You know..kind of one of those shout outs they can throw on their blog. I happily obliged. Seriously…I was it’s b/c I love to help people out, but there was still a part of me that was thinking ‘does this person really like me? Were they just talking to me so they could get something from me after giving me some info?’ I don’t know, it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth.

I think the key is to develop authentic relationships…and honestly, I think that takes time. I’d rather have a small group of close friends that I trust, admire and respect rather than a zillion ‘friends’ that are used as a means to an ends. Now, before I end, I don’t want to say people cannot have a lot of friends AND have a lot of meaningful relationships with them. That’s just not how I operate, so I can definitely relate to what you’re saying in this post.

to get a better grasp on what “friend” means in today’s “connected” culture, here’s a question recently posed on twitter…

Am I the only one fascinated by how the word “friend” has morphed into an amorphous, ambiguous + nearly empty word thanks to social media?

I disagree however, with the no link comments policy. People can tell if someone is using the comments section for shameless self promotion, and they can just ignore those. The blog author also has the control to delete these if they consider those comments spam. When I read very thoughtful comments and good discussions, I am drawn to that person’s blog if there is a link. I think it was through a comment I found your blog all those months and months ago. There were a lot of people that I wish I could see there blog who commented. Using google I was able to find some of them, but I wasn’t able to find them all.

Having links enabled in the comment section creates depth and connections among people in the blogosphere. A lot of times, I will click on every link to discover new blogs. Its their website that makes me stay. Some I subscribe to the RSS feed and continue to be a loyal reader. In the name of stopping selling out I think the no link comment policy goes to far. It limits the ability of your readers to connect with one another. It restricts how we communicate and travel across the web. I understand your reasons for doing this, but I really think the negatives of this policy far outweigh any positives that could come of this. Please consider changing this in the name of fostering an open and communicative network. Thank you JD.

Erica thanks for chiming in – I subscribe to your letter and how you handled the affiliate program in June was “top drawer” absolutely the best and it was aligned with your goal of helping people and transparent – you are making money and giving back! So JD is this another plan for the moment – not really centered on who you are, what you do and how you give and receive back value? Last point is critical

My opinion To state you do this to support your lifestyle and earn a living is OK with me. say it and feel Ok about it – if you give value – you get it back

p.s. I want nothing from you other than to continue reading your blog. :>

I believe the direction you’re choosing to go is a step that those who choose to take, will ensure longevity of their blog. Things change (traffic techniques, marketing styles, google algorithms, ad networks, ‘in’ social networks)- but what doesn’t change is dedication and passion for a topic.

Rock on.

I’ve been there, and I know exactly where you’re coming from. There are a lot of people “waking up” right now, and I’m glad I’m not the only one.

The “BlogInc” series that Jordan Cooper and I have been working on is part of it, but we’re trying to do more.

This is the first time I’ve been here, but I like your style and you’ve got a great heart.