So in addition to my general annoyance at splogs, are “flogs” or fake blogs set up by corporations that are just out there to sell their stuff. Anyhow, it looks like in Europe a law is coming that will forbid such practices:

“Hotels, restaurants and online shops that post glowing reviews about themselves under false identities could face criminal prosecution under new rules that come into force next year.

Businesses which write fake blog entries or create whole wesbites purporting to be from customers will fall foul of a European directive banning them from “falsely representing oneself as a consumer”.”

I have no problem with this. When someone represents their own corporation under false guises, it just adds to the confusion out there. Corporations have too much power already.

Naturally in the US this would be fought over under protection of freedom of speech; we’ll see.

Here’s something that should be considered:

1. Company makes a cool product.
2. Customers think “Wow, that’s cool!” and post on blogs and review sites on their own.
3. Profit!
4. Company doesn’t have to set up a flog because customers do it for them.

I’m pretty sure this how this whole internet marketing thing is supposed to work.

If a company thinks they have to set up a flog for marketing reasons, I strongly suggest they go back and figure out why no customers are doing it on their own. Probably they have a “meh” product, or more likely, nobody knows about it.

Think about it this way: Apple doesn’t have any problems getting free blog press. There’s even a fake Steve Jobs blog!

Save the money building a flog and spend it on building a cool product people want to evangelize for you. That’s my two cents.

And sorry for the floggy annoyance; it’s Monday…

Additional Reading: Slashdot

Disclosure: I own a tiny amount of Apple stock.

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