You could boil this blog post down to one paragraph:
Hello fellow startup founders. If you're like me, you probably want to get some press coverage and incoming links. As I've reached out to bloggers to ask for this coverage, I've noticed a disturbing trend: the bloggers always want something in exchange! One blog wanted me to make 100 comments. Another wanted me to bring them 50 new users. I decided it wasn't worth it and that I'd rather focus on making a great product. You should consider doing the same. It's just not worth feeding these parasites.
Done.