Blogging is a great way to explore the world all around us. From blogs about weird but funny things to useful do it yourself blogs there are millions of blogs and websites ranging from the obvious to the obscure.
With all of these blogs it would seem that at some point some very serious questions must be asked. Today I am going to be the one asking the questions and I am hoping that along with a little bit of help to point us in the right directions.. you’ll all lead the conversation.
Blogussion prides itself on having an awesome community of commentators so don’t disappoint us.. read the moral questions and tell us what you think. You can’t be wrong because if there was a known “right answer” there wouldn’t be a moral question regarding the issue.
I have recently noticed a plethora of ethical and moral problems when dealing with the web. For instance, with the release of our new Thesis Skin we have received increased traffic and good sales. We offer affiliate programs too so everyone has the chance to earn from selling it, but a few sites have tried releasing the theme for free. Some of them have tried to contest the issue while others knew it was infringing on our copyrights and pulled the download off the web.
Another moral or ethical question being raised for me daily is what kind of consultation or web design work I will accept. Will I work on sites I morally would not visit or agree with? What about political differences? Should it matter if I am opposed to the use of harmful and addictive substance abuse but I am contracted to work to promote them as a client?
All of these questions have answers and most are different for everyone. Today I want to answer just three major blogging questions that most people have differing opinions on. Let’s get ready to think deeply and discuss thoughtfully. [note: the views expressed are not the only options available and are meant to stir the brain juices...]
The Question of Existence
Right off the bat I am going to ask the most important question: Should Blogs even exist on the internet?
Pros - Blogs or weblogs are the creation of 1990’s ingenuity to combine web pages and forums into an interactive website. The idea of a blog is that it is has general value for recording the evolution or history of an individual, corporation, or industry as well as news and science.
Blogs started intrinsically as a way for website owners and users to share information and invite discussion. A blog was the primary way to offer the formal structure of a well crafted web page with the community of a forum. With a focus on teaching and community building blogs are one of the best ways to learn. Not only are millions of businesses and individuals using blogs to communicate and connect but students and teachers are working together to learn and grow with each other.
Should blogs exist? Of course if you think learning and teaching are important elements of society.
Cons – Blogs are nuisances of the web. They are neither purely conversation and community oriented like a forum, and not entirely structured like a website. Rather than having in-depth web pages with loads of information and well researched articles, a majority of blogs have only short posts with little to no research involved. Blogs have eroded every technologically savvy generation’s ability to think deeply and write well. Instead of detailed papers, blogs are teaching people to write quick and gritty while tossing in a few images and videos and calling it good.
Forum owners should also be ashamed of blogs. The community on most blogs is appalling. Blogs suffer from a lack of flexibility and blog commentators cannot just start a new thread and create conversation based upon their own ideas. Blogs can be stifling to communities of great minds because comments are limited to topics prescribed by the blog owner and the conversation can only be as good as the blog’s ability to bring traffic to that post.
Needless to say, if a high quality education and strong community building are important.. then blogging should go!
Is Earning Money from Blogs Bad?
So far on Blogussion we have talked about how making money from blogging has been gone about wrong and then again we have also talked you through step by step how to make money blogging. We have a wonderful guide to earning online and are always looking for resources to help those interested use there blogs as businesses. So is earning from a blog bad?
Pros - Earning money while blogging is a great thing. If you love writing, making videos, or most importantly sharing information with others than earning money while doing it is a great thing. For those looking to make money from selling information then the business model is similar to offline business consultants and teachers.
When I was in school teachers were paid to give us students the best education and information they could find on the subjects they covered. The better teachers eventually got raises and usually made a little bit more. Likewise blogging is very similar. Those that put their time and effort into making a profitable blog usually earn more and are liked by the community they are part of. Teaching sells and blogging is one of the best ways of teaching.
Cons - Earning money from information is pretty low. Libraries are public services and blogs should be too. If anything blogs should run off of donations only so that the blog owner is only concerned with providing useful resources for the benefit of all.
When blogging was born the only thing it was about was sharing information in a strong community of like-minded people. How is it that we have strayed away from so much of what blogging has stood for? Blogging should not be monetized and instead should be solely based on goodwill and the sharing of information.
What Do You Think?
This list is not even close to providing the adequate arguments necessary to prove or disprove either side. Hopefully it has gotten you thinking though.
What do you think about these two questions? Where do you think I am right or wrong? What other questions have come up in your blogging that seem to be difficult to answer. Remember these are not just made up situations but intellectual arguments that have been made on the internet about blogging for years.
Tell us what you think.
