Now, if someone I didn’t know very well, who hadn’t had a chance to gain my trust, was promoting a similar contest (or challenge, or…) I’m pretty sure I would be asking myself “what’s s/he getting out of all this?”

After the big stampede to Diigo a few months ago we’d be fools if we didn’t think that on-line companies are trying to harness the viral power of influential bloggers. Now, I’m not saying that Diigo paid bloggers to promote their product, but I am saying that anyone with a product to sell that witnessed that stampede would be given pause for thougth.

Stephen Downes (the real Stephen Downes) makes a really good point. If edubloggers are being compensated to promote a product, then they should say so. If they are not being compensated, then that is equally important to mention.

I am glad that Sue wrote this response to Downes’ post. For many of us Sue is our mentor extraordinaire and Downes’ comments do nothing to detract from that.

Thanks for straightening things out Sue. I guess now I’ll have to go back to all my “rah, rah Google” posts and disclose that I was not approached by Google to write them, nor was I compensated in any way. I’m just a fan

Along those lines, then, I wouldn’t be so apt to blindly believe everything I read (e.g., Obama’s tweets coming directly from Obama, etc.).

Love your blog posts, Sue. You’re most helpful, and the trust I have in what you post comes from my own learning/researching… not just blind faith. To follow Stephen Downes’ thinking, perhaps everyone who blogs should be required to “fully disclose”??? I don’t think so.

Thanks for your post Sue, and your disclosures. i do think Stephen made a good point initially, but i also agree with you .. that if you’re giving away the computer, it’s not payment for you.

kind regards, michael