Argh!  Here goes again.  The IRS is now leaning heavily on eBay wanting them to cough up information on seller’s that are making any decent income through eBay auctioning.  What is amazing is that the IRS expects to collect an additional $2 Billion in taxes from people currently NOT reporting this as actual income each year.  I don’t think so!

Here is an exerpt from an article out of Financial Times:

People’s caution in coming forward has prompted the Bush administration to propose compelling eBay and auction businesses such as Sotheby’s to report to the IRS any customer that carries out more than 100 transactions a year worth at least $5,000 (€3,850, £2,565).

The Treasury expects to collect $2bn in extra taxes from the new regime, due to come into force on January 1 2008.

But eBay is fiercely resisting the proposal and has mobilised its extensive lobbying operation on Capitol Hill to question the legality of the proposed changes.

Representative Rick Boucher, who has received campaign donations from eBay, said he had been contacted by the company and shares its view that the Treasury and IRS would be stretching the limits of their authority by extending rules that cover “brokers” to the website.

Well, I guess it isn’t much of a surprise that PepperJam’s blog and Shoemoney.com are leading the way here.  I am surprised that Darren’s blog, Problogger.net isn’t doing any better than it is.  I also felt that choosing several of today’s top blogs would cause a more even outlay of your votes, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be.

Did you cast your vote?

Do you think this is a valid representation?

What is it about Shoemoney’s blog or PepperJam’s blog that would cause them to stomp the competition in this vote?

When should I declare the Lee Dodd Dot Com Blogger of the Year?

Now over the past year or so, I have read quite a few different affiliate marketing blogs. I am really wondering who we all think is the true CHIEF of all affiliate marketing bloggers. What affiliate marketing blog is it that makes you smile when you think about it, that really gets you excited when you see a new post in your RSS reader?

I am hoping this poll will not only give props to whom they are due, but also maybe point out a few gems that I might have missed along the way. So, enjoy the poll and if your pick for CHIEF isn’t on the list, simply comment with a link to the blog and I will get it added as soon as possible.

I thought this was one worth sharing as it offers some interesting perspectives on blogging for a living:

Blogging for Web Sites
Wall Street Journal,

February 6, 2007; Page B13

THE JOB: Blogger

THE PAY: Most self-employed bloggers take in between $2,000 and $10,000 a month from ad sales, says Henry Copeland, founder of BlogAds.com, a Web advertising concern based in Carrboro, N.C. The few that have huge audiences make significantly more, he adds. During election time, for example, a political blogger can bring in $20,000 to $30,000 a month, says Ken Layne, West Coast bureau chief for Wonkette.com, a political gossip blog owned by Gawker Media. Some bloggers are employed by companies, but they are often part of the marketing department, and blogging is usually only a small part of their duties.

THE HOURS: Self-employed bloggers set their own schedules. Writers of breaking-news blogs say 40- to 60-hour workweeks are the norm. To scoop his competitors, Mario Lavandeira, author of the celebrity-gossip blog PerezHilton.com, says he averages 19-hour workdays that start at 5:15 a.m.

BENEFITS: Free-lance and self-employed bloggers must develop their own health-care packages. Full-time bloggers working at corporations typically receive dental, medical and prescription-drug packages.

OTHER INCENTIVES: Mr. Lavandeira, who is based in Los Angeles, says he is frequently invited to events hosted or attended by celebrities. Jim Cahill, manager of marketing communications at Emerson Process Management, a global supplier of manufacturing systems and services in Austin, Texas, cites positive feedback from readers and being quoted in the business press.

BEST PART OF THE JOB: “I can work in my pajamas and set my own hours,” says Joel Cheesman, author of Cheezhead.com, a blog about the recruiting industry. Notes Mr. Layne, who has worked at Wonkette for two years and generally acts as his own editor: “I get to be a national political columnist and comedy writer.”

WORST PART OF THE JOB: “I have no life,” Mr. Lavandeira says. “I am always working, and I can never take a vacation.” Adds Jeff Jarvis, who blogs at BuzzMachine.com, a site on news and the media: “Blogging is an obsession. The guilt that piles up when I’m too busy to write a post is the worst.”

CAREER PATH: Most bloggers start out using free Web sites such as WordPress.com and Blogger.com. They say it takes at least six months to build readership and clout in the blogosphere. Mr. Lavandeira advises picking an area you’ll enjoy discussing for a long time because “you have to be passionate about what you’re writing.” A background in journalism or communications helps but usually isn’t required. “I don’t want to hear where candidates went to college or where else they worked,” says Ryan Block, managing editor of Engaget.com, who hires most of the site’s employees. “I review writing samples.”

HIRING: Full-time and free-lance opportunities can be found on Internet job boards. Some recruiting agencies help bloggers land free-lance work. “We help them get jobs with companies that can’t afford a full-time blogger,” says Jim Turner, chief managing partner of One by One Media LLC, Firestone, Colo.