Personally, I write on my blog for both reasons. I do expect to get links, but not by being audacious in any way – just by providing quality information. If you happen to have an attitude that people want to share in a viral manner, then so be it – it doesn’t mean you’re brazenly linkbaiting.

I think there’s probably more analysis happening here than is necessary. It’s a blog, it’s personal on some level, so I say give the guys their space to vocalize (whether linkbaiting or not).

The IM of bloggers, as mentioned at the beginning of this missive is responsible for the advent of blogging as self expression and connecting with others are internally derived characteristics. The implication here is that by creating an environment in which bloggers are intrinsically motivated, you will evolve bloggers who will be more loyal to the task on a daily basis and over time.

I haven’t seen an actual reply from Matt Cutts, in your link he just ran a POLL to ask if he should respond. Sadly, the majority clicked the I like to watch a fight vote. And sadly that seems to sum a lot of people up. Bored and mindless!

I respect Matt as he genuinely seems to care about what he does and he is one of the few unofficial mouths of Google. That is rare and valuable and I’m not sure why Google let him! I’m sure his employment contract has NDA and PR cencorship clauses in it.

I totally understand why Matt would want to stop google bashing, especially when it questions his bosses integrity.
aka love me, love my dog…

Anyway I’m glad he does. It makes google seem almost human – and maybe that is why they let him.

The global landscape for blog comments should be for things people care about, not linkbait to make people rise to a fight.

Is your post here linkbait? O rare you simply asking peopel to debate and give their opinions?

I think that’s the difference. In a nice world, with sustainable readership (vs the todays death match blog fight) there is a request for opinion, debate and mental GROWTH for all.

In the linkbait, it is just an arena where there will always be losers and probably, in the long term, ZERO winners.

If these 2 guys get in to a slanging match, they are just 2 guys who got in to a slanging match.

Without the linkbait, they are 2 experts with different opinions.

In my personal case, the one I will continue to read, is not the jumpstart who wants to moan and pick a fight.
Have I bothered even bookmarking Jasons site – no I have not.
Do I still respect Matt for not rising to the bait, yes I do.

Do we need to respond to out attackers to justify our own standing – IMHO no we do not!

I’m too busy thinking of my own corner, to worry about 2 guys having a spitting contest…

As we drove past the campus I asked my mamaw, (a devout pentecostal holiness christian), if she thought someone with that much power and money was really sincere or just doing it for the money. My mamaw, as usual, had a very pragmatic response.

She said, “it doesn’t matter WHY he does what he does. What matters is all the people going to heaven because of what he’s done”.

I feel the same way about Aaron and this post in particular.I think the effect of his actions is more important than his reasons for taking the actions in the first place.

Cmon, Donna, there’s 2 levels you need to know about in people… the sincere level and the insincere level. I would venture that most people who do SEO don’t do it because they dreamed about it all day long as little children. I would venture that they do it because they didn’t have what it took to be the football hero or the prom queen but gosh forbid we actually say that.

The point is that it doesn’t REALLY matter what their motivations are. What matters is how you can profit from it. Does that sound cold? If so, please tell me if they really care about you or me OR if they came to you or me for help.

In fact, I applaud your article if your motivation is linkbait. If you really care about the topic then I’m going to save my thoughts on that unless you actually come to me for help.

Btw, kudos, I’ll be linking to this article in my next blog as an example of the lesson. And it has nothing to do with the topic of this blog.

(If it helps to know, its because I think you’re an excellent blogger who is supremely under-appreciated and when those conditions converge they make for excellent opportunity).