The Haunting Archives of Ethically Driven Publishers
As long as Google allows webmasters to report spam and report paid links, few will question how much webspam Google sponsors. As long as they are the lead corporate sponsor of Stop Badware few will think of their Toolbar as spam.
Some of the A list bloggers who trashed paid reviews, are talking up the virtues of conversational marketing, forgetting what they just wrote. The hard part of being a well known blogger is that as one gains exposure, influence, experience, friends, enemies, and a large archives it is easy to appear hypocritical. This is especially true on a rapidly changing network, where successful people change with the network, and advertising techniques that were once unethical are mainstream a year or two later.
Published: June 24, 2007 by Aaron Wall in blogs
Comments
I often wonder about U.S. politicians who recieve very large campaign contributions from a specific group. Some of them, after leaving office go on to take high paying jobs at the company or group that they supported.
Unless they get caught in a bribery scandel by the FBI, very few seem to care.
It appears that the only people who do care when this stuff happens are those who already had a problem with the person, while everyone brushes it off.
Could it be the same way online?
I have a large travel blog; I receive maybe one or two advertising inquiries per week. I am amazed by their request and tone, they assume I will talk or recommend their sites if they pay me. The see it a normal that a blogger would say anything to get money, on the other hand I know the draw to my blog is I just say the truth without a lot of beating around the bush. I feel positive the travel magazines articles that are written and paid to be inserted about 90 percent of the time.
I am sure the truth cost me money, however in the long run I believe the better companies want to be represented by integrity they do not have to be worried about. I recommend site or products; however, I must also use the products. The contextual advertising is good, however sure my readers think I am associated with the ads on my page. Andy in Togo June 2007
Andy of HoboTraveler.com
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