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04/14/2005

Fake blog. Fictional blog. Potato. Poe-Tah-toe

Nice commentary by Shel Holtz on the whole fake blogs issue (courtesy Topaz Partners)

Here’s what I said on the subject about 2 months ago when the fake blog conversation started (remember LincolnFry).

Net it down: there are fake, or false, blogs, that purport to be something they are not. A fake blog is trying to deceive you. It doesn’t acknowledge its sponsorship by a company or let you know that the author isn’t a real person.

A fictional, or character, blog is simply using the form of the blog, but is upfront that the characters are fictional.

Shel nails it here:

“Ultimately, though, a blog is a lightweight content management system that allows people to comment. If someone wants to use that for traditional marketing, what’s wrong with that? It can fall into the category of “lame marketing blogs.” They may be lame. They may also work.”

And that is, of course, the key. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Just because I may think something is lame doesn’t mean that the intended reader of the “thing” doesn’t get into it, get something out of it, enjoy it, whatever.

Potato. Poe-Tah-Toe.

Posted @ 2:04PM in Blogging, Fake/Fictional Blogs, Marketing, Weblogs