It's Not Nice to Fool With The Opinionated Pussycat: A Feline News Network Investigation

On their Facebook Page Reader's Digest has a Tab called "We Hear You America!"

It's some sort of new Promotion where they are commiting Millions Worth of "Funds & Promotional Support into a Grassroots Viral Campaign To Help American Cities, Towns, and People Hurt by the Recession".

Well, after this story makes the rounds, maybe they will HEAR ME! ;-D

Daddy, and I have been on the Internet since 1998, blogging since 2002.

I am about to celebrate 1 year of having my own blog, on New Year's Day.

I have a blog like no other, and am damn well proud of it.

While Daddy, & I, consider ourselves writers, poets, storytellers, humorists, and part of the online fraternity of "New Journalism" we are not published authors (Yet), sought after commentators (Yet), been interviewed (Yet), or as connected, knowledgeable, or tech savvy (Yet x 3), or as read, as others in our niche.

I don't get 20 to 30 comments at the drop of a cute photo, either (Neither does Miss Elvira, and she's cuter, hee, hee!). ;-D

My advertising, such as it is, consists of Google Ads, and Amazon Associates, because BlogAds requires more traffic than I can dream of to make it worth considering, oh, and a PayPal Tip Jar for anyone who cares to show their support for the blog ( All funds go toward the upkeep of Elvira, and I ).

Yet, I occasionally get offers from individuals, and companies, some fake, some real, all of whom ask me, and Daddy, to do some sort of advertising that we don't understand, don't have the tech know how to set up, and that make you wonder if they have even explored this blog, and what it has to offer, and what its level of traffic is.

However, I got 2 such contacts, in the last 2 weeks, that caused my whiskers to twitch, and decide to follow-up.

This post is about the first one...

On Nov. 30th the following came in my e-mail, but was not addressed to me by name, or to my special Gmail Addy  (All email addys have been deleted for this post):

FROM: Jihane E

TO: dragonmalyx

DATE:Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 10:47 AM
SUBJECT: Request

Hello there!

My name is Jihane and I work for Reader's Digest and we are in the process of growing our pet section's online presence. I was curious as to what your advertisement options are on your website.

I wanted to know if I would be able to sponsor one of your upcoming posts with a mention either within the byline or the body of the post.

Your side bar would be an amazing option as well.

Please contact me back if you are interested and I would gladly send over more information.

Thanks and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Best,

Jihane

 Very Interesting...

I went to the Reader's Digest website to see if anyone with a similar name was listed as a contact in any dept., and came up empty.

So I wrote the following, the same day, with some links to posts on my blog, to 2 people listed on the site:

Cat Blogger concerned about Request supposedly sent by Reader's Digest Rep

Dear Evan Goetz, and Rachel Rosenblatt
Corporate Communications
Good afternoon,
 
My name is Nikita, I'm a Cat...I Blog.
Been doing so since 2002, and on my own Blog since New Year's Day 2010. ;-D
 
To put you at ease let me introduce myself in 3 ways:
 
First the info in my signature, and related info/links, below this letter.
 
Second & Third; The PDF Powerpoint Presentation, and PDF Flier, discussed, and linked to in the blog Posts below:
 
Downloadable Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat Intro Powerpoint PDF
 
Downloadable Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat Info Flier: Including Elvira, too!
 
I am just a humble Blogger trying to build interest, and a following, and make something of my talents as a writer, storyteller, poet, commentator, and journalist.
 
A look at my traffic stats via the link in my sidebar, gives you some idea of just how humble a place I am. ;-D
 
I believe that my Blog, and it's sidebars, are unique in the Critter Blogging Community, and am very proud of this fact.
 
I am proud to be recognized by my local newspaper, a local weekly, well known bloggers, and to even be thought "Clever" by PETA (Long story!).
 
Not bad for a near 13 yr. old. ;-D
 
I am writing because I received an odd e-mail that set my whiskers to twitching in suspicion, especially since it somehow made it to my inbox despite NOT being sent to me by name, and distinctive e-mail address, but to someone else.
 
I thought that if this was legit, you would be able to confirm that, and if not then you would definitely want to know that someone is preying on the growing Critter Blogging Community, and would let the appropriate folks in charge of the Pet Page I discovered on your website, today, know so they could publicly address this as they sit fit.
 
Here is the letter sent me, this morning, and related info: (Above letter inserted here -Nikita)

 I look forward to hearing from you on this matter...
 
Sincerely yours,
--

MR. NIKITA CAT - Proud Feline Pundit Since 2002!
Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat
http://www.opinionatedpussycat.com
 
Senior Journalist, & Correspondent: Feline News Network
Offishul Repurrter: The Cat Blogosphere Website
Professor: Nikita Institute of Feline Studies 

The Most Opinionated Pussycat in America, with Talent on Loan from The Ceiling Cat

Creative writing, photos, experiences, observations, & opinions, on life, & the world at large.
 