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Moral/Ethical Stand
Rule one for me is to know that what I’m doing is going to make the world better. If I believe that helping a company, politician or person will have a negative effect on even one person then I will not work for them. Principles are worth keeping.
Blogs’ Existence
Without a doubt, blogs have become a staple in today’s society. It’s like social media on crack. Not only can you have a profile page, but you can format, design, monetize and have complete control. Who wouldn’t want that?
Monetizing Blogs
Making money in any industry comes down to providing a service that someone needs. In this case, blogs are providing answers to internet users and getting compensated by the users when they visit. Most times, it’s not a forced contribution and the user gets the choice whether to do business or not. Blogs are the last “free market” we have in this country (USA).
Thanks for starting what I’m sure will be a great conversation.
Brendan Wenzel´s last blog ..How contests and giveaways will help your business
Making the world a better place is exactly right. I turn down offers quite often because what the person is trying to do in my opinion is not going to help anyone.
Also Blogging really is a beautiful example of the “free market”. It grows and expands without too much intervention and is allowed to move with the market place.
Seth´s last blog ..To Be, or Not To Be: That is the Moral Question
Hi,
Im Jp Manching from Blogmatters.net, a beginners blogging guide.
As for me blog makes up the internet today. There are more blogs existing than websites. Earning money from it is not bad, it’s an essential part of it as it is a form of information and should be paid in return.
jp manching @ beginners blogging guide´s last blog ..Long-term Keywords and Short-Term Keywords
Good to meet you JP. I don’t know that there are actually more blogs then websites but what I do know is that the two have become one in many ways. Any custom home page on a blog is a web page and most website have a blog somewhere on them.
Seth´s last blog ..To Be, or Not To Be: That is the Moral Question
Morals and Ethics – For me I have to believe in what I’m creating. From a personal point of view, I grow to resent the work if its something I fundamentally disagree with… from a professional point of view, I don’t do my best work under those conditions. I don’t do Bad work exactly, but that spark that comes from enjoying/believing in what you do isn’t there and you can see it a mile off. So for practical purposes as well as the issue of morals itself, I stick to what I believe to be right.
Blogging itself – Blogs are here now, and they’re not going to disappear again. I think they’re a great resource and, handled correctly, can do more to educate and inspire people than more ‘normal’ web pages and forums. That said, there are a large number of blogs out there and not all of them are by experts in their field or by people qualified to talk about what they’re talking about (I’m not referring to student bloggers, that’s a different thing (that and I am one lol) – I mean the people that don’t have the skills or knowledge and pretend they do). It’s the spam of the blogosphere that shows the less savoury side of ‘free speech’.
Money from said blogs – If you’re good at something, you should be able to make money from it. With blogging I don’t see why the same thing wouldn’t apply; you’re putting in the time and effort to create something of value (whether reviews or ebooks or information – doesn’t matter), and in order to keep doing so in a society filled with expenses of various sorts, I think its important that you earn something from it. However. The fact that you CAN makes a whole lot of people want to join the blogging ‘game’ purely for that reason, and they’ll make a certain amount of money too. I disagree with that, but I don’t see how you can have different standards for being paid on your blog.
Disagreeing with a project is the worst thing a designer, blogger, or any person for that matter can do.
Your work will suffer and you will never be proud of what you have done. If your work does not bring you satisfaction then what is the point?
Seth´s last blog ..To Be, or Not To Be: That is the Moral Question
Exactly, which is why I avoid it. The only place I get caught out here is with the old story of relatives and friends asking you to do things… never ends well.
Heather´s last blog ..End Of Semester Scramble: Are You A Victim?
How true that is. Doing favors is always trouble because it puts you in a terrible position.
Seth´s last blog ..To Be, or Not To Be: That is the Moral Question
Yea… sometimes it can be liveable (if its something short and relatively fun), however the last time I was asked to do something it was seven full character designs and lineart. There’s just no way.
Heather´s last blog ..End Of Semester Scramble: Are You A Victim?
Moral/Ethical Stand
Personally, I agree with Brendan on the fact that principles are worth keeping. I would not work for any person/organisation that I think is doing something against my moral values. Sometimes cashflow is really a strong factor in deciding which projects to take but at the end of the day your life has to be about more than just working and money.
Blogs’ Existence
I agree that most blogs are drivel (just look at mine!) but I think that it has been a great tool for human expression. In a world where no one ever listens it’s nice to feel like you have a place to voice your opinions and thoughts. No one may still be listening but it is out there (for good or bad).
