PlayFirst (casual games co) raises a bunch of money and trumpets “a deal with major Facebook application developer RockYou Inc. to distribute PlayFirst’s games on the site.”

You know what that means? It means RockYou will promote PlayFirst games in their popular apps. This is not a “deal,” it’s a rate card — anyone can buy this promotion.

When ad buys start being called “deals” it reminds me of AOL’s infamous “you scratch my back, i scratch yours and we both look good” days of passing revenue in a circle so everyone gets to book it.