Back online in 2011

After a six month hiatus, I have decided that 2011 will feature more online writing and blogging. I suffered a bit of a relapse, and was distracted by a new job, the purchase of a new business and, of course, the joys of moving half-way around the world with my family and relocating to a new continent.

Anyway, expect more in 2011.

Sponsored blogging

This whole debate that is arising about sponsored blogging is interesting. Is blogging more or less ethical if you know whether or not money has changed hands. Should you care? Do you care?

Personally, I take a lot of this stuff with a grain of salt. Those reviews on TripAdviser that say how utterly wonderful the hotel is, I query. I double-check. I Google to get more information. I check whether there are other testimonials.

And I kind of rely on my own input.

Just because something is written on the internet doesn’t mean it is gospel.

For me, it is the same as the newspaper. What is written in the newspaper is not gospel. It is more a collection of media releases, press releases, information and ideas put out to the wider world.

Some of it has been investigated, some has been copied verbatim from releases and some is simply content.

Blogging is the same. Some articles are written for the purpose of providing information. Some will be subtle advertising. Some will be blatant advertising.

It depends on whether you, the reader, is discerning.

And I am betting that you are.