Today I read a Blog post that, in my opinion, was pretty suspect when it comes to the whole debate around ethics in blogging. While it is a reality that all of us have multiple “gigs” from our daily corporate grinds, to side consulting, to getting paid to Blog (note I don’t get paid to Blog) we should all be smart enough to not let them interfere with each other. But what happens when you blur those lines of common sense and use one gig to promote another? Is that not unethical? Should writing for ZDNet, albeit a Blog, not make you some sort of “reporter” (using the term very loosely) and shouldn’t you resist the urge to pimp your other gigs?
Sure, in this case the author, called out that he works for the company in question but that doesn’t excuse the fact that he basically inserted a mostly ignored press release in to his PAID ZDNet Blog under the guise of following a “twitter user’s request” and “just helping out”. While I don’t have anything against Adam personally, and I am sure Cloudmark makes a great product — how dumb do they think ZDNet readers are? Wait don’t answer that…. 
Sorry but I call bullshit. This was simply an attempt to gain more attention for the day job’s press release and really no different than the Security Companies we all have made fun of in the past for posting fake mailing list posts talking up their own products.
One less trusted resource I suppose…
