Free articles are aimed for bloggers/web entrepreneurs who have no interest if people come back or not, it’s to get click through on adverts or sell products. In return for using the content the writer gets a backlink.

Like it or not that’s the way it is, and that’s the way it will go !

Commercialization of blogs to make money.

If it’s your own blog then it’s not much use to you.

In fact, this issue is the main reason why I restrict myself to original content.

Besides, a blog’s voice is created by the owners writing style and voice.

A free article would lack this particular quality.

A personal touch on any blog enhances its appeal, in my opinion.

Finally I am going to put this altogether.
Your article was definitely Informative, right on time.

Bless you for that information at the right time and
place. A bit cliche I know but I mean it.

And many Thanks to Mike for adding a broader view.

Those sites are really designed for people publishing newsletters and collections of information. For that purpose, the sites actually have a purpose. If you can shift though all the spammy and poorly written articles, you can actually find some interesting pieces that your publication’s readers aren’t familiar with.

So, to those who don’t understand why these sites exist.. there you go. Keep in mind that bloggers are not the only people on the net, lol. For example, if a teacher wants to start a newsletter out to all of her colleagues, she doesn’t have time to write 10 articles a week and shes not getting paid. Why not just grab some fun (free) articles about games to play with students or success stories from other teachers?

I do love on occasion to summarize well-written blog posts, add my commentary and point my readers to read the original.

Nothing, of course, beats original, passionately-written content.

The question becomes a bit of a strawman when compared to actual content models focused on blogs, such pay-per-post schemes.

Sue
tieroneads.com

However, when context is provided (such as a free article on SEO appearing on a blog devoted to SEO topics) and editorial judgment is used (such as spiking error-filled juvenile writing), free articles can have limited uses.

It is a valid argument to ask where the line between free articles stops and guest posting begins. Seemingly, guest posts are those chosen by the blog editor for context, style and quality. The same should be true for free articles.

If free articles damage a blog’s standing with Google (and that appears questionable, given comments here by marketing experts) the business would be history. Obviously it has some staying power – to the chagrin of some onlookers.

Then, of course, is the case of another ‘free’ article model, the wire service. Each minute, thousands of new sites publish the same AP or Reuters story. Are these newspapers, television station Web sites and other online publishers crying foul? Of course not. And the answer gets back to adding value to a blog.

From my experience with regular websites articles are a great way to create links and you can use this to your advantage.

Say you’ve written an article on some specific type of holiday in Ireland. You might post that on your blog and three or four days later, when you are sure Google has indexed it – rewrite it, or write a supporting article and send it to a number of the larger ezines, with a linkback of course to that specific page on your blog.

You should get valuable link-backs. And because Google has already indexed your article then you won’t be punished for using duplicate content.

At least that’s my understanding – have I got it right Darren