weren’t’ve been following a post at Problogger.net about whether bloggers are hypocrites. This spawns from an article taken from Scobleizer
Robert start off by reminding us about Marquis two years ago:
Remember last year when the blogosphere…

Sure, that’s also a business model. It works in all fields… but I seriously doubt it’s the most efficient one.

Anyone who uses Adsense has no certain knowledge of exactly what Google is going to place on your website. Sure you can sometimes aim to get certain ads placed there but there is no guarantees.

And as for schilling with Adsense – mmmmmm I don’t think so. I could write an entry that was highly critical of a company and all Google would see was that company’s name and place their ad if they were in the Adwords program.

So claiming that bloggers who have Adsense on their blogs are in some way selling out, schilling or having less integrity that a blogger who doesn’t is really clutching at straws in an effort to prove how pure they are in the face of all this crass commercialism.

Advertising is not really about selling us stuff we don’t need, as BradFitz claims. The best advertising is about connecting trustworthy knowledge (in this case, the recommendation of a trustworthy blogger–you) to the need of a consumer (your reader). You’re not going to convince someone to buy a camera by way of a Chikita ad. You’re not even going to convince them to buy a camera with an ad and a great recommendation. You need the confluence of the opportunity, the information, and the consumer need.

In any case, this issue addresses the “information” or “knowledge” portion of that equation, and in that respect, Michael’s got it spot-on: set up your rules beforehand and stick to them.

BTW, this is my first comment on this blog. You’ve got good stuff here.

Ummm, not 100% correct. Did I need to see “Corpse Bride?” Did I need to know “Madagascar” is out on DVD this week at MediaPlay? Or that Staples was discounting 50-packs of blank CDs?

Sure, advertising is out there that tries to prey on your weaknesses, your desire for status, your desire to get laid, your insecurities. But no one makes you pull out your wallet.

“So to try and find the morale high-ground in bloggers’ advertising programs seems pointless because everyone compromises something to make a buck. ”

‘Everybody does it’ is what children use to justify their actions. The adult response is ‘that doesn’t matter. It’s still wrong.’

If you want to be more practical about this bit of morality, not only is it wrong, it rats you out. Sure, you can fake your way through blogging positively about a product you don’t believe in (or didn’t even see), but you’d have to be a darn good liar to pass, and most people just aren’t that good. And heaven helps you if you get ratted out.

If you set up your standards or rules in advance, and stick to your rules, your audience will respect you. If you change the rules midstream, your audience starts to wonder what’s going on.

I’ve seen lots of sites criticised for adding advertising AFTER establishing an audience, and that’s why I start mine with ads from day one. I have standards – there will be ads, they’ll be clearly labeled, and they won’t affect my content.

It’s just like the issue of allowing links in comments – set your standards and stick to them. If people still complain, it’s their problem and they can go elsewhere.

Also: know your audience. Darren can ad a new kind of ad here (Chikita) and the reception is good – we’re at a commercial site that talks about making money, we expect it. There are still sites out there that would offend their audience greatly even by running Adsense.

Although I don’t agree with camera salesmen that sell inferior products to fatten their commissions, I think the bigger culprits are salesmen that capitalize on people’s fears. Whole-life insurance anyone?? How about the Patriot Act?

But I’m straying.