During the Winter Meetings, Joe Ptak from Cleveland Indians Report had a bad idea. He thought that he'd put up a joke with 'hidden messages' saying that Vlad had signed with the Indians. Did he get a lot of people? Damned right he did. It wasn't because people thought it would happen, that it was particularly well written, or well anything other than one thing ...

People trusted Joe Ptak.

Joe was a guest at our Cleveland Pizza Feed and Asst GM Chris Antonetti said "you know more about the organization that I do" when Joe asked a question. I read Joe's reports and got the emails and think the world of Joe. Nice guy, good info, but ...

People trusted Joe Ptak.

I can't tell you how many people called or emailed me regarding this report. I saw people from the Cleveland front office and to say they were perturbed that they had to deal with this is understatement. What Joe's done doesn't just undermine himself, but the entire non-traditional media. What's to stop Jamey Newberg or Christian Ruzich from perpetrating a similar hoax? I can tell you - nothing.

With most sites, there is no editor and in my year as an "indy" and then a year with not one but two editors at BP, I can't tell you the difference it makes. It also provides a level of personal and professional protection. I've said things that I'm glad got spiked. I know not to write angry, but I've done it. Even here, where there's no editor, I now THINK like there's one.

I know, it's instant feedback in this world, but that's just not enough. It's really not. When something like this can happen - something that some will argue is insignificant, but in fact set back the movement to give net-based writers by a year or more - I start wondering if things will ever graduate to the next level or if we'll have to wait for traditional media to pick off the best and brightest. It gives MLB more excuse not to issue credentials -- and they don't need more excuses.

In the end, it comes down to this. No matter how smart, nice, or personable Joe Ptak is, he made a massive mistake. I hope Joe continues to write and I hope he continues to do great work. I like the guy and think he's a plus.

But people trusted Joe Ptak.

They don't now.