Blog I started writing:
I just finished watching a rerun of the Colbert Report on Comedy Central (brilliant show, BTW) and noted a promo at the end of program to visit the "#1 fan site for Stephen Colbert - Colbert Nation". Sure enough, it's an actual fan site, set up by a loyal devotee. The lesson here is - blog about your favorite mainstream media program and you may get recognized for your efforts.
Problem:
Whois info for, colbertnation.com:
Registrant:
Comedy Partners
1775 Broadway
New York, New York 10019
US
Solution:
Don't try to pull the wool over your web audience's eyes. The site may look amateur and fan-run, but the ownership email pointing to MTV's media group is a dead giveaway that it's just more self-promotion. Honestly, there are probably some real fan sites out there (or there will be soon). Why not plug someone who really is just a devoted fan?
Update: I may have been a bit overzealous - they do say in the copyright notice at the far bottom right hand corner of the site that it's owned by Comedy Central - as the diggers pointed out, this could just be part of the show's farsical take on itself.
Aw, it's a rough crowd, Rand. And, while the point is well taken that the site in question reflects the humor of the program, you wouldn't be the only one to interpret "fan site" initially as "a site created and maintained by fans".
Again, rough crowd. :)
you're funny, man
These kind of spoof sites/blogs are all the rage for the last two years or so. I remember one for Lee jeans where it was supposedly written by the giant model who was in their commercials writing her phone number on the windows of skyscrapers. The site had posts written in character for several months before the actual site launch.
I think they're a little boring, but not unethical.
But to be honest I'm one of those people who feel like "The Colbert Report" is an SNL skit that's gone on waaaaay too long, so maybe there's a certain market for this kind of extended-spoof humor that I'm just not a part of.
In your most recent post, 5 Reasons Why Diggers Matter, you wrote, "In addition, taggers are vocal, participatory people. If they find problems on your site, errors in your content, take issue with your point of view, etc. they'll let you know..." Well, I just dugg this story and you got instant feedback. In addition to some sophomoric comments, a couple users suggested this is just part of the humor of the site. They really aren't trying to hide the fact they run the site (see the copyright message). It looks like this post just validated your last post.