Blogosphere blowhards are getting louder in their condemnation of new blogging service Pay Per Post, which offers people cash incentives to write about particular products - and they don't have to tell anyone. The web 2.0 bigwigs at Techcrunch wonder if this is a bad joke designed to torpedo the blogosphere's credibility in general, while Robert "I'm famous for leaving Microsoft" Scoble says not declaring payments would "undermine his credibility".
Answer? Tell people what money's changing hands, stupid. Pay Per Post isn't demanding transparency because its clients are most likely companies that don't want their fingerprints visible everywhere. That doesn't mean you can't do it yourself.
Disclaimer: I, of course, like all ethically bankrupt journalists, am personally endorsed by a large number of companies and individuals - including an antiques shop in Suffolk, the Mount Pleasant Barber's and that bloke who sung the R White's Lemonade theme tune.
