I don’t do free plugs

Why do some people believe that if they place a link to their website within a flattering comment on mine that I will approve the comment, granting them a form of free advertising? Ditto the online sellers who simply post a comment regarding their product that contains a link to their own website? I mean, would they allow me the same freebie advertising on theirs? I don’t think they would and considering the source of some of the spam that’s showing up on my comment pages lately, I would not really want to advertise with them anyway.

Personally I think it’s a bit rude. I mean, it’s an assumption that it’s okay to send a link to your own site to another and that the other will just approve it, and to put that link into a nice flattering comment as a round-about way of upping the chance is just shallow. It’s not okay to do this. It’s also a waste of your time and mine; yours in writing it because I will just delete it and mine in having to see it and then delete it. See? No point in sending it to me.

It must be a common thing though as I am getting a lot of it lately. But what I’m also getting is multiples of the same thing where it is purely blurb about the product with a highlighted link back to that site. Why so many? Maybe they have a staff of a dozen or so and every one of them sends one of these “ads” to me all on the same day. It’s a possible explanation anyway for why I am getting long runs of repeats of the same thing.

Well listen up guys, I just delete them because I don’t offer free advertising.

But something else I don’t really need to see are woeful tales of love gone wrong (save it for your family and friends), pleas for government grants (like, I would know about these?) and random ramblings that have nothing to do with my website and generally make no sense at all. Frustrated writers maybe? Look, if you want to see yourself in print but can’t break into the print media, start a blog! What I especially don’t need though is the blatant, coarsely-worded descriptive passage by someone out there who has had issues with their sex life and used some medication or other to sort it out. I really, absolutely and most definitely Do Not Want To Know! And who goes public with this sort of trash anyway??! Please do not post comments of this nature to my site! It’s totally tacky!

I guess there’s always someone out there looking for a free ride though, even if it’s only a free link back to their own site but my personal opinion on this is that it’s a bit sneaky. Especially those who go all out to say something super flattering in the assumption that I will automatically approve it, thus providing that free link. I won’t. I pay the fee when I do any advertising therefore, so can you.

The other thing I just don’t get is the attached YouTube videos. Why do I need or want someone else’s advertising video on my website? I am a book editor/journalist/freelance writer/blogger and that is what my website is about…my business and my work, so why on earth would I want to include YouTube videos on random subjects on my writing site? Well I wouldn’t which is why I delete those too. These also tend to come in on comments that are way over the top as far as the flattery goes and again, I assume that’s because the sender reckons I won’t be able to resist such an upbeat comment and will approve it as a result…complete with video. I won’t.

Look, I do like to receive feedback from my readers, I really appreciate that they take the time to leave a comment and in many cases I post a reply but please, bear in mind that I just don’t do free plugs. I wouldn’t ask it of you so please show me the same courtesy.

I don’t think that’s asking to much.