Comments on: The Federal Trade Commission Goes After Bloggers, Spares Journos Who Do the Same Thing!

By: The Federal Trade Commission’s Incoherent Response to Dissent - Arts Desk - Washington City Paper

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:37:32 +0000

[...] letters section, David Vladeck, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, took issue with my post about the FTC’s new “guidelines” regarding independent bloggers who review [...]

By: Andrew Beaujon

Andrew Beaujon — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:50:16 +0000

I don't think it's unethical to sell promos. You didn't ask for them, no one wants them back---what are you supposed to do, build a tower in your backyard out of Breaking Benjamin CDs? If you request something to sell it, yes, that's unethical. But otherwise I suggest secondspin.com to keep down rock-crit clutter!

By: Michael J. West

Michael J. West — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:48:00 +0000

And what about when the blog is PART of the traditional journalism outlet? Like, say, this one?

By: MN

MN — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:39:31 +0000

"The great Robert Christgau even sold the stuff he doesn’t like (according to my colleagues, this is still quite common and completely ethical)." Uhhhhh. Well it is quite common, how else would I get all those great promo copies over the years from Soundgarden and Kim's in NY? But ethical, ehh. It's ethical in the sense that "everyone drives five miles over the speed limit so I do too" is ethical. Shame the panel is during the day, I'd go to the panel if it was held in the evening just to see all the voices that haunt my internet and podcasts in one place.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:09:36 +0000

Change?, wait till Obama makes the net neutral.

By: Carl Carter

Carl Carter — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:03:03 +0000

I have dozens of review copies on my shelves from my newspaper days (and a few that the paper sent me to review after I left), and I've never once disclosed that I got it free. It never occurred to me or the paper that it might actually belong to the company.

By: Bloggers Could Be Fined $11,000 Under New FTC Regulations | TeKnocratix

Bloggers Could Be Fined $11,000 Under New FTC Regulations | TeKnocratix — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:57:01 +0000

[...] to imagine this will do much to curtail astroturfing. And it’s uncertain if this will apply to traditional reporters, however celebrity endorsements are specifically [...]