Comments on: Blogging Full Disclosure Debacle – Grow Some Brass Ones

By: Inside the Mind of an Internet Marketer

Inside the Mind of an Internet Marketer — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 14:50:24 +0000

FREE Link – Promote Your Site & Spam Me – Please…

I assume that if you are reading this, you were drawn in by the title of this post. Is it a hoax? Will I really give you a FREE link to your website? Do I really want you to spam……

By: Chuck

Chuck — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:38:41 +0000

I realize I’m late to the party on this, but this interview just finally made it to iTunes a couple days ago. I like and respect both Shoemoney and Rand Fishkin very much (not personally…don’t know them…probably never will). But in different ways and in different reasons.

Jeremy is very much a street-level guy. He speaks very plainly, he’s out there hustling for every dime he can pick up. He’s got a high profile… but unlike John Chow, who seeks it out… Shoe just seems to draw attention because he’s pretty flamboyant in his bluntness. He doesn’t want anyone looking up to him. He investigates everything himself. I think that’s just fine…and so is his “blanket disclosure”. There’s plenty of room in the world for scrappy guys like this… always challenging the status quo.

Rand is a completely different animal. His knowledge is solid, he’s very well-spoken and chooses those words carefully. I love his stuff. Very informative. But his reputation is everything to him. You can’t behave like a hustler and get people to throw 10K of their hard-earned money your way every month. And I believe his approach is the right one…in his case. He needs for people to know that his objectivity is not for sale. Otherwise, his business is gone.

Shoemoney couldn’t give a rat’s ass about his rep for the most part. Take away what he’s accomplished so far…and he’ll just get up and start from scratch tomorrow.

Of the two, I found myself identifying more closely with Rand. But, whether focused and on point and well-researched or not…I still enjoyed the discussion. The only downside was that they were clearly having a difficult time hearing each other on the phone. That made for some awkwards gaps, and some lapses in communication.

By: I Would Like To Disclose My Disclosure | Quentin Brown

I Would Like To Disclose My Disclosure | Quentin Brown — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 17:04:24 +0000

[...] Andy Beard recently chimed in on the discussion and had some great stuff to say about this blog disclosure issue. [...]

By: Fitness guy

Fitness guy — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:27:16 +0000

In response to Shazad’s comment: Isn’t this exactly the reason a blanket disclosure statement is necessary?

By: Bill Hartzer

Bill Hartzer — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 19:18:37 +0000

I understand the logic here. But, affiliates chooose to do business or not do business with companies like Clickbank. And it’s my opinion that companies like Clickbank can make up any rules they want to. Since the affiliate is not a consumer then they don’t have to do business with Clickbank–and vice versa. Clickbank deserves the right to pay or ‘not pay’ companies or individuals who send them traffic.

A company can decide that their affiliates must have a certain type of link on their site in order to get paid. They can decide whether or not the affiliate must disclose that they’re an affiliate. Of course the affiliate shouldn’t misrepresent themselves, though.

When it comes to disclosure, I don’t personally think the USA’s FTC can get involved–this is a business transaction that doesn’t necessarily directly involves the consumer. It’s a referral…and the consumer clicks on a link and goes on over to another site where such things should be disclosed (like guarantees, warranties, etc. etc.).

By: Income.com Blog » Blog Archive » I Would Like To Disclose My Disclosure

Sat, 09 Jun 2007 22:48:40 +0000

[...] Andy Beard recently chimed in on the discussion and had some great stuff to say about this blog disclosure issue. [...]

By: shazad

shazad — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 22:32:05 +0000

I think there is just too much information to regulate i mean how many opinions, recommendations or advertising can one distinguish between.

By: Andy Beard

Andy Beard — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 20:14:43 +0000

You mean you either tell people up front (a disclosure policy), or explain that to the FTC or a jury at a later date?

p.s. I have a comments policy too

By: Money From Home

Money From Home — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 20:04:27 +0000

I am with shoemoney on this. You have to assume that if I am talking about it than I will directly or indirectly be making money from it.

By: Andy Beard

Andy Beard — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 04:34:52 +0000

I had to make the link to the LA Times unclickable, because a while ago I unearthed that they don’t allow deep linking in their terms of service.