nerd’s eye view

The Sell Out

April 19, 2007 – 9:59 am | by nerd's eye view

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A few days ago I received an email from a PR and marketing firm. They wanted to know if I would consent their including Nerd’s Eye View in their contacts database. The mail was pretty light on details:

“Being listed …would open you up to a wide range of opportunities. It would create a larger readership for your blog which would create larger ad revenue and would give you more contacts and information to write about thus improving the quality of your already splendid blog.” (Heh. Splendid. Heh.)

Not so much there to go on, so I contacted my pal that works in PR. “Yup,” he said, “outreach to bloggers is big. You’ll get probably get free stuff.” Essentially, PR agencies want bloggers going on about their “stuff.”

I like free stuff. It’s not like I have a ton of money lying around, I mean, I just moved and I just went back to work after a stint of unanticipated unemployment. I’m still driving an 85 Tercel, not the new Honda Fit or used Toyota Matrix that I’m pondering. And we’re still planning on getting most of our “new” furnishing for our “new” house at the West Seattle Garage sale.

So I said yes. And yesterday I got email from the folks behind the tour of the new stage production of Edward Scissorhands. Now, I loves me some Tim Burton, I loves me some Johnny Depp, and I am now the proud – or maybe confused – owner of some blobby hedges. Did I want to see the new Edward Scissorhands stage show on opening night? Ho ho ho, do I ever. Duh.

I try to avoid blogging about blogging. What a bore. Blah blah blah, me and my blog. Blah. I do enough blah blah blah me blah me blah me. I’m going to veer from that policy for a brief moment to say this: I’m going to indulge in this experiment in – what? – blogging for stuff? What is it, anyway? I will attempt to be a responsible blogger and when I blog for stuff, I’ll state where the stuff came from and what the company asked me for in exchange.

For the record, the Edward Scissorhands folks asked me if I’d be interested in posting about a ticket purchase program but didn’t make my comps dependent on that. I can’t post that this is worth doing until I’ve seen the show, so stand by, okay? You, in Seattle, you know what to do if you want tickets, right?

In the meantime, I find myself pondering the implications of my consent. This could be a one off, I see a show, have a good or lousy time, and go back to blabbing on about me, me, me. All done. It could mean a shift in Nerd’s Eye View to more “commercial” blogging. It could be I find the experience unappealing and just say no to anything going forward. Dunno.

If you’ve been here, I’d like to hear about it. In the meantime, consider this the first disclaimer.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled vanity blogging. Please stand by. Me me me.

Possibly related: What are you selling your soul for?

[tags]selling out[/tags]