]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in
]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in
]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in
]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in
FTC’s Intervention with Bloggers who accept Bribes
Posted by LoudMo on
Warning: strtotime() [function.strtotime]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/loudmo.com/html/blog/wp-includes/functions.php on line 35
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/loudmo.com/html/blog/wp-includes/functions.php on line 107
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/loudmo.com/html/blog/wp-includes/functions.php on line 109
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/loudmo.com/html/blog/wp-includes/functions.php on line 111
Warning: date() [function.date]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/New_York' for 'EDT/-4.0/DST' instead in /home/loudmo.com/html/blog/wp-includes/functions.php on line 112
December 21st, 2009
Bloggers and social media users who receive free products or sponsorship deals are going to have to change their ways if they don’t want to expose the freebies they are receiving.
The Federal Trade Commission has made new revisions to the FTC Guide Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. The changes outlined by the FTC will come into effect on December 1, 2009 and this is making many people feel uncomfortable.
Basically, the FTC wants to make blog writing more transparent to the normal consumer. At the moment, if a writer in social media accepts a free product from a company and endorses it wildly on their blog or site, they do not have to reveal the bribery nature behind the promotion.
The FTC is going to be enforcing a new rule that is a form of intervention against corrupted bloggers. It’s like the government is taking a bunch of faceless social media citizens, locking them in a room, and threatening them with an $11,000 penalty until they breakdown and start to cry. Or, at least, tell their readers about their free stuff.
Obviously bloggers are still allowed to endorse products and companies, but now they must reveal their bounty to the previously un-aware reader. On top of this, advertisers will be encouraged to monitor the endorsement of their product. Meaning that it’s not completely up to the writer to follow the FTC rules, now companies have to keep track of these types of campaigns as well.
It is unsure how the FTC will be able to decipher whether bloggers are simply crazy over a new product or receiving truckloads of free stuff in the mail. Even small products, passes or similar freebies still must be given full disclosure.
Even those who are beginning to profit from twitter, casually hawking products in each tweet, are going to feel the wrath of the FTC. Each twitter update that includes any promotion has to include a #spon tag to show that they are being sponsored. But how far will the FTC go in monitoring this? It’s easy to be dishonest and, if there is only a small likelihood of being caught on such a huge network, chances are there will be no adding of tags.
In the end, only a few bloggers will be affected–online writers who are related to companies and who get paid. For the larger population of bloggers, the most important exchange on the internet is going to stay with links. Online In text advertising and banner ads are far more profitable and less obnoxious than writing: “I received a free pencil to write this stunning review”.
The FTC is beginning to shape the anarchic online media outlets into something that mirrors professional journalism standards.
Tags: ads, advertising, blog rules, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, FTC new rules, LoudMo, pay per install