Fake Deals Are a Stain on WordPress
Before we get into my decision, check out my A Stain on WordPress: False Advertising, Fake Deals, and Junk Affiliates post (includes video) to read and see what I’m referring to here.
The Decision to Let Go
I’ve decided to abandon the fight against fake deal websites.
Part of me is disappointed. However, as one IWP partner correctly pointed out, “Your efforts are commendable, but you’re playing whack-a-mole. If you discourage one bad actor from continuing on, another will pop up in their place.” This is something I already knew, but hearing it from someone else solidified that for me.
Part of me is relieved. It’s emotionally draining to have a strong desire to bring about positive change, only to find yourself unable to make a significant impact. Additionally, conflicts have arisen with IWP partners featured on fake deal websites.
I partly founded InfluenceWP with the intention of addressing some of the unethical practices I’ve encountered as a WordPress agency over the years, including fake deals. If I could at least push bad actors to put in real work, rather than merely dropping fake deals on a page and injecting their affiliate links, that would be a win.
There were events (some very recent, some several months back) that sent me down the road of questioning the fight and ultimately deciding to abandon it. Let’s explore those events in the order they happened.
Major Podcast Warns Me Against Fighting Bad Actors
Back when InfluenceWP first launched, I was interviewed on a podcast. Off-camera I was warned against fighting bad actors in the WordPress ecosystem.
A few warnings were given, but one really stood out and went something like, “They will pull together resources with the goal of taking you down.” It’s not like this particular warning detoured me in any way, but it did plant the initial seed that I may be in for a wild ride.
Confronting the Owner of the Biggest Fake Deal Website
I called out the owner on social media when he posted something that rubbed me the wrong way. Instead of denying posting fake deals, he said, “InfluenceWP is doing the same thing.”
Saying InfluenceWP is doing the same thing (which is a lie) is an admission that he’s doing shady stuff. What he said also tells me he’s fine with being a bad actor, and he has no intention of changing.
Major WordPress News Outlet Promotes a Fake Deal Website
A major WordPress news outlet published a post glorifying the biggest fake deal website that I’m aware of. They were praising the deals, even though they are mostly fake.
Let’s assume the news outlet didn’t know about the fake deals they were promoting. That’s no excuse. There’s this thing called due diligence.
What I have found is that due diligence is ignored for “friends of the show.” Sponsor us, and we’ll promote you, regardless of the shenanigans you might be up to.
I reached out to the author of the post and let them know they were promoting fake deals. They said, “Oh, I’ll let <news outlet founder name omitted> know.” The post was never updated.
WordPress[dot]com Sponsors the Parent Brand of the Biggest Fake Deal Website
This one truly set me back.
This was very recent news. This was another one of those “Ryan, did you see this?” instances, where someone was looking out.
This parent brand (which will go unnamed) is doing something noble, on the surface, promoting people of WordPress. I say “on the surface” because I believe their goal is not to uplift the WordPress community but to direct people to their fake deal website.
How can you claim to be about uplifting WordPress folks when your only call to action is “Deals”? Where’s the “Explore People of WordPress” CTA?
Kinda like the major news outlet, perhaps WP[dot]com didn’t know about the fake deals. But, again, this is no excuse. If you’re investing in sponsoring a company, wouldn’t it be prudent to click through some links and explore the child brands?
InfluenceWP has been doing things the right way for 1.5 years (as of this writing), and the only thing I have heard from WP[dot]com is Matt M. telling me to “read a book to understand the meaning of ‘lifetime.'”
What I would have loved to hear instead was, “Hey, I like what you’re doing; keep it up. Oh, and here’s a link to a book I think you might find interesting.”
The Final Straw
When I heard about the sponsorship above, I took one last look at the fake deal website I’ve been talking about, and I was reminded that some InfluenceWP partners are listed.
This is an extremely delicate situation, and I’m not going to get into it here. Staying at a high level, I can say that this has caused friction with partners.
I’m not turning a blind eye for the sake of preserving partnerships. It’s lit a fire to rethink what InfluenceWP partnerships look like going forward.