What’s interesting is that I’m going away from all of this with one main thought – that thank goodness we’re still ‘allowed’ to write about products we bought ourselves on our blogs – or companies we like! David said:

One of the great things about a blog is that unlike the traditional media, we can write about things that we’re committed to, whether that’s small farms or bean-to-bar chocolate makers. Both are for-profit enterprises, but I’m happy to throw my support behind them because it’s very hard work and I believe in what they’re doing. So there.

I totally agree. For me, this extends to products as well. I constantly mention my favorite seed suppliers on my garden blog (from whom I have been buying seeds for years and who have never sent me any free product) and often mention how much I love a certain baking pan or other piece of kitchen equipment (that I purchased myself) on my food and farm blog. I do this because 1) people often ask me for recommendations on these topics and 2) I’m so happy with them and think some of my readers would be, too.

I guess part of me doesn’t see a huge difference between praising a product on your blog that you love and bought yourself or that you love and were given for free (geez, now I’m wondering if you have to disclose that someone gave you something for Christmas). But then I would never write something positive about (or even simply mention and link to) a product I didn’t actually like.

Thanks, Dianne, for starting such interesting and informative discussions!

I can’t help feeling that the policy of NOT reviewing a dud product is a cop-out. It doesn’t waste a reader’s time to read a bad review. It wastes a reader’s time if they don’t read any reviews and go out and try the product themselves and hate it.

Most reviews are not wholly negative or wholly glowing. Most products have things that could be better and things that are already quite good, and reviews tend to reflect that. But if a product really is a dog, then please call it how you see it and let us know!

Here’s an update on Shauna’s new pork blog: As a result of these posts, Shauna pushed for more transparency about who owns the site. If you go to Pork Knife and Spoon, (http://porkknifeandspoon.com/), you’ll see that the About This Blog section on the Home page now says:

“PorkKnifeandSpoon.com is the official blog of the National Pork Board and aims to educate people on the power of pork – including its ease of preparation, versatility and taste.”

I think that’s pretty clear. I’m happy that she made the push, not just for her own sake, but because she told me in an email that other food bloggers want a gig like this, and now she has taken a stand on the issue of transparency.