Blog Ethics
Mike Arrington today reports on an initiative to create some form of ethics guideline for bloggers. CNET is sponsering a gathering in SF to discuss this tonight, but for those of use far away from the West Coast, the Social Media Club has some additional infromation.
To me, it all comes down to this paragraph – something I wish all the PayPerPosters who don’t disclose their posts would read and take to heart:
In the end it comes down to the same thing I have been telling publishers and broadcasters for the past 12 years – don’t ever squander the trust you have with your audience by not being completely truthful. The public (aka audience) will revolt if you do and they will speak up and call you on it. Even though there are a number of assholes in the world with their personal axes to grind who may attack for the sake of being able to do so, most people won’t buy into that crap – particularly if you have continuously proven your trustworthiness over time while building a great relationship with your audience.
Hat’s of to Xial, by the way, who I criticized in an earlier post, yet who has been working inside PPP and telling people to be ethical. He recommends using this image – something which I fully agree with.
But of course, there are also people like Amy (a lover of discount light bulbs and all inclusive holidays) who says:
I don’t disclose on every post on my blog (I really couldn’t care less what all the naysayers are saying about disclaimers, etc.), so that requirement doesn’t bother me.
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