Blogging in 2010: Should We Start Over?
We were going to achieve so much, we were going to have such fun, we were going to make new friends…
So far it’s been a disappointing year. I haven’t yet commented on the goings on anonymously or otherwise. These are my thoughts on what I believe to be the issues.
New Bloggers
It’s hard to be a new blogger, we get it. Join BMB, there are hundreds of bloggers waiting to connect with you there. Join my e-course, weekly lessons will gently introduce you to this crazy blogging thing. Ask other bloggers, most will be more than happy to help. Don’t expect everyone to fall over themselves to be your best friend though, life isn’t like that and relationships take time to build, but you know that, right.
Tagging
Whether you’re tagged in a meme or not is not a measure of your popularity. Some people tag the same people, that’s because they don’t read many blogs. There’s no rules when it comes to tagging, don’t lose sleep over it, as if you would…
Cliques
What may seem like a ‘clique’ is probably merely a close friendship, one that has been built up over time from literally thousands of interactions, online and off. People have friends, you can’t be everyone’s friend. You can’t be in everyone’s group. You won’t be privvy to every ‘in joke’. I won’t make excuses for having friends, but always feel free to butt in on my conversations on here or on twitter.
Controversial Posts
Some people write funny posts, some people write sarcastic posts, and some people like write controversial posts. Posts that stir up debate. If you don’t like that style you can always unsubscribe…
Which brings me onto my final point, don’t waste your time criticising other people’s tweets and posts, quite frankly they don’t care. If you don’t like it you can unsubscribe, block or unfollow.
The Pond
I think it was Dan who said that there were no big fish and no little fish, there were just fish. Anyone who seriously thinks otherwise is deluded. Some of us have been ‘lucky’ I’ll grant you that, but that is all. So never feel like you can’t approach someone because they’re a ‘big fish’.
If you find yourself ‘sizing up’ bloggers based on their Top 100 position, then stop it. The person who creates the list admits this table is just a bit of fun, any change in the metrics used would throw the whole lot up in the air and they wouldn’t land in the same place so take it with a pinch of salt. Yes, some people get more traffic than others, but it’s quality not quantity that counts (unless you want to make money!)
So with all that being said, may we now move on and perhaps start over?
Start by unfollowing or unsubscribing from those people that don’t resonate with you, there are plenty of other fish in the sea. Gravitate towards the blogs and tweets that make you smile and ignore the rest.
Anyone who likes a bit of banter is willing to join my ‘clique’ anytime 
* None of my points relate to anyone specifically, they are my general opinions collated from reading many posts on many blogs.
I've been blogging for four years and write about anything and everything that takes my fancy.
Above is me with my beloved Ernie in Port Aventura and left with our love child in Florida.
Themocracy
I think I’m a golden orf but I could be wrong. Might be a guppie. Surely the whole blogosphere is just too big and amorphous to have cliques? Isn’t it like anything on line – you lurk a bit, you dip your toe in, you swim around a bit. Given time, you find the ponds you like to swim in, and the fish you like to swim with, or you discover you’d rather stay lurking under your stone, or you think ‘sod this pond, I’m heading for the river, or the ocean or whatever’ where there are different fish? Shit, some never find ANY fish!
Is that enough with the fish analogy??
Me, I just keep swimming, just keep swimming….. (and, like dear old Dory) bump into the nice guys and the darn daft guys and occasionally the odd shark… some guys you swim with for a long time, others paddle along for a while and then dart off…. shoals change I guess but there’s always room for another one or two or gazillion.
Chill dudes……ride the current……
btw, memes? Hate ‘em!
jxxx
That about sums it up.
I have to agree Jane, not much of a fan of memes they’re a bit of a pain in the arse, especially when people (not mentioning any names) get me to bloody compile them into slideshows.
You may well have taken the fish analogy too far, but in general I concur
Heather, would you just get to the point, these rambling comments are ridiculous
I like to think of myself as Dory.
‘Just keep swimming… just keep swimming’
Oh shit. I just noticed that Jane already said that.
Great post, anyway, and your advice is excellent: live and let live and if you don’t like, don’t criticise, just don’t read.
And I never get the hump about memes.
*cough*
I have to agree with most of the things you say. I love blogging, I am either too thick or to nosey to notice any cliques. I just push in!! But saying that I have never been “cool” and I am not about to start now. Lets just hbe a love in!
Thanks EM, great sex innuendo too, bravo. *cough, cough*
The MadHouse, you ‘pushed your way in’ to my google reader a wee while ago. I love your blog and all the homemade stuff.
A love in sounds a lovely idea. Who’s bringing the tea and biscuits (they do have tea and biscuits at love ins, right?)
Hoo-bleedin-ray Erica! You nailed it beautifully. I’ve come across those who go out of their way to nurture and support (Yes looking at you Tara Cain!) and those who are a little bit, well, you know, up their own back bottoms! If you don’t like something just don’t read or unfollow. Apart from when Twitter unfollows you from lots of people you do like and thats a bit disconcerting… and mildly annoying! Anyhoo, I still love the blogosphere as its all about the freedom of writing about what you like. I know that not all share my shoe obsession (and thats a good thing or there wouldn’t be enough pairs to go around) but that’s fine, it takes all sorts and we should just chill. And not er, rant like I just did….
