My friend Firgs brought something to my attention this week. Seems there’s a little requirement going into effect on Dec. 1 of this year requiring bloggers who review products or give things away to fully disclose whether they receive any compensation while doing this or face $11,000 fines for each violation. The Federal Trade Commission commissioners (commission commissioners? Is that like a committee on committees?) voted 4 – 0 to pass these revised guidelines, the first revision in the guidelines since 1960, but they never quite got around to explaining just how this disclosure was to be made.

Personally, I have no problem telling you all if I get something free for doing a review or for giving something away! The fact that a company gives me something isn’t going to change the essence of my review, but I have it easy. Most of my reviews are based on whether a product or plug-in works in the digital photo restoration workflow. So if it does, it does, if it doesn’t, I’ll tell you that, too. I loved certain parts of the OnOne Plug-in suite for restoration, others, not so much. Did that make it a good or bad product? No. I received a copy of the plug-in suite from OnOne for my review. Does that invalidate the usefulness of certain parts of the plug-in suite for restoration? Not that I’m aware of. I also must add that any review I do, whether I get “paid” or not, is simply my opinion which I’m sharing with you. If anyone decides to go out and spend $1000 on software before trying it out based on what I say has, you’ll forgive my candor, a screw loose.

I understand this regulation, on it’s face. I mean, if I did reviews and giveaways constantly and really pushed people to buy things, yeah, I can see the need for people to know that the company in question was paying me in some way. However, if I really believe that strongly in something, I’m going to tell about it whether I’m compensated or not! Take, for example, my favorite thing: GenuineFractals. I’m totally on the record long before my latest OnOne review telling everyone and their dog that they needed GF if they do digital restoration. I still say it. The point is, though, I said it when I was using version 4 which I had bought myself and never even knew people would give a rats fanny what I thought or that a company would give me anything! It was good, it was, I believed, essential. I said so. Just because I was given a new version doesn’t lessen my enthusiasm for that product.

This regulation is supposed to promote truth in advertising. Great! I’m all for it! But will it be acceptable for bloggers to have a teeny tiny little disclaimer at the bottom of a post, hidden with all sorts of other garbage, stating this was a paid endorsement? I mean, what’s good for the goose, right? Big companies can do that, diet companies can show shots of the food that looks humongous, food companies can show you photos of their products with all sorts of food photography tricks, photoshopping abounds, but bloggers have to disclose that the $30 piece of software they’re reviewing was given to them free? Well I know that different rules apply to different people at different power levels. No one needs to tell me. I worked in Corporate America, trust me, I know. I’ll tell you the same thing I told them before I quit to follow my own path: I don’t mind following the rules. I never have. I just want, no, need, to know what those rules are.

Regarding truth in advertising, I’m not going to tell you I like something I don’t. I tried a couple products this weekend with an eye towards possible review. One didn’t do a thing for the photo restoration workflow (but it was fun!) and the other, frankly, sucked. I may still do a review, but it doesn’t matter if they give me a hundred of them, it’ll still suck. However, once again, that’s my opinion, only!

At any rate, this to shall pass – the regulation that is. So, henceforth I shall mark my reviews and contests with certain fields at the bottom:

1. Was this a compensated review / prize? (yes / no)

2. Do you feel cheated in any way? (yes / no)

3. Will you hate me in the morning? (yes / no)

4. Will this stop you from doing what I say without thinking for your self? (yes / no)

In all seriousness, I will disclose any compensation. I won’t stop taking compensation, not that I’ve gotten much (OnOne, Preset Viewer, TuneUp, psdAutoSave), but I like it! If you don’t, I’m sorry. If it affects the way my reviews / contests are perceived, I’m sorry for that, too. I can do nothing about that, except assure you that my opinion will still be my opinion, regardless, and you may take that as you will.

For another opinion regarding this topic, hop on over to Design by Firgs and read what Firgs has to say!