Did you see this article yesterday in the Wall Steet Journal’s Marketplace section: “How Tech Start-Ups Tap Blogs as Cheerleaders”? It’s worth a read. [I’d give you the link, but it requires a paid subscription.] After reading this, and in the spirit of good, common-sense ethical practice, I’m declaring here and now that I am not paid by any of the companies mentioned in my “Demo 2006” conference coverage. Nor am I for any of the other companies I have mentioned to date in my blog. [And, if I ever do mention a company with which I have a consultant/client relationship or advisory board relationship, I will disclose that within the blog post.]

I know bloggers Dan Gillmor and David Weinberger (mentioned in the article), and they are both highly ethical individuals who enjoy a great level of deserved trust. So, it only makes sense they would disclose their respective relationships with Spanish Internet startup FON Technology early on in their postings about them, as the WSJ article states. It’s good to have them taking a leadership position on this very important issue.

I’m afraid the topic of how bloggers can “monetize” what they do (if you’ll excuse my use of that awful word) is one that won’t be going away anytime soon. Traditional journalism pays awfully, except for an elite few; but blogging is a whole lot worse. So, it will be interesting to see what kind of a compensation model emerges for this growing medium, beyond Google AdSense Ads, Amazon commissions, and other nickel-and-dime stuff (see the “Tip Jar” feature I added at the bottom of my sidebar to the right!). Again, these only make a difference for an elite few that get monthly traffic in the hundreds of thousand or millions. The vast majority of independent bloggers rely on consulting or freelance project work to survive, and in most cases are going to be doing that in whatever industry, sector, or topic area they blog about. (Unless maybe it’s a totally personal/hobbie/avocational kind of a blog.) No question, then, that disclosure by bloggers is an issue that cannot be ignored.

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