I like the poem, a rarely used form in blogs, and I agree with the message.

I have a feeling that many of the top bloggers exaggerate their success and earnings to generate more buzz around their blogs. It's a cheap way to get people to hang on your every word.

Ahh... the poetry gains crossover status from the personal blog! A bit pessimistic perhaps, but clever and enjoyable. Can you boil that down to a haiku for us?

If the ends are people learning, being inspired, and lifting themselves up

and the means are you being real and less selfish than most

then I would have to say that the ends do justify the means quite nicely.

When viewed from the outside in retrospection after the passage of time, the ends usually justify the means. For example there were many horrors involved in the industrial revolution (child labor, LONG back breaking hours for workers to name a few), yet now that it's passed and progress has moved on, almost any intellectual would most definitely say with a resounding yes that the ends justified the means and the tranquil "easy" lives we know enjoy is due to the sacrifices our ancestors laid down before us.

Not all of Internet Marketing and SEO / SEM is pretty, but overall the effect on the populous is very positive and I'm inspired to be able to play in a small part in this technology driven - information revolution.

Aaron,

Enjoyed the poem. Quite thought provoking - particularly for me:

'what does it mean to be professional
do the ends justify the means'

Compromising our values and integrity can be easier than we hope and expect of ourselves, if we don't take time to reflect on this regularly.

On that note - time for some personal reflection...

Great post. Cheers.

If we live by 'the end justifies the means' we shouldn't be surprised when the means justify our end. ~Anonymous.

Questioning ourselves permanently is healthy, it keeps us on track, you seem to do it very often, I can tell in your blog posts... Keep doing it, great job Aaron.

Very thought provoking. Hmmmm.... this will be one I'll be taking with me beyond after I hit "Post."

Thanks, Aaron.

How long before you censor any comment that has "a" in it.

Like the poem by the way.

Excellent. Great commenting too.

Re: the meaning of "success." It's not always about the money *shock* sometimes it's about more substantial things. Like friends, family, love, well being, personal integrity. Growth.

And a little part of me thinks (hopes) that good character can take a ship further than "wow'ed ya w/ some flash" headlines and controversy... which is by nature a short-term strategy. That demands continual re-invention.

How do you measure success?
If it's all dollars and cents...
Than you measure yourself to anything
That makes money.

Agree with the mindless drones bit.

Digg, any forum you want to name, wannabee wannabee wannabbe.

But love your refreshing takes on marketing, the concepts are still new and fresh.

Brave to put the poem up. Don't get bored - go wider, learn more (still reading 1000 years of linear history) and get into real life.

At the end of the day real life is everything, online life is a bit of an illusion.

Aaron, you've been a virtual silent partner in our creative writing courses making it online, so it's with pleasure that I note your turn to the poetic.

I also note that "poetry" is listed by Wordtracker as the 39th most requested keyword today, so I guess I can expect you to turn up in search results for the same soon ;)

I'd not call myself a poet but I often have to write shortform poetic because its the only way to articulate an issue's immanence...

Matt L above comments that this poetry gains "crossover status from the personal blog".

Where's your personal Blog?

My name is Aaron Wall and my personal blog is at AaronWall.com :)