The FTC is looking at a new criminal who may be wearing a big t-shirt, have a coffee cup super glued to her hand, a baby on their breast and a toddler in front of Sesame Street. Or she may look something like this...
However, if you are not in compliance, you will be sanction. Big scary words for a mommy blogger who simply uses a product and talks about it. I am not really certain how they will police this. Some of my reviews are from companies some are from products I have purchased on my own and want to talk about.
Most bloggers are just voicing their opinion on a particular product as if they were at work, in a school yard, emailing a friend, at a mommy group or whatever medium you can think of.
Most bloggers will NOT say something just because a company asks them to.
Most bloggers DO NOT get paid to blog about an item.
Most bloggers are NOT trying to drive the market in a particular direction.
Most bloggers LOVE getting products and are willing to honestly discuss what they felt about it.
Most bloggers LOVE sharing a product with their readers in the form of a giveaway.
Most bloggers HAVE NEVER lied about a product for a sponsor.
Most bloggers are NOT receiving laptops, toys or trips to Disney!!
Most bloggers want to follow the rules and are not trying to hurt anyone. We don't have big lawyers working for us (as many companies do), telling us the proper buzz words to make sure that our butts are protected from being sued over our opinion.
Most bloggers work HARD and spend MANY hours to provide "fair & balanced" reviews on items that we receive for "free" and could have been purchased for under $25.00.
BTW...is a product really free if I have to spend 15-60 minutes writing, researching, linking, and posting it??? If it is a giveaway? Writing, researching, linking, posting, adverstising, picking a winner through random, contacting the winner, providing an address to the sponsor and then forever keeping communication openin case the sponsor doesn't follow through. The amount of follow up alone is worth at the very least $10.00 an hour!!!
I would think there were more important things wrong with the world than a couple of bloggers who were lucky enough to receive trips to Disney and latops. BTW...Sony, Acer, Dell, if you are listening I could totally use a new one.
PEACE OUT!
Source
This is quite the post. I just blogged the article. I didn't think it was that hard to say, "I wasn't facilitated anything for this review."
ReplyDeleteYour post makes it hit harder.
Being Canadian too I wonder how it will affect us. Will it be the same as Americans?
Whatever the fate, I agree it's lame-o. Thanks for the great post.
Here is my lame post: http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/2009/10/ftc-rules-about-blogging-and-disclosure.html
Preach it Sista! Gosh I love you!!! You rock my socks Momma!!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Leslie
LeslieVeg@msn.com
http://leslielovesveggies.blogspot.com/
Amen!
ReplyDelete(Don't I wish I was receiving laptops for review, then maybe mine wouldn't be held together with electrical tape right now. LOL)
You go girl!!!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree... God I wish I was given a laptop... mine is slowly dying and it is the one I use the most because I can't sit up at the desk for very long.
I did read the whole article on MSNBC and from what they said, it looks like the FTC will mainly be going after companies that are trying to pay-off bloggers, NOT the bloggers themselves, unless they blatantly ignore the new FTC disclosure laws; and the bloggers have been warned prior to the fine.
I completely agree that MOST bloggers WANT to do what is right, at least all the ones I know, but unfortunately there are the few out there that do it only for what THEY can get, and it has now come to hurt ALL bloggers.
Totally unfair. I bet though if you looked in any of their back pockets you'd find a few gifts from the higher ups that asked them to do something. I would also like to ask them how many of their wives or any loved ones blog or review. I bet we'd be surprised by the answers.
ReplyDeleteFredamans, Thanks. I thought it was basically the TRUTH. We are just doing a job really.
ReplyDeleteComing to check out your post.
Leslie, Thanks I appreciate you gracing the blog. I will get on this soap box any time.
Storm, Right! I could totally use a new laptop and my kids are dying to go to Disney.
Lorie, Truly, we all just want to be honest and we are providing a service. It should truly be a paid job. There is quite a lot of work that goes into maintaining a blog, or two along with the networking and twittering, advertising and more..we should totally get paid.
Laurie,
I think so too!
Hopefully the dust will settle after Dec. 1st and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. It is a little scary though because there always seems to be a few people who are 'made an example' of unfairly. I would love to trust 'government' but...
ReplyDeleteThere has been contests and giveaways ever since advertising began, that is not going to go away but I wonder how
it's all going to pan out. And here's a question.
Has anyone heard from the publishers they work with or companies about this? You would think that they would be giving us a heads up and some help.
I haven't heard a word yet.
BevE
Merry Weather