So, this is the third posting in a day on Morgan Webb’s WebbAlert, I know, but in Allen Stern of CenterNetworks queries whether there is an FM (Federated Media) Conspiracy regarding WebbAlert.  After all, its FM sells space on WebbAlert.  And  many of the reviews of WebbAlert done by the other FM blogs are actually positive of WebbAlert.

In the context of past FM ‘conversational marketing’ shennanigans, does this constitute another form of subtle conversational marketing?  Marketing done on the sly?  Has John Batelle quietly asked — velvet fist-styles — his FM authors to skew their posts to favourably influence traffic and opinion towards another FM authored blog?

Maybe.

(God knows I love a good conspiracy).

The problem is that most of the reviews are generally warranted.  I think this is a good move on Webb’s part.  She does the part well.  She has fan-boy cred.  Its not half bad.  And its still way, way, way too early to really judge how this thing is going to go.

Now, if WebbAlert sucked raw donkey sphincter, that’d be a completely different story.  But because things have yet to pan out, I’ll agree with Allen on this one.  I mean, the picture of FM blogs pimping one another seems laughable on the surface, but I suppose stranger things have happened in the blogosphere.  And the conversation is one that deserves watching carefully, if for no other reason that the issue of a potential conflicts of interest is always a worthy one — and does come up here, since the common denominator is the company which is funneling payments to everyone.