As for your being burned by bloggers you trusted, I hear you on that one, but at the same time, that’s a very risky game being played by said bloggers. Bloggers, moreso than other businessmen, rely pretty much solely on their reputation and brand capital to survive. Once they’ve tarnished that reputation, and broken the trust with their customers (in this case, you), there’s not a whole lot left for them.

Thanks for commenting.

You make an excellent correlation between trust, connecting, and being human. I’ve seen a lot of great products on the ‘net that seemed legit but I didn’t buy because the trust just wasn’t there. I mean, who exactly WERE these people who wanted my money, anyway? On the other hand, I must admit that I’ve bought products I wasn’t too happy with simply because I saw the “human” side of a blogger who encouraged me to click an affiliate link. After a few such experiences (not all of them ending in a purchase) I’ve found that it takes a lot more than just a blog for me to trust someone across the series of tubes. I’m getting the feeling that the internet is making me more cynical than I need to be.