Insteresting discussion over at Sterling’s blog, started by Vaspers the Grate! about blogstitution, aka paid content. We’re talking about advertising masked as editorial. A more sophisticated, and I’ll grant, effective, form of blog and comment spam.
I’d love to hear what you think about this, but first, let me clarify a few things.
Labnotes is a blogstitution-free zone.
I don’t get paid to blog here.
Freebies are cool, shipping address available on request, UPS please. But, all gifts will be treated as gifts(*). I don’t blog about mediocre, only that which I either love or hate. No passion, no post.
I will not blog favorably about a product/service unless I’ll go out of my way to get it with my own money.
Paid content is for stuff that can’t stand on its own two feets, and I don’t endorse lame. But on the off chance that I like it, and then find out you’re using paid content to promote it, any favorable post will be removed promptly. Negative posts will remain standing.
I will promptly remove any paid content feed from my feeds list.
I will promptly remove any link to a blog that includes paid content.
Linking is still second hand paid content endorsement. And I’ll need your help with that, I often link to posts but rarely check the entire blog. So if you find that I’m contributing to second hand paid content, let me know. Thanks.
Conflict of interest, self promotion, speaking for your employer or client are all acceptable. To be precise, anything you stand behind is something I want to read, but on the condition that the relation is obvious or disclosed(**).
You must be risking something with the product you’re endorsing: your salary, reputation, time. No risk, no link love.
Thank you for reading, and thank you for keeping the blogosphere clean.
(*) I get gifts from friends and family, left over stuff, maybe I buy one thing and get the other for free. Free is not off limits, free is just a price point.
(**) Yes, it’s subjective. If I could draw a line in the sand, I would. But if you read this blog regularly, we’re probably on the same page on the difference between authentic and deceitful.
Sterling Camden