The title, which is a quote from the movie casablanca, is what came to mind tonight when I read the complete train wreck occuring on TechMeme over advertisements that contain a written message from the publisher. The whole thing was started by Valleywag of course.
The ads in question are a staple of FM Publishing – a standard ad unit contains a quote by the publisher saying something about something. It isn’t a direct endorsement. It certainly isn’t a product endorsement. Rather, it’s usually an answer to some lame slogan created by the advertiser. It makes the ad more personal and has a higher click through rate, or so we’ve been told. In the case of the Microsoft ad, we were quoted how we had become “people ready,” whatever that means. See our answer and some of the others here (I think it will be hard to find this text controversial, or anything other then extremely boring). We do these all the time…generally FM suggests some language and we approve or tweak it to make it less lame. The ads go up, we get paid. This has been going on for months and months – at least since the summer of 2006. It’s nothing new. It’s text in an ad box. I think people are pretty aware of what that means…which is nothing.
Let me reiterate. It’s an ad unit. You know what goes on in ad units? Advertising.
Shocking.
Valleywag says its wrong. Om Malik, an innocent babe in the woods when it comes to being on the receiving end of valleywag attacks, folded, apologized and had the ads pulled. Someone over at CNET jumped on the bandwagon, saying we were all pimping advertisers slogans. He emailed us (I was driving to Foo camp and offline), and shortly thereafter wrote “surprise, surprise–heard nothing back.” Yeah, that’s me, shrinking from controversy and afraid to answer emails. I just wrote back to the reporter, calling him an idiot for falling into this trap.
Even Dave Winer threw a few logs on the fire, while acknowledging that Valleywag is generally full of shit.
So here’s my position on all of this: Go pound sand. People understand that if there’s text in an ad box, someone is paying for it to be there.
The main thing I’m pissed off about right now is that they pulled all the ads, which mean we’re taking a revenue hit. We’re running a business here, and have payroll to make. We run ads to make that payroll. Those ads have now been pulled.
And perhaps Malik, Wilson and Kedrosky, who’ve all complimented and often linked to valleywag and have never been on the receiving end of their attacks before today, will realize how quickly that dog will turn on you. Valleyway picks its fights carefully, always attacking competitors but one at a time, while praising the rest of the crowd to keep them at bay. It’s high school bullying 101. And it works just as well in the blogging world as it did back then before we knew better. Divide and conquer. Shameful for those who sit on the sidelines and watch it all happen. And all of these guys have done exactly that.
terrible post mike. sorry, but you’ve lost my respect. the arrogant tone of this post is such a turn off. i mean, you don’t even try to pretend that you care about “people ready”. in fact, you think it’s lame. so you’ll basically say any crappy thing an advertiser pays you enough to say? and since it’s in the “advertising box” it’s like it wasn’t even you who said it. “sure, put my name on there, who give a f***. we’ve got payroll to make!” it doesn’t change the fact that you are expected to give us your honest, unbiased take on things in the industry, including what microsoft does. where is the post about how “lame” the people ready campaign is? oh wait, that might jeopardize your people-ready business.
rvr – you nailed it. I don’t give a flying duck about People Ready. But the words were mine, and if you take a moment to read them I think you will realize they came from my heart. Seriously, go read what I wrote. I copied it into the post directly above this one.
Mike, Microsoft has had the “people ready” meme in their advertising for quite a while now. I’m sure you’ve seen their ads before.
So we are expected to believe that you were asked to write how you became “people ready”, a term used in Microsoft’s advertising to sell their software, and yet you never put the connection in your head that saying you have become “people ready” implies that you have used their software to achieve that goal?
You seem to think your quote doesn’t endorse their product. Either you’re acting naive or you really are and Microsoft has made you endorse their products without you even knowing it.
Congrats.
>In the case of the Microsoft ad, we were quoted how
>we had become “people ready,” whatever that means.
The sad thing is it’s *you* that ultimately loses credibility. If you think it’s garbage meaningless and stupid, and you had integrity you might have said “Microsoft’s People Ready slogan doesn’t mean anything to me.” Instead you endorsed something else. I lose respect for the product, and the celebrity faking the endorsement – whether he’s trying to be a new-world journalist/blogger or not.
