The other problem with this sort of story is that the sponsors can validate themselves by referencing the major publication in which they have been "featured."
I recall reading articles in the NYT derived from Quora answers.
While it may in the short-term produce increased traffic, it may become harder to maintain quality, as minimally vetted 3rd party contributions grow in number. It makes one wonder, what that effect that will have longterm?
It's also interesting that users on syndicated sites containing user generated content, will now be able to claim they have "written for the New York Times".
