fastweblogs

© blakespot

Several weeks ago, a mom-blogger was outraged when a marketing company offered to pay her if she wrote nice things about a big name brand that was having an image problem. But is this really different then offering a blogger a free product in return for a review? Most people would agree that a good review requires an honest opinion, but if you get paid to blog does that necessarily preclude an honest opinion?

If the blogger does actually agree with the positive statements they are asked to write, then is it wrong to write an honest opinion and get paid? A case in point is Kmart, who announced that they are looking for gamer bloggers to send to the E3 convention. It is an all expenses paid trip, and all they ask in return is that the bloggers write about the experience and post links to Kmart's gamer blog.

© the Italian voice

John and Sherry Petersik of Richmond, Virginia have what many home-improvement enthusiasts would consider to be a dream job. The fix up their home, and get paid to blog about it.

The the past several weeks, for example, they have furnished and accessorized an empty guest room and adjoining bathroom, painted wooden ceiling beams in their living room, and scored a pair of $35 vintage chairs for their home office. Their blog is called Young House Love, where the Petersiks chronicle the do-it-yourself decorating adventures in their Richmond home. They are not trained carpenters or interior designers, but they are come across as very charming and the information they provide is useful to others. Their blog gets more than 3.5 million page views per month, and they are now making enough from advertising to support their entire family.

© Rex Pe

Natalie Munroe is a schoolteacher in Pennsylvania who won compliments from fellow teachers and at the same time offended some parents when she criticized some of her students as 'lazy whiners' on her blog. This incident led to her suspension by the school board, but she is not backing down from her stance that teachers should have the right to speak freely about difficult working conditions, whether through blogging or other outlets.

In fact, Ms. Munroe continues to speak out on the state of the nation's education system, using her case as an example of how teachers are routinely and unfairly blamed for the problems of American schools. This case is causing school districts across the country to rethink how they regulate teachers' use of social media and blogging.