Just like in the old world, Eric Estrada doesn’t actually own any of that real estate either.
You should be ashamed of yourself. Many people don’t realize that “text in a box” is an advertisement that paid for it. You know that, you just want your money and free products from advertisers. You are no more than a prostitute.
Maybe Microsoft only paid for the space and the copywriting was part of the value-add
Yeah, it’s like you want it both ways. You want the money for implicitly endorsing the product/company. But you want to keep your credibility by calling the ads stupid and meaningless. So the ads are stupid and meaningless, but not the money they bring?
Man, this is really disappointing. But a good reminder that nothing holds bloggers to the same standards as journalists.
I honestly wish I knew you you are Sir.
As it stands to a disinterested outsider, who is not ‘in the loop’ of the whole ‘blogosphere’ I can only say that , not only do I find your selling your so called neutral POV to a high bidder distasteful, but your petulance when being called on it a bit shocking.
Rest assured that I will remember your name from now on, and any opinion is espouses to be instantly suspect.
Go pound sand?
Is sand “People Ready”? Is it “Pounding Ready”? Fred says that the Web is now 2.0, and that this is Ethics 2.0.
Did the rules of ethics need to change? That anyone would suggest that they needed revision, suggests to me that they have no clue what “ethics” means in the first place. – Tim
Mike, there’s a reason why in “real” news organizations, the editorial / journalistic staff are generally kept well segregated from the advertising / sales staff. When these boundaries become blurred, there are real concerns for the credibility of the organization.
You, on the other hand, are apparently serving as the advertising staff, the celebrity spokesmodel, and the journalistic staff. Even if you’re infallibly ethical, there’s still clearly at least the appearance of a conflict of interest.
What that translates to is this: Any time you praise a Microsoft product, I’m not believing it. They paid YOU, directly, to hawk their crap. So why should I believe you when you tell me NOT to believe what it says in an ad box – it’s YOU saying it. Are you going to use a special font to tell me when to believe you and when not to? Is it the case that if something you write is NOT in the ad box, you’re trustworthy, but when it IS in the ad box, you lie? What’s next? You’re going to claim that something didn’t count because you had your fingers crossed when you wrote it?
If you want people to trust what you say, then you speak with journalistic integrity ALL THE TIME. If that cuts into your bottom line, tough. You wanted to go into this business, and that’s the price of credibility.
wotevz. as fake steve sez, you wind up sounding like a woman saying she’s not “prostitute,” she’s an “escort.” see — http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/2007/06/new-logo-for-gigaom-or-techcrunch.html. you wanker.
yeah, and this is why we should trust bloggers more than researched reporting whose sources have been verified. well, we know your source now, and it’s a stack of ben franklins from redmond, washington. i know at least that i’m gonna make sure i’ve used proper protection before looking at your blog ever again. yeeeeesh.
MS software is “people ready”. If the Linux, Oracle and MAC geeks out there cannot get over the fact that MS is still the industry leader then they should go get therapy.
MS has always produced user friendly software and beaten the competition because of that
Your ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude is pathetic, given that you have become a M$ shill – and are trying to defend your CHOICE by stating “I have to make payroll.’ Either admit you’re paid to do Microsquish’s bidding (read: whore) or go do something else – but don’t try to pretend you’re a latter-day saint standing up for some esoteric principle. You’ve sold out, pure and simple (or should that read impure and full of drivel?)
Shocked at gambling ?
Life is one big gamble so to speak.
The success story in America now is not the hard worker – he is a low life – it is the rollerball winner who spends the kids milk money and wins the big one.
After all anyone call win the ticker – its very democtatic . Yet very deceitful.
At least at Vegas , or Forex trading you have reasonable odds on your side.
Dear Mike Arrington,
Whenever I see your name, I’ll know to not trust what you say, as you are a bought-and-paid-for whore.
Thanks for pointing it out so clearly.
Yep, this is another PayPerPost 2.0 in the making.
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