Do you review products on your blog? Then you should consider the ramifications, especially with all the sponsored posts and reviews out there, as well as the popular notion that bloggers reviewing stuff are more or less fooled by the marketers.

As someone who used to work as a games journalist, with thousands of written reviews over the years, I’d like to share my top nine advice on how to become a reliable reviewer. read more

This is a continuation of the Blog Herald’s Guide to the GPL License series. You can read the first part here.

It is easy to see why GPLed software would be of great interest to developers. GPL software, though not always free in terms of the money charged, always has to come with its source code and the ability to edit and customize the work.

This means that, if a developer obtains a GPLed application and needs to fix a bug or add a feature, they can do so. They are then free to distribute the fix under the same terms and, in doing so, are ensured that all future modifications are treated the same way. read more

The NY Times published an interesting article yesterday highlighting (or rather comparing) the blogosphere and main stream media outlets when it came to breaking news to the world last year.

Although the overall emphasis was that the mainstream media (sometimes referred to as “old media”) was hours ahead of their “pajama buddies,” they did acknowledge that bloggers did once in a while establish the news trend (instead of vice versa).

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More often than not, when we LOVE something or someone, there is more than one reason why. Take ice cream as an example. Is it the creamy consistency? The sweetness? A specific flavor? Every person you ask is likely to have a different answer.

Now let’s apply the same question to blogging. Here’s what I would like to know… read more

The New York Times runs a story about bloggers reviewing products, and the fact that this is a marketer’s dream. The article’s author, Pradnya Joshi, talks to both popular bloggers, Izea’s Ted Murphy, and the Federal Trade Commission who is looking into this form of paid reviews.

In the words of Joshi:

Marketing companies are keen to get their products into the hands of so-called influencers who have loyal online followings because the opinions of such consumers help products stand out amid the clutter, particularly in social media.

Bloggers are a soft target for PR agencies and manufacturers looking for non-ad mentions online. Some buy sponsored posts, while others rely only on their product and sends out samples. Either way, the idea is that bloggers aren’t as tuned to reviewing as professional journalists, hence you’re more likely to get a positive one. read more

Google is embracing Twitter, and you could follow them yourself. They’re @google on the service. Oh, you knew that? Then maybe one of the other five hundred or so accounts they publish might be news to you. Seriously, isn’t this a bit much?

Ah, the wonderful world of online publishing! Tech blog Gizmodo ran a post detailing the seven types of Best Buy employees, complete with caricatures and everything. Pretty funny, right? Well, Barry Judge and his fellow Best Buy peeps thought to respond in kind which is fair, despite them only finding one type of Gizmodo bloggers. Which sparked targeted blogger Adam Frucci to respond in a post of his own.

I enjoy the humorous pop at any establishment every now and then, but I must say I enjoy it even more when the establishment joins the fray this way. It’s all good natured and all, at least on the surface. And maybe it’ll keep someone from taking something like this across the line in the future, who knows?

Despite the fierce competition among Google Reader Apps, Byline continues to enjoy a healthy lead over its rivals as the dominant gReader app of choice.

While its primary features may not have changed since the launch of Byline 2.0, its speed has as I have yet to find another gReader app that matches Byline’s speed as far as synching goes (note: Gazette 2.0 is claiming to be faster—I’ll put them each to the test later on).

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Are you one of those bloggers who worries a lot about whether your posts are “good enough” to publish?

Here are a few tips on how to ensure that it’s the right time to hit the “Publish” button on your latest blog article.

1. Create a post checklist … and use it every time. I have one that I keep pretty close to my chest, but it includes things like “check for broken links,” “search the Web for related resources to cite,” “check your sources,” “add clear calls to action if necessary,” and other such reminders. If you can check off every item on your personal posting checklist for a given article, you’re probably ready to publish the sucker. read more

TechCrunch reports that Twitter client TweetDeck has raised $2 million in funding. The news comes from a a panel where angel investor John Borthwick let it slip. Apparently the Twitter app and its branded versions are appealing to investors. I can see why, especially now that there is an iPhone app covering the mobility factor as well.