I got a pointer from Suw Charman about a Chinese-based company that intends to launch a barrage of blogs on various topics, with Chinese citizens pretending to be Americans. Basically, masquerading to get advertising revenue. The amazing part is the fact that the founders are openly blogging about the business plan, simply concealing the names of the blogs that they are running in stealth mode:

Steve Fontaire

[from blogoriented ]

My problem with this venture is that we are exploiting a once pure medium and diluting the blogosphere with what are basically lies. To Jeff [Jeff Clark] this is a non-issue. He spent the last few years as a software engineer in China coordinating projects between american programmers and their outsourced counterparts. He trained the chinese programmers so well he was no longer needed and was offered a reduced salary or the door. To him this venture is his way to tap into a hot economic trend and avoid working for someone else his whole life. For me this is a way out of the cubicle. I’ve spent the last few years watching the clock as a financial analyst for a large credit card firm. Finding the best ways to maximize the number of clients that carry a balance was just too depressing for me. Blogs are intrinsically a blend of fact and artistry. Our product really won’t be that different.

Yes, it will be. But this sort of blog astroturfing -- artificial grassroots activities -- is bad in every way. Yes, the authors and handlers may make money, but they are faking their identities, which is morally fradulent. Readers of blogs do not in general expect that the identities of the authors are bogus: this is not fiction, after all.

I believe that as trade practices like this arise, the importance of real reputation will become ever more important, and participation in real blog networks like Corante will become the norm. Otherwise, people may believe you are astroturfing.