Blog Hucksterism

Yes, I realize that advertising is allowed in the blogs. However, the full quote from the Blog Etiquette section might well be worth repeating here:

• Promoting or advertising is allowed, but be aware that pure advertising posts are unlikely to gather much attention. Instead, try to do quality work, even if it takes some time.

"Quality work" is hardly what I'd call the stuff we're seeing in these blogs. Most of it consists of more or less vacuous generalities, unlikely to be of much use to the serious student. Just so much deadwood.

Yet as the quote indicates, its real purpose is evidently not to teach but to "gather attention" (and thus lead eventually to the desired sale). And the fact that several of these posters have illustrious titles no doubt adds a further cachet to the whole business.

And yes, the call for "quality work" is only a suggestion (not a demand). Yet one more line from Blog Etiquette seems germane here:

• Nothing that could potentially mislead or manipulate readers [is allowed].

Well, much of what I've seen recently appears to me to be exactly that: manipulation. Items along the lines of "Seven GM Tips For Remaining Calm During Play" or "How To Be As Self-Confident As Carlsen"...things which any "Life Coach" (or indeed anyone else) might cough up at a moment's notice, and which say absolutely nothing (and certainly nothing specific to chess).

But of course you can't give away too many (or indeed any) of your real secrets for free, because then you'd have nothing to sell. A basic tenet of Sales.

It occurs to me that if an eminent player really were so selflessly devoted to the improvement of others, he might consider hanging out on the forums to answer all the chess-related questions that often pop up there. But then, I suppose that's a bit too much to ask (or expect).

Incidentally, one more regrettable side effect of all this "salesmanship" (and something which has been brought up before in the forums) is the fact that these blogs have a tendency to crowd out a lot of other, more personal blogs which might well have something more original (or at least interesting) to say--and which are at any rate not simply pitches for the posters' products.

It seems lamentable to me that a site which after all prides itself on its non-commerciality and openness should be made use of in this fashion.