situations.