Internet Marketing Ethics, Roger GuruGod and You

From GradetheNews.org (http://www.gradethenews.org/pages2/transparency.htm)

The point is about journalism but it applies to all generated content news or not news. If you read anything claimed to be the creation of anyone asking you to judge it with their credibility on the line, would you trust it if you were told that claim was false? Many people buy products endorsed by stars. Now if a star first claimed to be the creator of the product then it was proven they just purchased the rights, would you desire the product as much? The natural reaction would be reflected in a decline of sales. No one likes to be fooled least of all you the consumer

Ethics and Internet Marketing
Since so many people have sought out Internet Marketing as a source of income they have come across a commonly taught platform. Outsource your content to increase profitability. The ends justify the means is pure Machiavellian style thinking. Much of what you read and even that which you purchase is outsourced and falsely claimed as this so-called guru's efforts. So, you the consumer are not buying Roger GuruGod's words or whatever. You are buying material generated cheaply by ghostwriters and other such sources. The goals are to make that quick buck and appear to have expertise. Despite what anyone might tell you the consumer, it is unethical. It is promotion for profit based on a lie.

The question of ethics
In the medical world you as a patient have the right to know if the doctor you are consulting is the doctor who is going to treat the problem. Why should what you purchase in any other arena not be regarded the same kind of expectancy. A reporter who cobbles a story together based on the work of others is expected to give credit to those who also contributed. If you buy a book with your favorite author credited, you expect that person authored the book. If you read an article stating the author is Roger GuruGod, it should be authored by that person not material subcontracted to an outsourcing company. Some do fudge the line by creating a final edit version. If in the literary world editors received the writer's credit many very famous authors would never be famous.

Something to think about
You select to a surgeon and are paying him his rates as a specialist to perform a procedure. After the operation you find out this surgeon had outsourced your operation and five others that day so that he could be more effective in administering patient care. Even worse he was on the golf course during each and every operation the patients thought they were paying him for, how would you feel? I don't know about you but I would feel cheated. Purchasing a product or reading an article attributed to a person for marketing purposes should be receive the same kind or feeling.

The truth
The person is acting as a publisher not an author. Books of all kinds are marketed under branded names. Everything from Random House to DC or Marvel Comics credits the author of each story as the author. Though the company may own the rights to the character they acknowledge the credit of authorship and artist talents employed in creating that product should be acknowledged not just as a product under that brand. A book or article or even a blog post should require that same type of ethical expectancy.

Furthering the point
There are laws that require products not made in the US say where they are made. That's why you see the made in tags on almost everything you buy. Internet Marketers should be required to do the same. Products not made in the USA but branded by American companies have a requirement to disclose the origin. If a product or article or any content is outsourced, it should require some sort of variant of the "made in" disclosure. It may be something that saves the marketer time and money but it is an act of fraud against the consumer to claim it as theirs.

My stand
As an online established presence and student of Internet Marketing, if you want me to think it is yours, it had better be. If I am to purchase a product or read information credited as written from and by you, it should be. For many years more famous authors have lent their names to a collected editions of other lesser or unknown authors to sell the book. I feel cheated that which I purchased or read was the work of Roger GuruGod was really from Rahib Weworkforconsiderableless. It diminishes the value not because it was written by Rahib. The loss in value is because you claimed this which you sell as yours falsely. It is like someone trying to sell a prints of the Mona Lisa demanding actual artwork prices. Paying for the rights is not a license to lie to you the consumer. Outsourcing the work without proper crediting is deception. Even worse it cheats Rahib Weworkforconsiderableless out of his due in well deserved and rightful recognition. In the long run this would only serve to boost Roger GuruGod's credibility in the field. I will explain

The real world camparisons
In North American pro sports Billy Beane (baseball Oakland A's), Bill Polian (football, Indianpolis Colts), and R.C. Buford (basketball, San Antonio Spurs) are mentioned as top talent evaluators. They don't get these credits because they play the games. They get this recognition by the teams they put together and field for play. In comics DC's Dan Didio and Marvel's Joe Quesada are the top men in their field. While Dan's forte is public relations and writing (not comic book stories) and Joe Quesada one of the great artist of the industry in his time, the companies remain industry giants due to their oversight of the creative teams on the monthly books. This should be the natural course for top Internet Marketing Gurus. While their name will be on everything they don't have to produce the product or content to retain their status and recognition.

Talking the Dan Didio model
He in particular fits what the model should be. Dan Didio was an industry outsider who was not an accomplished comic book writer or artist. He does have editing credits. Yet, he is an industry king. If Internet Marketers are to continue to be production outsourcers that is the natural course of how the industry show grow. It's not unlike the CEO who leads his company to success though he never was employed in that industry. This type of CEO is one who can find the recognize talent and use develop it to guide their company to success. This type of CEO upholds a certain standard of ethics a consumer deserves.