ThatGirl – see I’m more for the trainers, which I realise will probably make you take a deep inhale, but maybe we can still be friends?
Well said Erica.
I’m one of those fish with the wonky fins that swims sideways a lot and can mostly be found floating at the top of the tank looking a bit iffy.
I think it says a lot about blogging that such close friendships can be made through it. I love that and don’t ever want that to stop xx
Josie – Well we promise not to flush you down the toilet until we’re really really sure
Josie, just don’t let Laura at Are We Nearly There Yet’s dad anywhere near you ….
Erica, you are fab – on the button as ever xx
Good points well made Erica. I am trying not to let anonymous comments bother me but it is hard, because I’m supersensitive and I actually want everyone to like me, and my blog, and my tweets… just incredibly needy I guess! Tagging doesn’t bother me because I never bother to tag anyone else (sorry) so even though I may pretend on twitter that I’m upset about not being included in tag the truth is it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I write controversial posts but they are never about blogging… they’re about news stories and things I think will matter to my readers, not all of whom are bloggers! Anyway, I will try to rise above all the nonsense I’ve encountered recently and swim for the sea. Like an… um.. salmon?
A salmon eh, expensive that salmon you know.
I think the banter jokey style of some people’s tweets may have been overlooked.
No need to justify your posts to me or anyonelse, if we choose to read your writing that’s up to us.
Now are you coming to this love in, cos we need to know how many arse biscuits to bake
Trainers.. heels… all the same to me Honey…. they go on your feet. Friends it is! Although you may not want to now as you’ll think Im some weirdo with a foot fetish!
I often feel that the community thing is overrated. Maybe that’s me – I didn’t start blogging to find new friends or be part of a community, and while I’m open to it, I’m not chasing it. So far, I’ve met a handful of fellow bloggers once, but that doesn’t even come close to new friendships. Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing something wrong when I see posts about what a great community it is and I just don’t feel the same – I mean, of course, if you send a desperate question out on twitter or your blog, people will answer and that is great. A community to me is more, and I only call a friend someone who I speak to (in person) regularly. And yes, there may be cliques, but I’ve never even cared about it. It’s all just a bit of fun and if real life friendship develop, great. If not, fine by me too.
oh well, if there’s arse biscuits involved you can count me in. I do love a good love in.
Can I ask something? On your side bar you have a badge “I’m a member of Blogerati” that says “visit Blogerati” and when I (and I assume I’m not alone!) click on it, I am taken to a page that tells me I can go no further since I haven’t been invited. There’s nowt wrong with an exclusive invitation only group… but why do you display a badge highlighting it?
If it’s not a group people can choose to sign up to I don’t understand the point of telling everyone about it. All it tells us (oh dear AM I alone here? OK tells ME) is that we (OK maybe “I”) are excluded since I would assume that those who have been invited already know they are in and have no need of the link themselves… (I’m getting dizzy now) I think each opening bracket has a closing one.
Do people click on it then ask you for an invite? That would be SO weird… like having a party, giving out invitations really loudly so the uninvited riff-raff can hear you… then one of them comes over and asks you please for one… awkward!
Anyway.
I probably had a terrible childhood experience or something.
Just sayin.
Hey MrsW – Blogerati was a project we began working but due to circumstances (me starting the e-course and the other blogger moving countries) the whole thing was put on the backburner.
The group wasn’t ready to take on new members as we hadn’t finished completing it.
In the event the group had been fully formed then yes it would have been invitation only, because yes there’s a lot of riff raff on the internet and we’d want to keep them out. The badge would be to let our friends and niche know that there was a group that they could join if they wanted to.
To be honest I’m not sure what’s going to happen with blogerati so for the time being I’ll take the badge down to save any confusion.
*butting in* Wow. Just… wow.
BTW Erica I wasn’t trying to justify my posts. I don’t feel the need to justify my posts to you or anyone else, because all that matters to me is my readers. I guess that got lost in translation.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
You’ve just saved me a lot of typing. I’ve been mulling about writing a blog about how people just need to grow up and stop expecting blogging and the internet to be anything other than an extension of what happens in real life. And now you’ve saved me the bother. x
Think I’m missing your ‘butting in’ joke Liz, you might have to explain that to me!
Hi Ellen, you’re quite right.
lol, you wrote above ‘always feel free to butt in on my conversations on here or on twitter’… x
I’m not even sure what these ripples in the water of blogdom are all about – I’m fairly new to blogging and just love dipping my toe (fin?) in, and have found nothing but nice, intelligent,amusing and friendly bloggers. I vote for the love in!
Definitely a fin, and consider yourself invited to the love in.
Thanks for a great post. As a newbie I am just learning how it all works and basically what I am finidng is there there are no hard and fast rules and that everyone is Ok with you just jumping in on their conversations. I am enjoying myself! Mich x