I am 100% against shilling just to make a buck. I am 100% FOR genuine product recommendations where the promoter has actually reviewed the product and genuinely believe it has value. I am 100% in support of said reviewer sharing in the commissions for the sale. It is a reward for a recommendation. It is not a bribe!

I am sick of people treating affiliate marketing like the vendor is somehow BRIBING people to promote their crap. The reasons for this belief has everything to do with Hammerhead Marketing, as outlined in IM Sins.

This is exactly why I'm putting my reputation on the line and writing this report. It's high time people stop beating around the bush, asking “questions” in a way that seem like accusations, whining about the problems…and someone needed to stand up and actually provide actionable solutions to the problems.

Arrgghh!

(Sylvie runs off to continue ranting in the report, thus maintaining Jack's stellar blog in the pristine condition it was in before she showed up)

http://www.internetmarketingsins.com/

Adrian, I don’t agree with your premise, either. “Ethics are an individual choice?” No they’re not. You stated it yourself. A community decides what’s ethical or not. And your example proves this. What may be acceptable in one community is not in another.

And you said, “People have to make their own decisions within rules of the law.” New laws get implemented exactly because too many marketers push the envelope “within the rules of the law.” Many of them breach the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law, and so laws are amended or added to specify — because so many people will abuse with semantics.

My wife did not make the decisions on what is right and what is not for internet marketing, as you said. She is merely stating what’s been on so many people’s minds for so long. She’s ranting on the obvious and most blatant errors that are tarnishing our industry as a whole.

But she’s not just expressing an opinion. She’s also offering advice and to help those who may contemplate pushing the envelope too far.

You’re expressing your opinion, and I respect that. And my wife is expressing hers. So why is it so hard for you to respect hers?

I say this because you turned a question about what Jack did (which is an important question) into a conversation about — and an implied slight against — my wife. Not sure why, but I have a feeling there’s something deeper, here.

Michel Fortin’s last blog post..Not-So-Shocking Responses to Shocking Report

You said…”Why does Sylvie make the decisions on what is right and what is not for internet marketing?”

You make a great point, Adrian. Is this about my personal opinions or is it about our market? Let me pull a direct quote from Part 2 of IM Sins, which is being written as we speak.

“If this was just about my personal feelings, I would have scribbled in my diary and been done with it. A diary entry would have been cathartic for me, and me alone.”

“I had a suspicion that if this report was released in pieces, there would be a flood of feedback that would come in about the report. But the feedback itself was not for the purposes of stroking my own little ego. There was a very specific purpose for encouraging all of you to send in your feedback. ”

“The real reason was to prove to the worst sinners that what I am saying is not just my own opinions, and that this report represents the deep-rooted feelings that are happening right now in the internet marketing community.”

“So, are you ready for the proof you asked for? Just click here, so your own customers and fellow marketers can speak for themselves.”

http://www.internetmarketingsins.com/feedback.htm

But what I must stress about all of this is that the solutions themselves (as outlined in the report) were not invented by me and me alone. These solutions have proven to work beautifully to increase revenue for those who choose to use them in their marketing efforts.

But in the end, Adrian, you are correct. Ethics is a personal choice that we each have to determine for ourselves. Handling your business the way you want to is a very personal decision. You absolutely can disagree with what I’m saying and do things your own way. That’s the wonderful beauty that is Freedom of Choice.

Only you, and your customers, can decide if your way works for both of you.

And some marketers will definitely disagree with every point I make in the report. Some don’t feel that any of these tactics are wrong in any way.

Some will not change until their customers stop voting with their dollars.

Sorry, but I just don’t agree with this. Ethics are an individual choice and people have to make their own decisions within rules of the law. In some communities (such as this one) posting an affiliate link without disclosing the relationship is completely acceptable.

In other communities any kind of compensated relationship without full disclosure is completely unacceptable (eg payperpost, or for newspapers such as for reporters of the Wall Street Journal).

I asked the question intentionally to highlight this specific point because I think it is an important one. Thanks for reading.

Adrian Bye’s last blog post..Laura Fitton from Pistachio Consulting

I am 100% against shilling just to make a buck. I am 100% FOR genuine product recommendations where the promoter has actually reviewed the product and genuinely believe it has value. I am 100% in support of said reviewer sharing in the commissions for the sale. It is a reward for a recommendation. It is not a bribe!

I am sick of people treating affiliate marketing like the vendor is somehow BRIBING people to promote their crap. The reasons for this belief has everything to do with Hammerhead Marketing, as outlined in IM Sins.

This is exactly why I’m putting my reputation on the line and writing this report. It’s high time people stop beating around the bush, asking “questions” in a way that seem like accusations, whining about the problems…and someone needed to stand up and actually provide actionable solutions to the problems.

Arrgghh!

(Sylvie runs off to continue ranting in the report, thus maintaining Jack’s stellar blog in the pristine condition it was in before she showed up)

Anyone who has bought any marketing material or been involved in marketing on the internet will be able to totally relate to where she’s coming from. I know I can.

BTW, I know Michel’s a guest poster here at FTR – you keep pretty good company.

And I loved your response above regarding tracking links.

Mark McCullagh’s last blog post..Internet Marketing Scams: How NOT To Make Money on the Internet