Content Soup

What are your thoughts on Amazon aggregating Electronics blog posts from all over the web [via], when they are actually just from Engagdet and Gizmodo? Shouldn't Amazon be able to scrape up an api to add a Buy This link with the sites associates code since I'm more likely to just search Amazon after reading the post rather than visit the blog?

Similarly, who's more disingenuous with mixing commercial with content -- Forbes or Fark?

More Forbes stupidity via Denise: "The site lets you subscribe to RSS feeds, a complicated, XML-related way of reading news which doesn't serve much purpose here."

Update on Forbes and Fark:

Emedia: In defense of Forbes

Counterpoint: "What Forbes is doing is tacky," said Nick Denton, the publisher of Gawker Media. "It's surprising to me, because there seems to be plenty of advertising revenue to go around at the moment."

last word: Technology pundit Clay Shirky said it is unrealistic to imagine an Internet with "no payola."

Fark Sells Out: Fark's publisher, Drew Curtis, told Wired News that Calacanis' experience was an isolated incident ... "One of our external sales reps was a little overenthusiastic, as salespeople sometimes (are)," Curtis said. "He is no longer representing us."

However, as Daniel Terdiman reports, "Curtis refused to deny that Fark accepts payment for placement of links. He did not respond to requests for clarification from Wired News."

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