If you don’t like the fire, stay out of the kitchen. For the sake of this conversation, I am going to attribute that quote to my Grandmother and say she was referring to the baking of cakes. I will co-opt it and use it to refer to the writing of blog posts and blogging in general.

When I woke up this morning, I noticed that a simple editorial question that I had posted last night had ended up on the front page of Techmeme. Not only that, but this “People Ready” thing which I thought was a bemusing side note had set the world on fire. It must be the weekend. I does raise some interesting questions, so lets take a look.

People Ready

To summarize what “really happened”. Microsoft, in conjunction with Federated Media launched a campaign to generate buzz around the catch-phrase “people ready”. Some of the Federated Media publishers were asked to participate, some money changed hands in the process and Nick Denton of the Gawkers network lit the spark that burned everyone’s proverbial kitchen down sometime yesterday afternoon.

C-Net picked up the piece and went to town, Dave Winer did as well and you guessed it, so did little old me.

People Involved

The reason that this had any traction at all is because the people involved are some of the biggest names in tech blogging. Just a note for the rest of the article, I am only including those names who have defended the campaign. Some of the biggest are bloggers like Richard McManus, Mike Arrington and Fred Wilson.

Lets face it, these men are the reason why most of the rest of us can do what we do. They gave the idea of citizen journalism in the field of technology legitimacy, and they are partially responsible for the popularity that tech blogs now enjoy. That being said, lets wade our way through this debacle.

The Nature Of Your Careers

I get this feeling that many of the writers who have been called to this carpet in this situation don’t understand why anyone should care. The reason is that through no fault of your own, you are considered to be the top opinion leaders in your field. You must realize that millions of people (hyberbole? Only very slightly) a month hang on your words and make decisions in part based on your opinions as experts.

That is the nature of journalism, and more appropriately for this conversation it is the nature of being a cult of personality. A traditional journalist hides behind his publisher, as an “A-list” blogger everyone can see you and as a result have formed tacit relationships with you.

You did not ask for this, but because you choose to continue doing what you do you have accepted it. Lets continue from there.

Money

Why do I write? Well, let me list three reasons in no particular order.

I enjoy technology, I enjoy the web and I enjoy the cultural shifts that have resulted from the marriage of technology and society.

I like the idea that I can earn a pittance doing something that I enjoy doing, namely writing.

I really hope to one day attract the sort of following that some of these “A-listers” have. The thought of being able to affect the tech community and have a platform to show another side of the industry gets me out of bed in the morning.

The sticking point is always reason two, the money. All of the bloggers I have mentioned earn a significant income from a combination of fame, skill and strategic relationships with advertising networks like Federated Media. All of these men are also in the business of blogging, this income might not be why they write but at the end of the day they need to make margin.

Like I mentioned previously, taking this into consideration I can understand why many of them didn’t think twice about taking Federated Media up on their offer.

A Few Thinking Points

The problem is that every single time you do something like that without offering some kind of disclosure, you leave yourself open to people like Mr. Denton. Another interesting facet of new media is that it strongly resembles the old publishing houses of the early 20th century. Everyone is looking to co-opt everyone else’s eyeballs, one of the easiest ways to do this is to sling mud.

No one really cares if you accepted a few pennies to write a blurb on Microsoft’s meme, but when people see you quoted in a banner, you immediately give legitimacy to whatever message your name is attributed to. That, my friends, is the kind of power that you wield. Whether you recognize this fact is immaterial, it’s why they ask you to do it instead of just some random tech bloggers.

I am speaking directly to anyone who has come out against sites like Pay Per Post or Review Me now. If that does not include you, move on to the next point. The difference between sponsored posting and this is such a fine line that I dare say it is nonexistent. No one asks that you not have prejudices, but as an opinion leader we hope for consistency. You are compensated quite well for your writing, both in tangibles and the incalculable value that niche fame affords (contacts, professional opportunities, advertising deals etc). When you do something questionable and you’re “found out” you have to expect that something like this will happen.

New Media Advertising

This is not a battle between Gawkers and Federated Media.

It’s not a battle between Nick Denton and the rest of the “A-list”.

This is not a battle between journalistic integrity and opportunistic shilling.

Luckily, this is also not a battle between Microsoft and anyone really…

What we have here is a battle between old and new media, and the friction points that result from no one really understanding what the idea of “new media” really means. Advertising as a business, especially in the online space, is looking for new vectors. Whenever I think of whether something will work on the web, I always start out with the idea that “no one cares,” and go on from there.

Advertisers know that no one really wants to see tired banner ads anymore, that the only way to grab the attention of the audience is to give them something new. This whole “people ready” campaign fills that niche quite nicely. I write about Web 3.0 pretty constantly, and I tend to believe this is the smoke that comes before that fire. More and more power is put into the hands of a few huge names in technology, as this shift continues we’re going to see a lot more of these reputation-centric advertisements.

Until we take the time to understand how we wish to interact with this new way of dealing with online advertising, we will continue to see pieces like Mr. Denton’s.

Web 2.0 Roundup

If I want people to draw anything from this article it’s this.

Understand that fame comes with a responsibility. That responsibility is to your readers and their impression of you. These readers are your life blood, they are the reason that Federated Media even cares about your existence. They should always be treated with the utmost respect and care.

It’s time to understand that as bloggers, we are becoming journalist at a faster and faster rate. Lets not repeat the errors of our spiritual fore bearers. Wasting time writing attack pieces, while amusing, simply undermines what (I imagine) we are all trying to accomplish. If it’s news, then report it. If it is just meant to get into the craw of competitors…well.

It is really time for everyone to discuss the nature of new media advertising. If no one else wants to take up the charge, I will, but honestly it goes back to the fact that, “no one cares”. Until someone on the “A-list” fires the first shot, nothing will change.

To my readers, I am going to send this out to all the parties involved. Honestly, I doubt they will care. When walking in the shadow of giants, one tends to be easily crushed. I hope each if you got something out of this though, send me your opinions and tell me if you think I’m completely off base on this.

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