Comments on: Time to regulate paid Aussie blog comment – and to penalise the offenders

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:23:30 +0000

The irony of this angle coming from the PR industry is absolutely sublime.

By: David

David — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:36:35 +0000

it’s funny how one person should dictate the thousands of bloggers in Australia.

By: Stilgherrian

Stilgherrian — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:56:56 +0000

Andrew F, the street press are just publishers like any other, and the Trade Practices Act applies to them like any other business. If they’re failing to distinguish paid-for content… well, I suppose this jost shows how hard it is to police what’s happening already.

By: Andrew F

Andrew F — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:34:20 +0000

If this was extended across all media then the street press would have to shut down.
They are completely upfront with everyone except their readers about “editorial” content equaling advertisements.

By: aplet

aplet — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:54:25 +0000

@stilgherrian – classic comparison
though not sure which is the turd and which is the toilet paper in this analogy?

me personally, I like to flush I guess, so I’ll withdraw my earlier comments

By: Stilgherrian

Stilgherrian — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:18:53 +0000

Ah, Jim, thank you for going with the flow of the faeces, so to speak. “Embrace and extend” the metaphor, to quote the old Microsoft strategy.

By: Jim Stewart

Jim Stewart — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:33:34 +0000

PhilD – If bloggers are running out of ideas.. then go and do something else. Why is it a worry if the sponsored blogs are featured in charts? I have had a videoblog for 10 years (altho back then we didn’t call it a blog). In pre google pre yt days we got some sponsorship. We learned the hard way that there are plenty of places for businesses to spend money online. That’s why today I still do a vlog but don’t try to monetize it. It’s an entry point to our other products and services. However I try to give folks valuable info they need so they keep the WOM activity going. If I wanted to vlog about politics or something equally unsponsorable I would not expect to get any $ for it. I would do so because it is something I want to do. Seems to me many bloggers want the benefits of a trad publishing model but don’t want the constraints & shackles of it. Trying to get Govt intervention to help you create a biz model on the Net is a recipe for waste. What’s next? A tax to help pay bloggers? If you betray the trust of your audience they’re unlikely to stick around. So if you are going to try to monetize your blog you’d better paint it red ( the monetization not the blog) .

We had thousands of hours of content (Inc the worlds 1st Net comedy series) that was incredibly hard to monetize back then. So it died.

The Internet is the REAL free market economy. Get used to it. Government can’t help you nor should they.

By: Jim Stewart

Jim Stewart — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:09:49 +0000

Stilgherrian never too early in the day for a feces metaphor. However the user always has the power to flush. Asking Dad to come in and do it for you is abdicating personal responsibility. What if you’re in a public toilet & Dad’s not around to flush?

By: PhilD

PhilD — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:52:39 +0000

Is there an inverse correlation between the amount of “paid for” comment and the quality of the writing? From my observation of Australian food blogs I would say that those with something to say, say it, and say it well, without (obvious) sponsorship. Those who simply recount their PR sponsored visits to restaurants, review donated books etc. produce fairly dull repetitive blogs i.e. the Sydney bloggers who reviewed Swedish cuisine courtesy of Ikea, and the pumping of Angus burgers at McDonalds.

OK these blogs are obviously sponsored, but a worry is that they also seem to be ones that feature in blog charts , etc. But what does the future hold? I see lots of good bloggers run out of steam as either the creativity or cash (for meals) runs low, and I see the sponsored blogs getting more exposure. Maybe a clear declaration of up-front sponsorship on each article would help restore some balance, or at least it would stop any confusion.

By: Stilgherrian

Stilgherrian — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:23:23 +0000

I suppose if you leave a toxic situation long enough it’ll eventually resolve itself naturally. Turds and toilet paper are both biodegradable and will decompose in the pan. But some of us like to flush.

Hmmm… Maybe it’s a little early in the day for that metaphor.

By: aplet

aplet — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:03:32 +0000

What is it that motivates the average punter to read a blog; authenticity, authoritative review, independent thought etc

It stands to reason therefore that a blogger that compromises their content will overtime see their readership become tired of their commercialised viewpoint, eventually switching to a new, less commercialised commentator for insights.

So that being the natural order of things, is it really necessary to legislate or mandate guidelines for disclosure?

Perhaps Cash for Comment will resolve itself by itself

By: Australia FTC guidelines for bloggers and social media

Australia FTC guidelines for bloggers and social media — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:14:04 +0000

[...] Time to regulate paid Aussie blog comment – and to penalise the offenders [...]

By: Time to regulate paid Aussie blog comment – and to penalise the … - Burson-Marsteller Watch

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:01:09 +0000

[...] Read the whole article [...]

By: Jim Stewart

Jim Stewart — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:16:25 +0000

@Katrina Fox It’s nothing new. PR agencies have being doing cash for comment facilitation for years surely? What you’re describing is something different. That’s how they’re trying to facilitate spam. So basically NOT paying the blogger but paying a spammer. Your instinct is right. Don’t do it! You’ll feel dirty

By: kate north ahs

kate north ahs — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:00:19 +0000

your hair is boofy