Do I look like I can be bought?

We just got this in the Boat Bits mailbag...

I’m a consultant for an online boater exam company that is currently looking to improve its online presence. I came across your site boatbits.blogspot.com, which is quite relevant to ours, and i’m interested in having a mention within an existing article that would link back to our website, or any other possibility.

If this can be arranged, we are prepared to compensate. Please let me know if you’re interested, and we can work out the details.

Now, this is not the first time we have received this sort of offer and it has not escaped our notice that some other blogs, online journals, and what passes for the yachting press have standards that are flexible enough to mention various companies and products within articles for pay but it ain't going to happen on Boat Bits.

If we mention a product or service, it is because we feel the product/service has merit and deserves to be brought to folk's attention, or that in point of fact it needs to be pointed out that the product or service is something to be avoided or a rip-off.

Which is not to say we are against advertising, as it is what makes all this possible, but we don't let advertising affect what we write and there is a big difference between an ad and paid content and that is a line we will never cross.

So if you are in a marine business or service and you want to see yourself mentioned in a Boat Bits post, the best way to do it is simply to produce an awesome product/service at an affordable real world price and more than likely we will find it and write about it. You could also send us a press release or write us and tell us about your product/service but if you do, don't expect us to take your word as gospel. We will appreciate the head's up and if your product or service looks to have merit, we will actually look into it and report on whether we like or hate it.

We might add that we have been told in the past that we have excessively high standards...

So it goes