Comments on: WalMart Uses Bloggers, Doesn’t Listen to Amex or Businesspundit

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 14:22:51 +0000

Undecided,
Actually, I said Amex “hired” me, which in my mind implies payment. The whole point here is that the other bloggers were only willing to do this if Amex let us write what we wanted. I even expressed that my normal comment policy wouldn’t change. So, if someone said something totally ridiculous and full of profanity and hate, then yes it would get deleted (on any post) but Amex was told that if people had legitimate challenges or points to make, those comments would not be deleted, but Amex could leave a comment response just like anyone else.

By: Jack Yoest

Jack Yoest — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 12:56:12 +0000

Rob, as you’ve noted Wal*Mart and (my good friend) Marshall Manson do not pay bloggers.

I know. I asked for dough.

Or at least expenses. Marshall offered me a tour of Bentonville — me and Glenn Reynolds on the same bus! — but I would have had to pay my own way down there.

Goodness. I do enough free consulting.

Didn’t need to do that.

Best,
Jack

By: Undecided

Undecided — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 05:35:23 +0000

A point that nobody mentioned is that you were paid to write about Amex. Wouldn’t you say that strongly encourages positive feedback? In actuality, that is the same as being paid to portray an image anyway. The only difference is that you are being manipulated with a suggested direction rather than a requested one.

In addition, blogging blatantly incorrect information damages your credibility to the nth degree in regards to past or future opinions.

By: SW

SW — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 17:38:13 +0000

Why bother in the first place? Prompting discussions seems to defeat the purpose. Why not engage in activities or actions that actually create the desire to have people speak of them?

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 15:30:53 +0000

Weird…. I could have sworn it said paid but you’re right, it isn’t in there anywhere. Time for some editing!

By: laurence haughton

laurence haughton — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 04:36:34 +0000

Oh boo hoo a blogger made an error in judgment.

How much hidden agenda driven crap makes it into the NY Times or onto NBC? I heard from an NBC newsbunny today that “second hand smoke” is virtually proven to “cause” lung cancer.

Yes transparency is alway right. But what’s the bible say about noticing the “mote in thy brother’s eye but ignoring the beam in thy own eye?” Oh yeah “thou hypocrite.”

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 04:32:21 +0000

Yup, the article specifically says that bloggers were *not* paid. It’s all about failure to cite sources copied verbatim, the kind of thing a past reputable media source like the Times would never do.

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 04:23:39 +0000

I haven’t follwed the matter closely, but I understood it to be press releases to bloggers, or something amounting to that. This is the very first mention I have seen of anyone being paid by Wal-Mart.