FTC Wants Bloggers To Disclose: My Disclosure

FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials

I did something like this back in 2007: My Response To “10 Things Your Blogger Won’t Tell You”

Let me do an update for this blog:

1) Sony: I have never requested a Sony Reader to review. Nor has Sony ever offered one. Despite repeated requests, Sony won’t even put me on their damned PR email list! I had to break down and request an invite to the unveiling of the Sony Reader 700. And Sony could have said No.

2) ECTACO jetBook: Several months ago, before I saw the light about how ePub was crap, I was severely curious about how the jetBook would handle ePub. I broke down and requested a review unit. This was ECTACO’s email reply:

Dear Mike,

That would cost You $250.00.

You will have a chance to explore the unit within 7 days and then return it for full refund.

Do you see any review of the ECTACO jetBook here? That would be a No. Seven days is not enough time to review something. Second, if I had to put out money, I could have put out $199.99 — on some days, less! — to get it from Frys or NewEgg.

3) Vook: Unsolicited, Vook sent me an email with free — free! — access to all of their web interface digital books. I used that access to compose these two posts: Vook Debuts Digital Books and How To Properly Integrate Video Into Fiction Digital Books. As it has turned out, I like what Vook is doing and once I am able to actually read their digital books, there will be additional posts. Vook knew it was gambling by giving me access because when I told them I was doing a post, an email asked:

good post or did you flay us?

4) Echelon Press: I have maybe five, if that, free PDF editions of Echelon Press books that were part of giveaways held on Twitter. I haven’t had time to read any of them yet.

5) NetGalley: I have an account on NetGalley, which means I can get pre-publication electronic galleys. I haven’t downloaded anything yet.

6) Moriah Jovan: She has given me a copy of her eBook, The Proviso, as part of an exploration into ePub display and CSS technologies. I haven’t read it.

7) Anthony Neil Smith: He was looking for places to do his blog book tour for his new novel, Hogdoggin’. I offered him a post place both at this blog and my No Flickr blog. I did not get a free copy of his book, did not ask for one, nor did I expect one. I had to do a post for his blog that tied into an ongoing storyline as part of the tour. I liked his previous book, Yellow Medicine, which I borrowed from the New York Public Library.

8) SlashGear: After the live blogging coverage of the Apple iPod event several months ago, Vincent Nguyen announced that I was the winner of a free US$25.00 iTunes Gift Card. I told him I wouldn’t accept it and he should give it to someone else. I don’t know if he did, but I never took it.

9) GearDiary/Judie Lipsett: I keep joking with Judie on Twitter that she should send me some of her leftover loot. She did, in fact, offer to lend me a leftover iPhone. Initially I declined. Then a few hours later, I changed my mind and requested it. She had already passed it on to someone else. She does, however, know better than to ask me, as I’ve turned down a few offers from her, but the iPhone I could’ve briefly used to try out some free software like Stanza.

10) Other: I think that’s it. Anything I write about is because of curiosity or advocacy, with no strings attached. Go ask around on Twitter to see that I will even go so far as to tell someone to go Fuck off and Block them if I disagree with their point of view and especially ethics. My only allegiances are to writers, writing, and to ideas. Anyone who crosses my path today can be cut off tomorrow. And I cannot be bought, leased, rented, or bribed by any company.