Monetizing Blogs
I don’t see any issue with trying to monetize a blog. If you have content that is worth compensation then by all means one should be compensated. I have issues with the way that most people go about it. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be paid for providing something (in this case content). Intellectual property and research time are both billable commodities.
Donnie Bachan´s last blog ..Chivalry, it’s not dead…
Human expression is a fundamental reason for blogs to exist!
I think the ability to communicate honestly and openly is vital to society.
Seth´s last blog ..To Be, or Not To Be: That is the Moral Question
Earn money from blog is not bad. I will say this is the easiest way to earn money simply creating blog and promoting product or service whereas creating and maintaining website is too much expensive then blog.
Earning money in my opinion is not bad if you are doing it honestly and are providing a real resource to others.
Seth´s last blog ..To Be, or Not To Be: That is the Moral Question
Seth,
One day you may be asked to represent someone you don’t particularly like or agree with. Do you have as much of a problem with that? One could argue that blogging is as much of a right as legal counsel (first amendment and all) and all you are doing is getting their voice heard.
That being said, I don’t think I could represent, nor create a blog for “Baby Eaters” (family guy reference, anyone? Anyone?)
Evan´s last blog ..All of Obama’s Proposed Taxes Listed (well not All because there are just too many)!
There are lines that I think individuals should not cross based upon their own personal convictions. Whether or not someone else has the right to do so is an entirely different question but whether I choose to do something against my conscience is a valid question to me.
Seth´s last blog ..To Be, or Not To Be: That is the Moral Question
Bring it above taking on a building a website for someone…I am just curious where YOUR line is, generally?
Would you build an adult tube site? Which has both porn and some element of stealing copywrited material. What about an online adult store, where nothing may be stolen?
Would you defend a person which admitted guilt to you in private? Would you defend a person you think to be guilty?
I think my point is that everyone has that line, but it might not hurt to push your line if you can sleep at night. Again, I should reiterate you don’t indiciate where your line is because you don’t provide examples, so I am just speaking in pure generalities
Evan´s last blog ..Wifey 101: Messing with His Manhood
Evan,
My line is NO I do not design websites/blogs or work on social media projects that promote Adult content, Gambling, Tobacco, or Alcohol. For me those are things I don’t think improve society at all. They are completely based on my own personal opinion but that’s where I stand for online work. I don’t want to help promote anything I can’t be proud of.
For the law, here is a fundamental element to defense. Defense is about protecting the innocent and also allowing for proper rehabilitation and punishment. If I know the client is guilty my primary role then is to not hinder the prosecution but fight for my client to get the most suitable punishment/rehabilitation for the crime committed. Its about looking out for what is right for both the client and society.
Another note is that the defense never should do anything to falsify information or hide crucial evidence regarding the status of their client. But to allow justice to be served it is the duty of the prosecution to prove guilt. I will do my best to uphold my integrity by offering my best and hope the prosecution will do the same. With both sides doing their best, justice will be served.
Very fair response, I was curious a little bit more about you and where your line was.
Seth Great thinking post.
Overall I think if you and your blog content come from a place of “helping others/sharing quality info” then a blog is a great asset to the internet.
If you focus on giving, you will receive in the end, and if that is money, then that is fine.
There is nothing wrong with making money from your blog, it just depends on the techniques you use to make that money.
Like all things there are good and bad, and blogs are no different.
John Paul Aguiar´s last blog ..I Have A Million Twitter Followers Now What
Blogs can be great assets to the world if you provide great content. I think that is the right way to think about it John.
Seth´s last blog ..To Be, or Not To Be: That is the Moral Question
Making money from blog is given already when you’re doing great on your blog. Doing great mean you’ve helped and been helping a lot to people who seek great contents. There’s nothing wrong with earning from your blog.
Pinoy Blog Tips´s last blog ..Top 5 Reasons Why People Started to Blog
“Should Blogs Exist?”
Yes, I believe they should. Blogs are no longer someone’s “online personal diary”, many are useful tools that help spread information and ideas. I would encourage this, no matter what platform is used. Just because your blog isn’t as credible as CNN or some other mainstream site, doesn’t mean the information is wrong or any less useful.
“Is Earning Money From Blogs Bad?”
Personally, I see nothing wrong with somebody attempting to make money from their work. If they have built up a great set of articles/resources for any given topic, then they deserve a little kickback. It’s when you use somebody elses work for your own personal gain, as discussed in this article, that it becomes unethical to make money.
But, if I write a great article about “xyz1234″ and then place affiliate links to a site that happens to be selling “xyz1234″ and end up making 10% of that sale, I think that’s a great option! You not only gave somebody the info they were searching for, but then went another step and provided them with a doorway to purchase the product they were researching.
