Blogs are becoming commercialized. Beginning with simple Google AdSense Ads, Amazon referral links, and Cafe Press merchandising--often simply to defray the costs of site hosting--many bloggers have sought to make a little money from their blogs. Some blogs, like Daring Fireball, began with very commercial premises. Big Media is spinning up its own blogs (Slate, MSNBC). Commercial blog networks like Weblogs, Inc., Gawker Media, Corante, and AlwaysOn Network are building whole new profit models for blogs. Somewhere between a journalist and the guy standing on the corner wearing a sandwich board, the commercialization of blogs is creating a new class of blogger: The Professional Blogger. What's your slant on the commercialization of blogs? Is it a good thing? Will commercialization increase public awareness of this all but hidden publishing medium? Will commercialization lead to over-saturation of the Internet? Is making money from blogging just plain wrong?
My Personal Arrogant Opinion
It was only a matter of time, wasn't it? Let's face it. The almighty dollar rules the world. No matter what it is, anything from religion to sex to our personal web journals, somebody will always find a way to use it to make a buck or two. It's a fact of life. Is it wrong? I don't think so. It is just following the natural course of events. Would I do it? Given the proper opportunity, certainly. I like money just as much as the next guy! Good or bad is irrelevant. They are here. You can't turn back the clock and make them go away.
*Authors Note* If you wish to visit any of the mentioned commercialized blogs, please go to the Saturday Slant main page for links.