MY HUMAN BEST BUD: Kiril Kundurazieff
Musings of a Mad Macedonian
 
His LinkedIN  Profile 

I also sent it using Daddy's own e-mail because, hey, since when do Cats do e-mail right? ;-D

When no-one responded by Dec. 3rd I did some more snooping, and had Daddy do some phone calling.

 

He called Customer Care, and General Inquiries, and they had no idea who the person was that e-mailed me.

He called a Gina, in the LA office of Print Advertising, and was informed that even Freelancers working for Reader's Digest use e-mails that  have the company name, or RD, in the email addy, which my letter writer didn't, and that Reader's Digest IS, however, preparing a rollout of a revamped version of the Pet Section of the website sometime in February.

She gave me the e-mail of the contact in the Electronic Advertising office in New York, as well as a phone number.

Rather than calling Mr. Goetz office, or the office of the advertising in NY, Daddy wrote the NY contact the following e-mail on the 3rd (With all the links as in the earlier version):

Dear Jenna,

 

I was referred to you by Gina, of the West Coast Advertising Sales Office, , with whom I chatted by phone this morning, since you deal with the Online end of things.

 

The letter, below, was sent on Nov. 30, to Evan Goetz, and Rachel Rosenblatt, in Corporate Communications, but no-one has responded back, so I decided to try another route.

 

Maybe they are not used to getting an e-mail from a Cat? ;-D

 

You see, I am just the Official Research Assistant, and Photographer, Chief Cook & Litter Box Cleaner, around here, my Cats do all their own blogging, and e-mail, and snail mail, correspondence. ;-D

 

Anyway, here is an important letter, from my Cat, that we hope you will treat with all seriousness.

 

I know that Nikita looks forward to clearing this mystery up.

  

  

Good afternoon,
 
My name is Nikita, I'm a Cat...I Blog.

(My first letter appears here - Nikita )

  

Daddy immediately got back an automated e-mail, from Jenna Washer, advising that she was on vacation from the 3rd to the 8th, but that i could pester someone else (My word, my words! Hee, hee! - Nikita).

 

 So he wrote to a David Driscoll.

 

 We have not heard from anyone since .....

 

 In light of the followng Ad Scam, below, reported at The Cat Blogosphere, on December 4th I thought it important to share my experience because I think the original e-mail, which I did not respond to, and did not get a sequel of, may have been a scam.

 

If it was legit why have I been ignored by Reader's Digest in my attempts to learn more?

 

 Either way you would think, out of common courtesy, and especially to help with the image of the magazine, and its efforts to rebuild itself, and the Pet side of its website, someone would have responded to my concerns.

 Maybe if I post  a link to this post on their Facebook Page someone, who cares, will get their head out of the Litter Box, and respond.

 

AD SCAM/ALERT WARNING! “Guide to Online Schools’” is sendin out “Top 50 Cat Blog Awards”. The html code seems to link to their business.  So if ya receive that award an don’t wanna do advertisin fer people whose business is a rip off (in our opinion), delete the the email or write back trashin them.  At least don’t fall fer their games. We said: ‘Hi Cate – Thank you for including us on your “Top 50 Cat Blogs”!  We are pleased to have been selected.  On the other paw, we are a proudly non-commercial blog (no advertising, no profit, just for fun).  So we firmly decline providing you wif a link fer suckers to click on by placing yer graphic in our sidebar.  As The Big Thing says “rip-off artists should be consigned to a middle layer of Dante’s hell”.  If WE met ya we would treat ya like mice. An we are postin about that…  See HERE. Put THAT in yer pipe an smoke it!

~Ayla and Iza at Mark’s Mews

The last 6 years have seen Critter Blogging evolve so much that advertisers, and scammers, pretending to be advertisers, are beginning to notice our niche.

  

Most of us are not professional authors, writers, and journalists, or have experience dealing with advertising, and websites, and conventions, such as BlogPaws, have only come in to existence, in the last 2 years, to fill the educational, and networking void, to help us be reached, and reach out, to a wider audience.

  

Be careful out there Kitties! 

 

About 20 minute sago I figured out how to tag the Reader's Digest Facebook Fan Page in a Note. ;-D

 

Admittedly, the cover of the new RD is adorable, in a nonsensical, LOL! Cats kind of way, sort of fitting the rumored attempt to revamp the website Pet Page that I hear is coming next year, & the Cat looks like the mentor from my Kittenhood, almost 13 yrs ago, but I've got other things, of a more serious nature, on my mind, & I don't mean the Napping & Snoozing type of serious. ;-D

 

 The 2nd Story:  It's Not Nice to Fool With The Opinionated Pussycat: A Feline News Network Investigation 2

 

Comments

[PDX pride]

We got that same RD e-mail.

We actually got an answer back from RD, though, and it IS a scam that someone's been pulling, and NOT actually from RD.

[Nikita Cat]

You got a reply?

Cool!

I'd love to link to it if you posted it on your blog!

[PDX pride]

We didn't post it on our bloggie.