PayPerPost - Manufactured Buzz
October 2nd, 2006 | Categories: blogs, strategyLet me take the time to tell everyone about a company I disrespect. Now I’m not usually a negative or cynical person, but in this case there’s no holding back. I HATE PayPerPost.
Why the anger and outrage? Let’s just say that this new service jeopardizes the trust of the entire blogging community, as well as the basic concept of news reporting. The idea behind PayPerPost is a marketplace where advertisers pay bloggers to post about their company. Seems a little devious, but there’s more. All blog posts MUST be positive and 
transparency around payment is optional. In other words, you may read what you think is a legitimate blog post from your favourite blogger about a great new company with an exceptional product or service - but little do you know, he/she doesn’t give a @#$% about the company or the product, but rather did it for the money. Sounds very honest and sincere. I absolutely despise this model and I do not respect any blogger (sell-out) who engages in this practice. Blog posts should be written by the fingers of the blogger, not by the chequebook of the corporation. This evil company was first brought to my attention by TechCrunch in late June. On Tuesday, the company will announce that it has raised a round of $3 million. Those VCs make me sick. Shame on you.
PayPerPost is a pretty decent name though. I guess IllegitimateBlogging.com was already taken. I like this company about as much as Mike Arrington likes Jigsaw. I wish you all the worst, PayPerPost.
October 2nd, 2006 at 12:06 pm
Whoa…calm down
You are either mistaken or lying to your readers. It is entirely untrue that “all blog posts MUST be positive”. How about you give the service a try and provide your readers an informed review??
In the meantime, your readers can see a healthy set of comments from people who have used the service here: http://digg.com/tech_news/PayPerPost_The_Consumer_Generated_Advertising_Revolution_Has_Begun
October 2nd, 2006 at 1:20 pm
Dan,
Sounds like you either work for the company or you’re paid to post about them without disclosing. Hmmm, sounds strikingly similar to a recent business model I’ve come across.
Then you have the balls to ask me to try a service that goes against my morals and ethics. You’re a brave man.
Any idea that involves paying someone to post about a company or product with optional disclosure is ridiculous and untrustworthy to say the least, especially in the blogging community. This online society has grown accustomed to posting and reporting the news from a non-institutional point of view, with personal analysis from the author’s perspective. The trust factor between blogs and readers will soon be lost with a service like PayPerPost, and for this reason, I completely disagree with its underlying business model.
To be completely honest, I hope my readers don’t click on your link as it will probably waste their time. But I’ll keep it up there as I am a true advocate of freedom of speech and I wouldn’t censor discussions.
Why not save yourself the time and discuss PayPerPost with heartless bloggers who are willing to sell themselves short? Sorry, I can’t be of service to you.
October 3rd, 2006 at 10:03 am
[…] Just when you thought the web was corrupt enough (see previous post on PayPerPost), another evil company pops up with bad intentions. In this case, I am talking about UserSubmitter. I first read about this company on Read/Write Web and Richard MacManus strongly disagrees with their practices as well. I like his use of words to describe the company - ‘pond scum’. Very fitting. […]
October 30th, 2006 at 8:52 pm
[…] Not likely. In fact, I am even more sickened by their recent move than I was when I heard they raised a round of VC financing. Talk about drinking the company Kool-Aid. These non-sensical jskdgf at PayPerPost (PPP) are brainwashed to the point of being unable to distinguish right from wrong. I do not believe that they have any morals or ethics left. Sure, there are sketchy behind-the-scenes business deals and corporate scandals occurring every second of every day. But, this company has made it their underlying business model. Sad. Distasteful. Nauseating. I hope these clowns go bankrupt. […]
November 10th, 2006 at 4:43 pm
[…] As many readers, know I am a huge hater of PayPerPost. I disagree with their business model in every way, shape, and form. But relief has come - in the form of ReviewMe. This new start-up promises to take care of all of the short-comings of PayperPost. Thank god. […]
December 14th, 2006 at 9:55 pm
[…] My most hated enemy, PayPerPost, recently got slapped in the face by the FTC and rightfully so. This bottom-of-the-barrel, blood-sucking entity should be put out of business altogether. I have already written about their unethical practices here and here. […]