The Death of Blogging Integrity

On this, the 4th of April in the year 2008, I vow to you, my readers, that I will never post a “review” in exchange for payment. I will never fake enthusiasm nor accept advertising links from sites or products I do not stand behind. My integrity as a writer and the authenticity of this blog will not be compromised for a price. It should go without saying, but I'll also add that as long as I work for Tucows.com, any software review I write is (and has always been) of my own free accord, containing my own views. I have always been willing to risk my full-time position with Tucows by standing up for what I believed to be just and fair to the developers and visitors who actively seek our expert opinions. It's plain and simple, Tucows employees are not allowed to accept gifts or payment in exchange for a good review because it's downright unethical.
Because of sites like PayPerPost, Payu2blog, and Blogging Ads, it's getting increasingly more difficult to differentiate an honest review of a product or service from the masses of advertisements disguised as actual content. You've probably heard the buzz before, but I feel compelled to rant about this because it truly disgusts me that so many people are willing to compromise their reputation as a trustworthy source and for such a small payout! It's a really bad deal all around – for only a few bucks a pop, these bloggers are littering their own archives with spam. Consider it in terms of value in comparison to how much one could make by including a simple text link ad from a reputable source instead.
There has been a lot of controversy and numerous articles written both for and against the concept. Perhaps most condemning was when Google modified its PageRank algorithm some months ago, and thousands of bloggers working for PayPerPost found their rankings completely wiped out, rendering them ineligible for PayPerPost work.
At any rate, I just wanted to make my stance clear. In an industry where word of mouth and opinion have been a valuable resource (a concept many social networks have found a way to cash in on without compromising anyone's integrity), sites like PayPerPost should be considered an abomination. It's my opinion that if you agree to take part in such a scheme, you deserve to be called what you are. A sellout whore. Here is your scarlet 'A'.
By the way, isn't it ironic that Izea, the company who owns PayPerPost which essentially promotes the dilution of the modern blogosphere, also hosts the Blogger's Choice Awards in which they seek to award the most original and unique blogs? When a company is so clearly influenced by dishonorable financial gain, how can their awards have any real merit? I'm officially boycotting all of Izea's products and I wrote Izea's support team to let them know how I felt about it. Their response? Well, per their nondisclosure notice, I'm not allowed to post it here, but the gist of it is that they do not feel the need to convince me that PPP is indeed a great thing because they consider this a service to people who don't have jobs.
PayPerPost doesn't have to convince me of anything; they've already convinced the mindless masses. The old saying goes, “you can't believe everything you read.” With the death of blogging integrity upon us, I think soon it may be more fitting to say, “you can't believe ANYTHING you read.”
Reminds me of another fitting adage: Consider the source.
Related Articles:
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PayPerPost Will Taint Us All
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