empty rhetoric

In light of the fact that I have recently applied and been accepted to PayPerPost, I wanted to write up a sort of de-facto policy about how I intend to participate in the service. But first, a general overview:

PayPerPost is a service that basically connects bloggers and advertisers, allowing one to sign up and take offers from people who want bloggers to talk about their products. It has been harshly criticized for breaking the intrinsic “trust” that the blogosphere has with its readership by introducing a bias into the system– after all, being paid to talk about something pretty much ensures that one will be inclined to talk favorably about it. PayPerPost does not (I believe) require a blogger to disclose the fact that they are being paid to blog about a product or service, which introduces a dangerous and unfortunate opportunity for mistrust and abuse.

My position on the matter is built on two premises: 1)that it is important that there be a way for bloggers to make at least some money from their time and effort blogging and 2)that such a method must ensure that the readership is aware of exactly where the money is going.

As such, as a participant in PayPerPost, I will adhere to the following self-imposed standards:

1)Every post I make through the program will contain an introductory section explaining a)that I am writing about the product via PayPerPost, b)how much money the post is worth in terms of the service (in other words, how much I am being paid), and c)that I refuse to accept PayPerPost opportunities requiring a positive review or mention– even if I like the product and d)a link to this post to explain my position on the matter.

2)I will not: a)take opportunities that require a positive mention in order to ensure payment, b)review any products or services outside of PayPerPost (to ensure that all reviews of any kind have a ‘transparency’ header, and that the reader is not left wondering whether I am bypassing my ’self-imposed’ rules), or c)fail to provide a link to an external, impartial review. Finally, d)all PayPerPost posts will be in the “PayPerPost” category.

At the end of each pay period, I will make a discloser of precisely how much I have made through the PayPerPost system. (There is a chance that, ala Google AdSense, that this violates their terms of use. If so, I will discontinue the services). Starting today, these rules go into effect. If any reader catches me violating them in any way, I encourage them to post a comment and/or mention it on their blog.

The bottom line: I think it is important that bloggers be able to leverage their time and talent in a financially rewarding way, however, such a technique is meaningless if it removes the trust of the readership. I do not take the trust of my readers for granted- it is something that I earn and do not intrinsically deserve. My readers, however, have a right to a fair and transparent blog, and I cannot blame them for leaving one that is not. I am attempting to be fully transparent and disclose financial bias– to give readers that which they deserve and need not earn.

Finally, I make the following suggestion: If any reader, for any reason wishes to express discontent over my decision and make a case against me, I will amend this post with the full text of their email. I am not going to leave the service simply because of an irate reader, but I will give that irate reader a chance to speak their mind on a post that will link to every single PayPerPost opportunity I engage in.

I hope that my participation in this program can be a rewarding experience for everyone involved, and I want to ensure that if it is not, that I am the one that takes the blame. It is my job to actively engage in discolsure, and I pledge to do so for as long as I maintain this site.

AMENDMENT 1: I also pledge to keep this blog spam-free, and to allow at no time the number of PayPerPost opportunities to exceed more than 1/3 (roughly 30%) of the main page, nor to allow PayPerPost opportunities to exceed more than 50% of aggregate posts in a month.

AMENDMENT 2: One of PayPerPost’s opportunities includes a referall: this link is my referall link.  If you are interested in the program please use that link to sign up.  I will recieve credit for the referall, so if you don’t want to sign up via me, click one of the first two links in this post to do so.