Crabby Blogging Lady

“We lay it down as a fundamental, that laws, to be just, must give a reciprocation of right; that, without this, they are mere arbitrary rules of conduct, founded in force, and not in conscience.” –Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the state of Virginia, 1782

Boy oh boy, we are ALWAYS hearing that “separation of church and state” crap that Jefferson said (which, by the way, has NOTHING to do with what liberals say it does), but how about these juicy words by the founder, huh huh huh?!?! Let me repeat it for good measure (and for the government spies who check out my measly little blog):

“We lay it down as a fundamental, that laws, to be just, must give a reciprocation of right; that, without this, they are mere arbitrary rules of conduct, founded in force, and not in conscience.” –Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the state of Virginia, 1782

The GODS have spoken. That is, the GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRATS. Don’t they rule over us like kings, now? Look at this! Unbelievable!

Today, the Federal Trade Commission made good on its threat promise to change the way it regulates endorsements from bloggers by releasing its final revisions to the guidance it gives advertisers on how to keep their endorsement and testimonial ads in line with the FTC Act. Last May, we reviewed the proposed FTC guidelines that will now change the disclosure rules around paid endorsements and testimonials, and thus how brands use online endorsements in their marketing, advertising, and communications programs.

As a result of the evolving level of influence inherent in the social Web, and web in general, the notice incorporates several amendments to the FTC?s Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in advertising and blogging, which address endorsements by consumers, experts, organizations, and celebrities, as well as the disclosure of important connections between advertisers and endorsers. Fines for violating the new rule will run up to $11,000 per incident.

Even though the FTC Guides refer to blogging, advertising, and celebrity endorsement specifically, Twitter and other social networks will not be overlooked. Pay-per-Tweet services such as Ad.ly, Izea, and Twittad are providing networks for brands to engage with the audiences of real celebrities as well as the communities of people who follow the Internet famous. Disclosure is also required in these new mediums. It should also be noted that these companies are working with the FTC and Twitter to help create a fair set of standards around disclosure, as well as the technology framework to effectively disclose sponsored Tweets.

However, in the eyes of the FTC, a paid endorsement is no longer limited to monetary compensation and this is why things will get interesting moving forward.

I’ll bet they’ll “get interesting.”

This is just strong-arming the Internet, particularly the non-regulated part of the Internet– the blogs. Bloggers are independent thinkers, and we don’t want government-sponsored “uniformity.” And how the heck is the FTC going to figure out what IS sponsored and what is NOT?!?! I do a lot of my own reviews, just because I LIKE doing reviews of stuff. How can the FTC enforce this idiotic law?!? How can I prove a negative, that I am NOT getting paid for a review?? It’s so dumb, it’s unconscionable.

AND IT MAKES ME NUCLEAR-BOMB-PROPORTION CRABBY!!!! GAHHHHHHH!

I have an idea. If government REALLY wants truth in advertising, I say THEY should obey their own laws. How about we start with this one: On the day that the government discloses THEIR “sponsored” legislation, we bloggers will, too! Because I see a heck of a lot of crap coming from those hallowed halls that’s all been BOUGHT and PAID FOR by special interest groups.

Those Nazis!!!!!!!!!!