I tried to comment earlier, but I don’t think it went through…
On the first one, if something goes beyond the pale ethically, you shouldn’t make the website, or help them.
On whether blogs should exist, they do exist, so i don’t understand the question. The question is, then, should you, as a person, blog. To me, it all depends on what your goals are. There is good blogging, and bad blogging.
On making money, yeah, make money if you like, but do it ethically. I think too many people don’t do it this way.
Finally, I’m really frustrated that Alex had his theme stolen. People want things for free, they try to jusitfy it but there really is no justification.
Eric C´s last blog ..A Tribute to Sgt. Lucas T. Beachnaw
Well when you will compare these all things with the real life you will realise that this is happening every where not in blog world only.
ZK @ Web Marketing Blog´s last blog ..Online Profits – Learn Online Marketing from Top Internet Marketers & Bloggers
I think blogging can be a great sharing of knowledge and experience to people around u or even to the world. I love to blog and i love to share! That is why i still insist to be in the blogosphere.
Kok Siong Chen´s last blog ..Angelman Syndrome – Angel-like Genetic Disorder
Monetizing blogs – you wrote, “Earning money from information is pretty low. Libraries are public services and blogs should be too.”…”Blogging should not be monetized and instead should be solely based on goodwill and the sharing of information.”
I suppose that all depends on how one monetizes. Earning money from information would indeed be pretty low in most cases, however, to me that means charging per article; who does that? (I do know one that tried it, but not for long.)
On the other hand, lets say I spend 6 months researching a particular topic and create an ebook out of the free info I collected…..is it wrong for me to charge someone for the “convenience” of not having to search the same 6 months for all the info?
This is an ongoing question, but for me I say yes and no. No it is not wrong to want a little something for my hard work and dedication in locating the information, but yes it is a wee bit wrong to go $97-whatever for it. After all, the research is done once, not for every book sold.
Aside from those two things (per article, and ebook type things) what else is there?
1. Banner/Link ads and the like…this is not charging anyone for information. This is charging other webmasters for exposure to their sites; visitors/readers lose nothing.
2. Affiliate Marketing through your blog (selling something someone else created). As per the ebook “I” write example, this tends to get a little gray for most; not me.
Many will scan affiliate networks for the highest commissioned products and rampage the net trying to sell it; this is WRONG…that’s not an opinion folks, it’s just plain wrong.
I personally INSIST on 1 of 4 factors being firmly in place before I affiliate for anyone/thing. It is my STRONG opinion that this is how everyone should approach it…
1. Personally owning/using said product yourself. This is of course #1, but not feasible for everyone if it involves purchasing all said products…that would be insane, at least at first.
2. Get the seller to give up a freebie for you to use and review; full access (ex: membership site). This is easy if the seller comes to you asking you to pimp their product. Not so easy if you’re browsing Clickbank…you better have the chops (stats) to back yourself up.
3. Truly knowing/trusting the seller. “Knowing” does not mean you left 5 comments on my blog and now come to me asking me to pimp your product, sorry.
Perhaps you used one or more previous products of theirs and trust they always produce high quality. Perhaps you have done other business with them in the past and trust them to be ethical, honest and a good egg all around.
Etc., you get the gist here.
4. The last on the list because it will take the most time and the easiest one to backfire on you…BIG TIME. You do not own the product, never used the product, and have little idea on the seller…you just browsed Clickbank and liked it.
Ready? You do E X T E N S I V E research on said product and you feel comfortable recommending it. Do take notice on how I wrote *extensive*.
If you are a newbie, I strongly advise you avoid #4.
Now boys and girls, still thinking “monetising” blogs is evil?
(And now I’ll copy this comment and turn it intto a blog post of my own; expect a backlink.)
Holy crap, I didn’t realize it was so long, sorry. lol
As for disagreeing with something, I couldn’t agree more…if that makes sense. lol
I wrote an article on whether or not you would advertise on a site that had hints of porn on it…it came to be pretty popular.
Blogs as what Seth said is fun and exciting part of the internet. I couldn’t imagine life without blogs! This is the only way where i can share my ideas and opinions to some matters.
Should blog exist? OF COURSE!
Should blog be used for money? I CAN’T SEE WHY NOT!
Exisistance :
Blogs should exisist defnitely..Bcoz i personally know hw much knowledge i gained from these blogs alone. For every good there’s bad at other end.But taking up depends completely upon us…
Making Money:
When theres a chance of making money without cheating/doing anything bad to others then theres no wrong in it.A work must bealways rewarded.
very good your text.