How Bloggers Get Bought Off and Why You Shouldn't Trust Social
Media  Sometimes a legitimate-looking post is hiding something.
Blogs started as a way for people to share thoughts with
friends. Today, social media spam is rampant, albeit usually
obvious. Or is it?  Before you outright trust what you read in a
blog, consider whether the blogger (or Twitter user, or Facebook
profilee) is being bought off. I mean paid secretly for
convincing you to buy something. Does that person really think
thus-and-such a product is wonderful? Did they really try it and
make money, get skinny, win friends? Would they tell you if they
received commissions for every purchase resulting from their
"honest sharing?"  Today I received this e-mail, a classic
example of how bloggers get started misleading their readers.
This kind of communication happens in the dark alleys of the
blogosphere. Let's drag it into the light of day. Here's the
e-mail, received shortly after midnight...  Hi my name is
[omitted] and I'm a blog spotter. I ba