Anyone who runs a blog or website will probably tell you that they do it for the fun of it – for some recognition. Some might also use it to showcase their talents in the hope that it will lead somewhere one day, maybe even in an attempt to provide an extra source of income.

I think I speak for the majority of us when I say that it’s unlikely we’ll be able to retire anytime soon thanks to some randomly placed adverts across our pitches on the Internet. I mean, when was the last time you felt compelled to click on an irritating animated banner ad? Nope, I can’t remember either.*

So this blogging malarkey then, why do we do it? Well the answer is two paragraphs up: recognition.

When blogging for the fun of it, the satisfaction you gain comes from the number of visitors that trundle along and read your missives. There’s a nice warm fuzzy feeling to be had when the going’s good and your website’s traffic resembles the M25. But there’s also dejection when your only guest is some tumbleweed, accompanied by the sound of a hollow, dry wind, for comedy effect.

So receiving acknowledgement for your efforts is most welcome indeed. Especially when someone appears to have taken the effort of sending you an Email praising your website and everything you do. You’re amazing, you. Did you know that?

But hold on one cotton-picking moment! Is that the smell of an ulterior motive that I detect?!!

The number of Emails I’ve received from desperate marketing types recently is frankly ridiculous. I feel sorry for the popular motorsport-related websites out there who probably have to sift through mountains of the stuff that finds its way into their Inboxes every day.

Their slurpy-slurp Emails grind my gears more than they should do perhaps.  But it annoys me. It annoys me that they feel I don’t adhere to any principles, that I have no integrity to anyone that decides to read whatever I to commit to the Internet.

So no, Cake Group, I don’t want to promote the FXPro-Virgin Racing F1 game, which supposedly “combines the thrill of F1 racing with the fast-moving excitement of international currency trading,” but in reality is the gaming equivalent of scurvy and about as much fun as choking.

Same goes to you, 7th Chamber: I’m not interested in pimping Reebok, the pikey’s choice of footwear – Lewis Hamilton in some shockingly bad viral video, or not. Oh, and I would encourage you to perhaps proofread what you have casually just written, before pressing ‘submit’ in future.

And to anyone else who has recently tried to groom me into writing nice things about their client’s services or products (hello HStreet Media and Arena Media): ner ner. Go elsewhere and let someone else mislead their readers instead.

Keeping it real, me. Bo.

*(I’m fully aware they’re present here, but someone accidentally clicked on a couple the other day. I may yet get that yacht …)

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