Click Farming

Have you heard about “click farming”?

It is the latest attempt to debauch independent media, such as the joint you’re in now. The way it works is, some shyster makes a solicitation to the editor of a site – like me – offering to either “write a guest post” or pay me to write an “article” which is in fact a vehicle for delivering “clicks” directed toward whatever the product or service happens to be that they are hawking  . .  . but don’t want to be seen (or read) as hawking. They want to use the good name of a writer to purvey to you – dishonestly, because it is not done openly – whatever it is they’re selling. The writer agrees to shill for them, selling his reputation for -and this is the kicker – pizza and beer money, maybe less.

Here is one of several such “requests” I received recently:

Hi Eric

I am the representative of cvsolutions.com.au

I would like to post a new article at your site. The article should fit the site and the readers, as it possibly can. This is why I prefer you will write it.

It should not mention “advertisement”, “sponsors”, “PR”. It should have the same writing style like all other articles. It should be at least 350-400 words and with unique content (not copied from any other site).

Could you please tell me if that’s possible? What will be the price for that?

Hope to hear from you soon.

-Boris

Well, just to fuck with ol’ Boris I demanded a $1,200 fee to write his click bait “content.” Boris countered with an offer of $100 – to whore my name and reputation. To sell you out.

I am at least not a cheap date. Show some respect, Boris!

Here’s another that came to me under the header, “Fresh Content”! Oh, joy…

Mr. Peters,

I’m Kasee, an Outreach Specialist for an automotive research company called Root & Associates. We share the knowledge gained from performing exclusive research for our clients on our Insights Blog.

I wrote Kasee back advising that we accept paid ads – which is really what she wants but won’t say so – and if she wants to place a paid ad to give me a holler.

I have not heard back from Miss Kasee.

I purvey all the foregoing to “hip” you to what goes on behind the scenes, if you run a successful independent media operation. These “requests” come in almost every day.

I wonder how many sell out. My bet is a bunch do. A mess ‘o pottage. No thanks.

I won’t.

I’d rather wrench, if it came to that  – which I enjoy almost as much as writing – than become a gape-assed whore for these loathsome people. Mind, I have no issue with advertising at all. If it’s above board, an ad that is clearly an ad. But this business of trying to snooker you into clicking on something by pretending it’s not an ad – purveyed to you by a writer you think is okay and not a grifter – it makes my eyes narrow and my blood pressure increase. Feed them fish heads, raw ideally.

It’s your support that makes it financially feasible (morality aside) to tell them all to bugger off.

So, thanks – again – to everyone who supports EPautos. Not only could I not do it without you, I am able to tell these creeps where to shove it because of you.

Again, thanks!

Yer pal,

-Eric

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