Dear Bloggers
Published by Sylvia Giacinta September 8th, 2008 in blogging world and sylv.thinking();. 12 CommentsRemember what defines you as a blogger.
If you have a blog and you update it regularly voluntarily (under no pressure of other people or rather money pressure), you’re a blogger.
This is my personal opinion, but after muddling around the blogosphere for years, this is the best term that I think defines a blogger.
And you better believe me rather than those people blogging since 2007 or later.
A blog is your space. Your personal space. Your proof of claim of that tiny space in the cyber world. It is yours. It’s read by everybody, but it’s yours. Your content is yours. Your words are yours.
And whenever you want to update your blog, there are only two rules:
- Blog what you want.
- Blog responsibly.
Yes, blog what you want. Blog about how you tried to trim your dog’s nails but it refused so it scratched your arm. Blog about your chance encounter with some hot guy in the fitness center. Blog about your grandma who told you her old stories from the war time. Blog about your hot night out with some friends.
No, blogging about technology stuff and gadgets doesn’t make you instantly cool. Blogging about social media doesn’t get you into the “top bloggers” list instantly. Trying to teach people about how to make money doesn’t make you compelling. Talking about the latest update in politics doesn’t make you smart all of a sudden.
Only blog about stuff because you WANT to. Sure, blog about that new gadget that catches your fancy because it has the cool feature you’ve been longing for. Blog about social media because you’re so excited that it can help your business’ next marketing project. Blog about making money scam you’ve encountered (oh come on, there’s a lot). Blog about politics because you study political science and you think what you studied doesn’t really apply in the real politic world.
(note that the reasons are not exhaustive, in case there are some real ahem… less intelligent people who think so)
Don’t ever feel forced. Don’t fall into peer pressure. You know what happens to the teenagers who took drugs because their friends took it too.
And secondly, blog responsibly. Now that you can blog whatever you want, be responsible. This mainly concerns your readers. Let’s just assume your blog has readers, unless it’s somewhere out there locked by password that only you know (now that, I don’t know if it’s still a blog). As I mentioned before, your blog is yours but your readers are not. And your readers’ perceptions are not yours either. And since the words are yours, they will always be attributed to yours and you can’t deny them.
Sure you had a boring day in office and your boss scolded you for not finishing your work. Well we all have our bad days don’t we? But saying “Working in ABandC Company sucks! Don’t work here” won’t be a responsible thing to say, no? Sure you met an annoying person in the bus this morning. But talking about the race of that person and labelling that race as inferior is not a wise move, right? Sure you had a big fight with your parents today but flaming them behind their back and letting out family secrets are not in any way good, are they?
You might eventually apologize and take down the post but in some readers’ memory (or in Google cache, or in screenshots), it will stay and you’ll still be labelled as irresponsible blogger.
Don’t defend your stand because of “It’s my blog and who the heck cares!”. In whatever you do, not only blogging, think about the impact of your actions. In either online world or offline world you don’t live alone, and stop pretending that you are.
There’s no gauge for good or bad blogger. There are only popular bloggers and they all have many different things that made them popular (sadly, preference to flame people and showcasing unnecessary skin included but no, you don’t have to do that, really)
I’m a blogger. You’re a blogger. Together we make the blogosphere. Not only 1 or 2 or 3 popular bloggers. We’re included too.
We are the blogosphere.
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I fully agree! Recently a certain someone commented on what a blogger should be like and that you have to blog about something to be really valuable to the blogosphere. I would just like to echo whatever you have written, I think it really reflects my thoughts perfectly.
We are bloggers, regardless of what age group we belong to, what kind of content we are publishing, how popular we are, what language we write in … etc. We are after all a part in the blogging community.
one word: SETUJU!
Thank’s Darran and Jesse.
Do spread the word.
No bloggers should be called bad bloggers because they don’t adhere to whatever called “meaningful”. Nobody should rule whatever other people want to do, but with that freedom comes responsibility.
Amen Dear. Amen.
Maybe you can further add to the list: blogs with bold titles (like retiring at a very young age) but never gotten around to sharing how it’s been done.
This post is inspiring! *applause*
Yeah I used to say “I blog whatever I like” ^^
I can see where you are coming from.
My humble thought is that not all bloggers are the same. Some are higher profile, and hence, has a certain responsibility (like that politician’s daughter?). Some are lower profile, and hence what he or she writes doesn’t have that much impact. Some use real name. Some stay anonymous. It is hard to have one rule for all, I think.
After all, it is freedom we respect so long as it doesn’t break the law? (Such as racial remarks that may destabilize some countries.)
And if I may add, not all bloggers aspire to be famous, or to be high profile. Just a thought …
missloi, as for that, that might take another blogpost : how not to be an annoying blogger. and it will talk about the main thing : the readers.
oridusartic, thx a lot
hope you will keep on blogging 
wilfrid, agreed. not all bloggers aspire to be famous and none of them should feel obliged to be. there’s no one rule, and i don’t think there will be a rule, but i suggest bloggers to always remember to think about the impact of what they’re going to say.
Sylv – Yep. We are on the same page certainly (I think!). Maybe I often look at the happier things in life, I tend to tune myself out of certain opinions from the blogosphere that I cannot change.
I think we shall try to think about the impact of what we say to others. Granted that at times we can’t cover all remote possibilities. Take my recent entry on the DJ Champansionship as an example. I was just blogging about the event I attended, my first time in life seeing DJs in action. Today, the Singapore Champ (I think as I never know the true identity) actually dropped by my site and corrected one mistake of mine (I got his name wrong … lol). Fortunately I did not write anything that would make him feel bad.
But even if I did because I didn’t find his artwork impressive, should I voice out my opinion? Or shall I always stand by my own viewpoint regardless how others may feel, even for the remote possibility that the owner of the artwork may find himself or herself to my site?
Just another thought to share
PS. I like your post though. It triggers me to think, which is good. Cheers!
Wilfrid, well I think there’s a difference between reviews and flames. Unfortunately for some sensitive people they can’t differentiate between the two
and that’s the thing that’s hard to change.
But I think even if we encountered some disagreements (like maybe the band or the eating place you reviewed found out about a bad review of yours and is unhappy about it), it’s best to talk and reconcile. Defending opinion is brave but hurting people is unacceptable. I think it’s best to explain that it’s just a review and opinions and how they can benefit from it but if they can’t accept it then just edit it or remove it. Care for your readers, because the blog’s “stakeholder” is not just you.
But then again, it’s a personal opinion. Different people might have different approach for this.
hey sylv, may i link this post?
)
anww i totally agree with this :
“Blogging is good, and it’s not discouraged to start young. Sure, your writing won’t be too good, but at least you try.”
this one is great post
ucrit, sure thing! Go ahead!