I start off this official rebutt - with a quote from Halley Suitt:

What I noticed as I explained it [blogging] to someone the other night is that if I’d answered it a year ago, I would have had a different answer – that there are almost no ways for bloggers to make money, we do it for fun – but that’s begun to change and I can talk about Henry Copeland’s Blogads and Google Adwords and people doing speaking engagements and writing books and other fellowships and things that get many of us are now lucky enough to have thrown our way.

[Halley Suitt]

Halley was at a blogger dinner in Camden, Maine at PopTech - and sure enough folks were talking about how they make money. All A-listers.

Next I summarize the bitching that Stowe Boyd and Jason Calacanis have been spewing at me (in regards to my “Pay Bloggers to Blog” idea:

Well, there are a lot of reasons why not. This [idea] takes the blogger out of being a commentator or analyst, and makes them a spokesperson or endorser.

Of course, if you really love blue Jello, there is nothing wrong with saying so; and there is nothing wrong with the makers of Jello buying an ad on your site since you write a lot about food. But there is something wrong with writing about Jello (at least in an completely false way) if in fact you hate it, but the marketers want the readers of your blog to get a different message.

There is a thin line between propaganda and marketing-facing editorializing, and we shouldn’t cross it or we will lose authenticity and trust.

[Get Real - Stowe Boyd]

and I got even more from Jason (an excerpt - cause I must have REALLY pissed off Jason - he went on and on ranting…. as if the sky was falling in.)

There are two key reasons why getting the writer/journalist/blogger/etc involved in advertising is bad:

1. It creates the appearance of impropriety, and in the view of the public the appearance of impropriety is impropriety. If readers see CNBC report on parent company GE they look at it skeptically—and they should. What your proposing will result in readers always assuming the blogger is in on the take—a horrible thing. Writers shouldn’t have to work through all these conflicts of interest, and it is the job of the publisher to remove as many of these as possible. Consolidation of media due to deregulation was the worst thing to happen to journalism to date, and ironically blogs have become popular as a response to that consolidation! You want to make a quick buck and sell out our one strength—that we’re not in on the take!

2. It gives the marketers a direct line of communication—and leverage—over the writer/journalist/blogger. This is horrible, and it’s the reason why magazines sit ad sales and editorial on different floors! When marketers get their hands into the editorial talent pool they immediately try to put pressure on the writers. If your plan works and the bloggers start making money don’t you realize that these marketers will inevitably use the $10-25,000 a year they give to writers over their head? I don’t blame the marketers, it’s their job after all, but that is why publishers don’t let them talk to the writers! Now, if you think markers will keep paying bloggers who trash their products you’re wrong. They won’t, instead they will give the money to the bloggers who suck up to them. Now you’ve created a world where writers who prostitute themselves get reward and those that don’t can’t make a living. Great job Marc!

The most powerful thing that we bloggers have is our independence and our integrity. You’re concepts are going to destroy that.

You say “Money breeds corruption - so we gotta vet out this shit - upfront.”

We do vet this out already—advertising is clearly labeled. We have a term for it, it’s called Church and State (or “the Chinese Wall”), and we publishers have been very successful in keeping a hard line between the advertisers and marketers for decades. Your quest for optimizing things in the short term is going to destroy things in the long term.

There is no rush here, bloggers who get little traffic don’t need to make money. In fact, I’m kind of sick of this meme that is spreading that all bloggers should be able to make a living from it. Guess what? Not everyone can build a magazine, newsletter or blog into a business, and that Darwinism is part of what makes the United States the greatest producer of media in the world!

You think Nick and I are making a profit on every blog we do? Wrong. We’re investing in these blogs and we expect that we will have to loose money for six, or 12 or 18 months before we can make them into real businesses—this is how brand building works. There are no short cuts. Boingboing.net is making money right now because Mark, Xeni, Cory and David spent years building up their audience without making money. Again, it takes years to build a successful media business.

Publishers and bloggers who reach critical mass have the *ability* to make money. What you’re providing is a short cut that could seriously damage the blogosphere. If you want to sell your integrity on the corner for quick money that is your business. However, I can tell you that any blogger who does this will be looked at as nothing better then a $10 whore turning tricks on the West Side Highway moments after they do it.

[Jason Calacanis]

I actually really like the metaphor of the whore - as Chris Pirillo hit me up for commissions for every whore he pimped to me.

So let me NOW answer these complaints:

- you’re all A-listers and have the luxury of being gallant, intellectual and retain your integrity - please do - so not, under any circumstanecs accept any money from me or my client

- who said anything about my client putting pressure onto our bloggers? They’re going through me - and what I’m gonna tell our bloggers is “write anything you wanna say” - so all this ’sky falling in crap’ is just that - heresay. Please listen to what I’m saying - that ain’t the idea of this. I’ve spent hours trying to calm folks on this point. Believe me I’m serious about it.

The purity of bloggers is what we want. AND the honesty. The moment our bloggers start shilling us - is the moment the whole thing is ruined.

WHAT IF this works - that’s what the MOST terrifying. WHAT IF folks could REALLY say what they want and STILL get paid?

- we will not, I repeat, we will NOT be censoring, limiting or telling our bloggers what to blog. No one believes me on this point. They just can’t seem to fathom the notion of someone paying to be lambasted - but gee, maybe it’s true.

- why is everyone so upset? Perhaps because I’m challenging this hi-falooted notion of blogging. Perhaps becuase I don’t buy that blogging and bloggers are the saviors of modern day democracy, journalism and media? Perhaps blogging is just a viral web based phenomena - that’s found a home in lonely, information thristy customers who dig the honesty and difference from what they’re used to? Why the brain pondering introspective nuances and conversations? What’s wrong with having fun, making a buck and getting on with it?

Some people have said that this idea would pollute the purity of blogging - that’s all I needed to hear.

Right on!

Let’s pollute the hell out of it.

Please go to your blogging conventions and blog about blogging. Please.

Please write endless blog posts on “what’s blogging?” and how democracy is emerging into a new era. Please do.

Please do not read any posts written by some whore who takes money for blogging. Please.

Please let us do what we want to do. You let the Republicans facists blog their war propoganda. You let the sexist assholes blog pussies and tits. You let the Goth girls ponder their tatoos and pierced lips. Or the videogame nerds go on for days about some subtle cheat or arch villian destroying the Planet Earth.

We love to read BloingBoing go on about some kinky robot suitcase or lime-green mod-case. We troll through Slashdot looking for the hottest new thing.

But we can’t read about some new product - that doesn’t have a chance in hell in having it’s message heard without some prodding? What’s wrong with that? Why can’t THEY get their message out? Who out there really believes that ads do that?

So why would you deny some poor sniveling blogging wanna-bee his or her their due shekels? A few measily bucks for THEM to communicate a few messages - that oh by the way - is NOT being controlled or manipulated by my client.

And now I’d like to consider what I said - that having humans spread a message is FAR more powerful then having a graphic reside on your page.

Pehaps we need to look at what this idea challenges - the very being of Jason’s busienss model - banner ads. The very basis of everything he’s got going - that high flow blogs will make bucks and that these measily B and C listers can’t make doodley squat.

Well guess what?

That’s me.

I don’t have a high flow blog - yet my ideas seem to resonate with a few. If I can help change the world that way - with a few readers and if I can upset the applecart of bloggrs who blog about blogging anf who go to blogging conventions to blog about what blogging is - then coolio.

Cause that’s so insular, navel gazing, intellectualizing - it’s almost Bush-like in it’s close mindedness.

Dean lost.

The Democrats are idiots and banner ads are so - so - so - 90’s.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 24th, 2004 at 8:47 pm and is filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.