In Key Analyst Guest Blogs on Yahoo!'s Weblog, PR blogger Steve Rubel asks the questions I've been expecting someone to ask about Danny Sullivan's recent appearance on the Search Blog:
Will people now begin to question Danny's objectivity? Danny is a former client. From my brief experience working with him, I can assure you that he has the utmost integrity and a sterling reputation. He's a professional. But I am wondering if this move might change how he's perceived. Will people think he's in bed with Yahoo!?
Had it been someone else, I might have been worried. But Danny Sullivan is putting his reputation on the line. If he says great things about Yahoo, it's because he believes those things. To do so for any other reason would be putting his credibility at risk.
Posted by jzawodn at September 13, 2004 08:48 PM
Yahoo could, and should -- and I apologize in advance if they already have and I missed it -- clearly state its policy on renumeration, etc for its blog authors and guest authors.
While bias is a separate issue, knowing that guest bloggers like Danny are not compensated in any way, shape or form (and that a Yahoo! employee would be terminated for doing so) would go a long way to quiet the critics.
$0.02
I added some comments to Steve's original post, basically saying that I'd certainly be very likely to guest blog for another major search engine if asked. But as for the compensation question, just wanted to add that I didn't receive any payment in response to blogging for them. That would have been a conflict.
After knowing Danny for a few years, I can say that Danny is the last person I would expect to have any bias when it comes to the search engines. Very few can comment and analyze this industry without any bias, Danny is one of them.
I think John Battelle feels a little bit left out: (heh)
I think Danny's the best, but I'd probably take a pass on this one (then again, they didn't ask!).
