There’s been quite a bit of discussion lately about blogging for money – in particular with opportunities like PayPerPost and the like coming onto the scene.

The arguments from both sides has been strong on this issue. There are those who don’t see anything wrong with it and then there are those that see it’s corrupting influences.

I’m of the later. Why?

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Instablogs, the New Delhi-based blog network, recently celebrated their 1st birthday.

But apart from the usual fanfare came the announcement that they’re well on their way to taking their blog network in a new direction.

With Instablogs 2.0 – The Next Generation Blog Network they have a vision of “bringing bloggers and readers closer,” focusing on the current excitement over social media/networking.

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I just finished listening to the recent Blog Herald podcast – an interview with Duncan Riley, fellow Aussie and co-owner of b5media, the blog network that recently recieved $2million in VC funding.

The reception to the news last week was overall positive except from one section of the b’sphere: 9Rules.

Mike Rundle posted and commented seeing fit to take cheap shots at b5 – reasons unknown.

Well yesterday, b5 had their chance to respond via the Duncan Riley interview here.

Firstly, Duncan – it’s 9Rules not 9Fools. :-)

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Now when it comes to making money online I’m no naysayer on every new idea that comes to the surface. I’m not one of those “Oh, man … the blogosphere should be free of the evil money.” Bah! Let’s get over it: You want to make money, I want to make money … heck, we all want to make money.

Fine. So we got that out of the way. We’re here to write and blog AND make money. The problem is that we’re still trying to figure out a way to make it all work.

But there’s one exception to my “lets all make money” rule: PayPerPost.

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This week saw a very public battle (it’s still going on, I think) over the current state of AdSense.

AdSense is Dead … AdSense is Alive.

They wrote books about it (well eBooks – here for the dead part and here for the alive part).

We’ve had thousands of passionate words written, hundreds of comments and conversations, forum posts go into melt down and bloggers abuzz with this. There’s even an mp3 commentary (mp3 file).

So what in God’s name is it: Is AdSense dead or is it Alive?

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Sorry friends, foes, cronies and inmates of the b’sphere asylum – I have a vicious hangover today, right now and last night. You can read my excuse here…

So instead I’ll do a quick scribble of what caught my attention this week …

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Dear John,

Firstly, I have respected you for a while, even enjoyed some of your blogs. But my respect for you and your blog network is fast waning. Why?

Your totally offensive post on the death of Steve Irwin at your blog, Celebrity at Work.

First of, the title to your post “Steve Irwin – Hero or Suicide?” Suicide??? WTF!

And then it goes from bad to worse to finally offensive.

… who took his own life as surely as any Jihadist suicide bomber

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We’ve always had 9rules screaming and shouting “we’re not a blog network! … really, we don’t belong. We are different.” They were the loners in this game for a long time.

But now I can see a new trend – one of anti blog network, and saying as much without fear or favor.

Long gone are the days (err, last year) when no one wanted to offend. Now, everyone just wants to be noticed in this mass of clutter we call the blogosphere. And they’ll do anything to get noticed.

Look at me! Look at me!

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