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Welcome PC World and MSN Tech Readers
If you are visiting this blog from PC World or from MSN Tech news then you are probably under the assumption that I’m a jerk from the content of those articles. That is nowhere near the case.
The article published on PC World, and subsequently on MSN Tech, specifically takes to point this article which presumably reads like an ad. Which it rightly is. I’ve never tried to provide a cover for it, in fact the article clearly states it is a *Sponsored Presentation* and I have a sitewide disclosure to compliment that.
The content of the article also clearly states that I have no idea where they get their host ratings from or that I plan on using the service anytime soon, as I’m set with hosting. I simply provided my readers another choice from the hundreds, to thousands, of similar services already viewable on the web. In the end, it’s the readers choice if they wish to click and view more of the site, or choose to ignore it. The advertiser simply asked for a neutral post to be published by bloggers taking the opportunity via PayPerPost, which I choose to do on my own accord.
Yes, I got paid for it. I’m pretty confident that Erin Biba, the author of the articles now appearing on PC World and MSN, got paid for her opinion as well. Even though it was a negative toned article from start to finish. I’m hoping I’m not the cause of her logging off the internet permanently, as she clearly states -
But these are the kinds of idiots who make you feel like logging off permanently.
Sorry you feel that way Erin. How much did you get paid again to call people you have not met in your life as idiots without giving them a fair chance at defending themselves?
With all due respect, the end “rant” that you had about PayPerPost, and my blog, in regards to helping bloggers make some money with their blogs is just that - a rant. There was no other type of reporting in that particular part of the article, and frankly was quite a cheap shot.
To all readers coming from PC World and MSN please join my ever increasing RSS subscriber base. You will see for yourself why around 600 regular people, and increasing, read my blog content everyday and how I’ve made many friends on the web as a result of it.
Erin you are more than welcome to get in touch with me - I hope you’re still logged on the internet though.
Good for you! I’m sick of this crazy double standard that some writers have. I think its some sort of “old boys club” (not literal) mentality that they seem themselves as “legit” writers and anyone who is a blogger as scum and unqualified.
You are right that she most likely got paid - and in fact probably a nice bit more than you did for your post. As such, doesn’t she have an inherent bias? Sure she does. It says “be nice to PC World and Tech World and write something controversial that is more likely to get lots of page views”.
Michael Jordan endorses Gatorade. He gets paid to. Does that mean he actually hates Gatorade and just wants the money? Not likely. The money is in exchange for his time.
The world we live in now requires consumers to form their own opinions about the source they are reading from - whether that’s a blog or newspaper or whatever. Everyone is biased. That doesn’t mean everyone is a sellout. It just means that you need to think for yourself and take what you read with the understanding that its one person’s opinion based on time they spent crafting the message.
Even without things like Pay-Per-Post and such, if you sell advertising on your site than you’d still be biased - like everyone else. You would not present your advertisers in a negative light, and in fact would be motivated to create blog entries that would drive up your traffic so you can raise your ad price.
Again, everyone is biased - but that doesn’t mean everyone is for sale. I wish these anti-blogger writers would use their brain a little more instead of packaging nice little pieces intended for the ignorant masses. Don’t they see that very reason (lack of depth in their thought) is exactly why most popular blogs are gaining steam?
Jon - thanks for your comment.
What upset me the most is that in order to strike at another company they choose to just point to me, without hearing my side of the story.
The content on blogs is exclusively personalized opinions, the content on sites such as PC World, which is a publication, is far different from that off a personal blog and the writer should have taken the decency to at least ask me one question!
I think the MSN article is ridiculous, and not only ridiculous, but poorly written. Instead of poking fun at those who choose to work for PPP, maybe they should poke at PPP instead. Unless they are too worried that they’ll get backlash over it, so they have to pick on just anyone. I guess the only good from this is the traffic that you are receiving.
Keep doing what you love. It’s is your right, enjoy the traffic.
Good for you! That article was ridiculous and I’m happy to see you stood up for yourself nicely
I hope you DO get more readers when they visit via that “article” 
Kudos from a fellow PPP’er just trying to “pay the bills”
Thanks GeeGee and Christine!
I’m enjoying the traffic.
Isn’t if funny how the person who took it upon themselves to write about Web Jerks is, obviously, an arrogant, obnoxious Web Jerk?
I’m quite happy with PPP, I went through a lot of poverty before it, and while I’m still never going to be middle class, at least now I can afford shampoo and milk and dish soap and if I need new underpants I can buy them, and I never have to lie to do it - how many of these assholes do you think lie to their friends, family and co-workers every day? Talk behind their backs? Tell ‘little white lies’ to keep their worklife and social life running smoothly?
All that they’ve really proven by writing you up is that they don’t feel that if they were paid to write a review ( which is likely what they’re doing right now, since I doubt blogs that end up on MSN aren’t compensated ) they wouldn’t be able to refuse it, even if it meant lying. Where as I, and all of the Posties I’ve come to know and love must be some kind of super human beings because we can review products and websites honestly, we do it every day. Stick around Postie, they’re just sending you traffic - if the rest of the world doesn’t want to catch up to us, well, more money for us, eh?
Great response from you! Erin looks like a lazy writer to me. Most writers actually research before they write something on the internet. Logged in or not
She’s the idiot. Paid posting is no different then making money off of adsense or affiliates. Why should you blog without being compensated?
Does she turn off the radio or television whenever commercials come on? Gimme a break. Her attitude is unrealistic in a world full of advertising.
Best of luck with your blog!
Nice post!
This writer is typical of people in the world who have an unrealistic view of what they do and how they live their life. If the article’s author Erin Biba sees a problem with you getting paid to voice your opinion then she should hand her paycheck back to her employer and refuse to get paid to voice hers. I hope she only reads publications devoid of advertisements and only watches public television as well. I don’t think she is a jerk… she appears to be a hypocrite, which is much worse.
Good luck and here’s to turning lemons into lemonade… maybe her rant will bring you some extra traffic.
Great article. I hope you enjoy all the traffic from a biased article. Keep up the good work. You now have another reader - me!
Great response to a ridiculous article! You are doing a terrific job. I enjoy reading your blog.
Thanks to everybody for your support above and for any others coming forth below.
It’s up to readers to decide what is good and what is bad content, if they think that what you wrote is positive only because you got paid to write about it then they don’t have to read what you write. As long as you always write your true opinion and don’t let the money that the company is paying you cloud your judgment there is absolutely no reason in my mind to ignore paid reviews.
I’ve done a few paid reviews on my blog, I’ve stopped because of the whole Google crack down but in general I look at it as an opportunity for me to make some money, for a company to get some exposure, and a reader to find something that they might not have found otherwise. I always stated my true opinion on the product and disclosed that it was a sponsored review I don’t understand why people think that this is so terrible.
No one mentions that fact that the DJs read the ads on radio, that is just as bad, if not worse, especially since often times it is difficult to tell the difference between the times when they are speaking from a script or just talking regularly. If you trust the writer of the blog you are reading than why wouldn’t you trust them when they are getting paid. If you read the blogs of writers whose opinions could be changed by a little bit of money than you probably shouldn’t be reading the blog in the first place.