Pissing Off PayPerPost People
Well, it is not like it is an uncommon thing for me to do. And in reality it has been some since I did it last, probably because I opted to stay on the sidelines after BlogHer fed this fire a bit earlier this year. To be certain, I really don’t want to annoy or anger anybody, and for the most part, this has had little effect on me, as most of the sites I read are good enough for full disclosure, or don’t bother with things like PayPerPost.
Since, my most recent faux pas of antagonizing a poor PayPerPoster brought up the same old points, and questions, I thought it was worth the time once again to cover these issues.
PayPerPost sounds good… on paper. Companies pay people to write reviews and commentary on their products and services, and hope to generate some sort of “buzz” out of it. Sounds good. And I have seen a couple of people actually use the product in this way. (Maybe 2 of them) But by and far this is simply not the case. It seems that what most people do is look to see what is the highest revenue product they are eligible to write for, and write about that. Regardless of what experience they have …often none, other than maybe… MAYBE taking a peek at the website before they write up a post on the subject.
What, really however gets my goat about this whole scheme, are the people that try to mask this in their regular posts. Now in theory, I guess PayPerPost originally sort of encouraged this sort of misleading practice because the whole “point” was to create buzz, and to appear less like advertising. There is no telltale affiliate code in the link, you just directly link to the website in your post. I have heard that PayPerPost is going to change this policy, in an effort to clean up their image (presumably at least in part to the backlash that they saw at BlogHer, and presumably other events), and start requiring people to disclose this. I think it is a step in the right direction. But I am biased. Because where I seem to most often put my foot in my mouth is when I have called bloggers on a post being a PayPerPost posting. Those that don’t currently disclose, are more often the same ones that get quite indignant about being called on their practices.
I have seen and heard things like, “You have GoogleAds and Affiliate Link.” Yes. Yes, I do. And everything about them is above board. Every single product or company I link to via an affiliate code, is because I believe in or like the product, service and/or Company. (I also have a Policy and Disclosure Page, explaining just that). There is nothing here that I promote, without it being something I believe in. If you happen to pick up a DVD from Amazon, based on my recommendation of it, then I think I have earned the few cents I make on an affiliate link. I am putting my opinons and my credibility on the line in doing so. If I tell you about a bunch of films you don’t like, well then you are not likely to buy them, and I am not going to get paid for them. If you can’t tell the difference between that, and writing a quick couple of paragraphs about Fly-By-Night.com (Not saying that all PayPerPost website are Fly by Night, but…) because that is the one that will pay you the most money to sell your credibility this week, well then there really is no reason to carry on the conversation any longer.
But please. Don’t stand there defiantly, and get all high and mighty. You are right, I am free to go my own way and not read it. That is true. And on many many blogs that is simply the case. I will just click next and move on. If I have commented to you on it. One. You are hiding your true intentions. And (more importantly in this case), you have sold your credibility and disappointed me in the process, because you had some credibility in my eyes. I thought you were worth reading. I thought your opinion was worth something, I thought it mattered. But since your credibility was worth $2.5o (or whatever you got for that post), I guess I felt bad that I had so misjudged you in this regard.
Blogging has for the most part moved past the days of having “donation buttons” and “wish lists” and for that I am sad. Heck, I would donate something to a blog I like (and have). I have used the wish list. I don’t begrudge anybody for trying to make a dollar. I applaud you if you can find a way to make a career out of this. When the day is done however, in the written world like this, all you have is your credibility. Think twice before you pawn it off for such measly sums.
Corrections: I was corrected by the people at Wirefly.com for an incorrect view of the company. Wirefly is not an affiliate front as I believed it to be at first pass, and I apologize for this misunderstanding. The incorrect information has be removed from this post. I will be taking them up on their request to take a closer look, and will (without PayPerPost compensation) be reviewing them properly when I get an opportunity.
Making her day
The road to The Little Mermaid on Broadway was obviously bumpy and tense for us the past week. After getting so excited when when we first got tickets back in September, LatteGirl had been counting down the days.
For the past week though, I have been slowly trying to break it to her that it didn’t look like we were going to be able to see the show. It is not easy to a child how the show is “there” but not “open.” And trying to explain why the stage hands went on strike, and what a strike is.
Overall, I guess I had it easy. I mean, the day they first went on strike, I watched on the news, and saw a woman being interviewed. She had driven 4-1/2 hours that day up from Maryland with her two kids to see the show. I can’t even imagine the stress that must have induced, both on the mother and the poor kids. It was really heartbreaking.
At this point, I was really ready to give up, but just as I have for the last two weeks, before heading off to work, I stopped and checked to see what, if any updates there were on the strike, and saw that they finally came to an agreement and the strike is over.
I don’t know who was more excited. Me, getting to tell my daughter that we would in fact be going to NYC to see the show this weekend, or her bouncing down the hallway to tell TheWife that we were in fact going again. Her smile, radiated so brightly that I swear we no longer needed lights on in the house this morning.
So, we will now once again make plans for a trip into NY, try and find a place to dine that won’t bankrupt us, but still will be able to get into with this being tourist season and all. It should be good and mobbed this weekend around Times Square, and it really makes me question my sanity at the time I purchased these tickets. But, at the same time, LatteGirl’s smile this morning makes any of that aggravation all worth while.
(I will of course be reviewing the show, probably on Sunday).
Gift Coordination
One thing that is quite helpful in some regards, but makes me uneasy at times is when people ask what they should get LatteGirl for Christmas. On the one hand I am appreciative that they ask, because unlike some people (*cough* mother-in-law *cough*) who have a tendency to buy things that drive me insane. On the other hand, it makes me a bit uncomfortable trying to answer it properly, without feeling stupid.
How do you properly answer that? Do you provide a list of items for them to choose from? And if so, how do you go about finding out what they decide to do? I mean, how many “lists” can you provide with distinctly different items to avoid overlap? And then what about items you want to make sure you want to get, you need to know what they are going to do, so you can plan accordingly. If you go the other way and tell them an item, how do you decide what to tell them? I don’t want to push somebody into a position for a gift that is more expensive than they intended to spend.
Something so simple, and in actuality probably quite helpful, so it prevents having to return items, or having LatteGirl disappointed when somebody gave her a third copy of the same toy that year, on the other hand, and yet one that drives me insane in coordinating. How do you handle your gift coordination?
Happy Birthday Mrs.
November 27th 19__ . I am not allowed to publish the year, despite the fact that she is a number of years younger than I am. She’s not vain about it… just doesn’t get why anybody would publish that fact to the world.
As I mentioned previously, she spent the weekend in the Catskills at a spa. Tonight, LatteGirl and I took her out to dinner at her favorite restaurant, my mother is treating her to a 1/2 treatment at the Hershey Spa when we go there in a couple of weeks, and to top it off, I bought her the new Venus from Verizon Wireless. I thought she should have a phone that looks at least half as pretty as she does. But don’t tell her that, she thinks I got it because I am a gadget geek (which I am, but that is besides the point), which is fine. Can’t have her thinking I still get all mushy all these years later.
Of course, the geeky gadget side of me likes it too. Plus I will post a review of it, once I get a chance to put it through its paces… if she will let go of it for a few minutes.
Timing is everything
OK, yesterday the Super Sized job my wife ordered began. Front Stairs Gone, Side walk Gone.
Now… here comes the rain! And it looks to planning on staying for a spell. Oh goody. The back door leads to the yard. Which we now get to trudge through the mud (thanks to the rain of course) to get in and out of the house.
There are plenty of “laws” that don’t exactly work every single time. But Murphy’s law? Count on it every dang time.
(Update: Link Fixed, sorry about that)
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