Reading through the blog posts about the new FTC regulations on bloggers there is a definite split on it. The left seems to welcome the decision while the right is upset over it. For example, here is a post by tea bagger Dana Loesch:

Because Uncle Sam think the public is too stupid to make decisions alone or to recognize endorsements verses common reviews. So if a company sends you a dollar-store toy, you will be scrutinized by the government, regardless whether you were asked to post a review or not. The FTC was very clear in their repeated use of “case by case basis” in their report.

(emphasis added)

Now apparently Dana can’t even read what she quotes because she is referring to this, which appears right below the above paragraph:

Decisions about violations will be made on a case-by-case basis, but if someone receives cash or an in-kind payment to review a product, it’s considered an endorsement.

(emphasis added)

This made my head spin, and to add insult to injury Dana starts her post off with a quote from another article:

The Federal Trade Commission will require bloggers to clearly disclose any freebies or payments they get from companies for reviewing their products.

(emphasis added)

Both citations given by Dana clearly state that you can’t receive gifts or payments for reviewing a product, yet she somehow misses that and says it doesn’t matter if you review the product or not. Reading it so hard.

Now on the left there seems to be an overall acceptance of the new regulations. Let’s face it, we all knew this would come to fruition some day. Blogs have become a big business and even careers for quiet a few. When that happened that meant that there would be government regulation starting to seep in. This regulation isn’t bad though. It will protect the blogosphere overall from people out to make a quick buck by writing bogus reviews on products they wouldn’t even give their enemies. In other words – it will help keep the blogosphere pure. It’s just a shame that the right can’t seem to understand that, or they would rather have a tainted blogosphere.