Telling the Truth: When Shills Try to Make You Look Bad

California Hotel | Credit: Sonny Abesamis (eneva) on flickr / CC-by-2.0 | Text added by RoseWrites

My friend Jonathan Nielsen has been the cornerstone in helping me expose the truth about the Squidoo-HubPages deal.

He clearly recognizes the difference between narcissism and psychopathy and can recognize a shill a mile away. I've always been astounded at the number of silent observers who are too afraid to speak up (in any workplace or social environment).

More disturbing is the amount of bashing I've been experiencing online for simply telling the truth. Sure, I joke about it too - that's called satire. And satire is legal in Canada and the US.

The last couple of days has been tiresome for me. Well, honestly, the last eight months have been a huge financial and emotional drain for me.

I keep hitting the same wall over and over again with people who are defending the HubPages side of the so-called Squidoo acquisition.

I am constantly being told: "you can take your content down off HubPages."

This is outrageous. Why? Because it's akin to this:

Suppose I import all of your articles to InfoBarrel (without your permission) and stick InfoBarrel's ads on them.

Then I email you that I have them (a "do not reply" email). And the only way you can access your own content is to join InfoBarrel (permanently, you can never remove your author content). That way, I can keep on tallying the number of "registered users" on InfoBarrel to look like I have the biggest platform.

If you already have an InfoBarrel account, I make you "follow a link" and enter a "code." Eventually, I can pair this up with your tax information (which I will require first before you receive any money for the ads I place on your work - and for your share of the Amazon and eBay royalties as well).

Hmm, as for four years worth of your comments on another platform? I'm going to have a link point back to InfoBarrel from each one that will read: "Sign in or sign up and post using an InfoBarrel account."That way, people will think that YOU endorse InfoBarrel (and have been on it for years and years).

Oh and I might set up a phony Pinterest account too. Gotta keep these backlinks going, you know. Those automated ones (that aren't editorially placed or vouched for) well, who cares if they violate Google's Webmaster Guidelines.

For that matter, who cares that our photos don't require Alt tags. And even though this is all a violation of Google's Webmaster Guidelines, we actually allow duplicate photo descriptions and titles too.

I never wanted to be associated with HubPages or have my online work remotely connected to this unethical site, therefore, to hold my content and rightful earnings hostage until I join HubPages is both ridiculous and unlawful.