Are you seeing more ads from your friends on Twitter? Several of the people I'm following on Twitter are pushing ads through their Twitter streams. I assume they're using services like Sponsored Tweets, though they could simply be affiliate links.

First, this post isn't meant to be critical of their activity. It's just got me thinking about this means and how we perceive the things that our friends say and recommend online.

None of the ads that I've noticed have actually offended me. In fact, they were particularly relevant this past weekend. On Friday and Saturday I saw some reminders to buy flowers. Today I saw one promoting tax preparation.

But I wonder if these people are personally recommending these products? Have they used them? Or do they just have space for sale on their twitter streams?

I'm all for making a buck and if my friends are popular enough in the social media space that they can sell spots on their clothes, cars, or twitter streams for cash money, that's great.

But to me there's a difference between wearing an ad on your shirt or having it plastered on your car and having it appear intermixed with your ordinary conversations.

Dale Jr. wears Amp Energy drink, National Guard, Budweiser, and a dozen more ads on his clothes and cars, but I doubt he works them into his conversations. I'd bet that Phil Mickelson has never uttered the words "Bearing Point" while chatting with his buddies at the 19th hole.

That would probably become pretty annoying if he did that.

And how do we tell the difference between a real recommendation and a bought one? At what point do we stop trusting that our friends are providing completely unbiased recommendations?