Thoughts in my head …

I have a lot of thoughts that go through my head. Many (most, perhaps?) of them are not interesting, but I figure if I’m going to stand any chance of writing blog posts, I’m going to have to write about the thoughts in my head.

So, today: Sponsorship.

Specifically, sponsored posts on blogs.

A Creative Commons image: “2012 usgp laguna sponsor wall” taken by ScottMDI.

I don’t read them.

I won’t run sponsored posts. Most blogs I read don’t have sponsored posts.

But one, or two, do.

I find these posts tend to be the very longest ones the blogger writes – they are LONG. Perhaps the blogger feels the need to give the sponsor their money’s worth? And maybe that’s part of the reason I don’t read these posts. They look boring. Dense and hard to get through.

I wouldn’t read them anyway, because I don’t trust them.

If you’re paid to write something – even if you’re convinced you’re being free and clear and unbiased – well, you’re not.

And, in a way, it would be unethical for you to be free and clear and unbiased if you took somebody’s money to promote their product. By taking their money, you’re making a deal to be on their side. Until you stop taking their money, you should be on their side.

Now, don’t get me wrong – and don’t start protesting – that there’s nothing wrong with this, and you’re allowed to do this, and it’s your choice, and you would really, really like this product / service anyway, even if you weren’t paid to promote it – that’s as may be, but I still don’t trust your post.

So, I guess what I’m saying is, from where I sit, sponsored posts are a waste of the advertiser’s money (because I don’t read them), and a waste of the blogger’s time and effort (because I don’t read them) and they also, maybe, possibly, diminish the impact of your blog overall – because I don’t read them, and I enjoy your blog less on the days you post them.

But maybe I’m crazy here – feel free to chime in – do you read sponsored blog posts? Do you trust them? Do you like them?

Let me know