Hah! Good one.

Thanks for your comment on Common Sense PR.

I never get Wal-Mart ads showing up when I view, so I’m thinking they’re one of the advertisers that chooses to only be seen by U.S. site visitors (I live in Canada). I’ve had similar comments about Febreeze ads, which I’ve never seen pop up on my browser.

I publish as part of a group of business bloggers on the b5media network, and I’m sure there are lots of bizarre juxtapositions of blog posts and ads.

Although ads pay for the development and maintenance costs of running a blog network, I certainly don’t get any pressure to skew my writing about any companies that do or don’t advertise with us. The only limitations I operate under are to not break any laws, including copyright and intellectual property laws, and to post often enough and about interesting enough topics that the blog doesn’t become a wasteland.

I’ve certainly gone after Wal-Mart in the past for their business practices, and probably will do so again in the future. Hopefully, if they’re positioning their ads on blogs, they’re paying some attention to what’s being said about them online, and will adjust their practices to improve their image.

There are certainly a lot of dubious claims being made about enviro-friendly behavior in business. In a culture that encourages consumption over conservation, a lot of businesses wouldn’t exist if they had to answer yes to the question: On balance, is the world better off because my products are being sold and used?