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I have been following some interesting conversation on Queen of Spain and that led me to Single Mom Seeking, and of course I left a comment yesterday on Jessica Knows, and deep down I feel like we are all missing the point.
The point being….why do we care what someone else thinks about what we do with our blog.
Really.
Think about it.
It’s deep. I’ll wait.
We spend a lot of time analyzing if someone knows, cares, or discloses a review and if its paid. We are ALL freaking bloggers. We know damn WELL people are getting free products. Come on. Even the newest, 4 week old blogger is trying to get her hand in the pot of some free products. Its no big national secret. My neighbor didn’t stop by and tell me she bought a stroller that turned out terrible from a blog she read.
A BLOGGER is reading BLOGGER reviews.
You can’t tell me that you went to a site today of a blogger and read about great brownies and really thought they were not sent to that blogger for free. If your that naive, puhleese just get the hell off the Internet. Did you think Beyonce really used that box of hair color in her bathroom with the little plastic gloves too?
Every blogger in the world could have some page on their site that breaks their policies down and it’s not like people are searching for it before they read. “Ho Hum, where is the review policy? I can’t read this until I know…la la la. They don’t HAVE ONE? HOLY SHIT. I’M NOT READING THIS CRAPPY BLOG NOW! YOUR OPINION IS WORTHLESS YOU FAKER!!!”
Do you know how many emails I get a day where people ask me to be listed on our site? If someone took two seconds to look around the site for that, they would find the listing information and it doesn’t even go to MY EMAIL.
Every time I get an email from it, I know they didn’t even LOOK. It makes me want to delete them for being that lame. So what makes people think that some fancy disclosure on your site is any different?
PEOPLE ARE LAZY.
The real issue here is that people like to bitch. They like to complain and drag names through the mud for fun. And when they are not dragging names, they are dragging *hints* of names. Why not? It’s easy traffic. It’s great internet! I talk about you, doing what I deem immoral and people come and pat me on the back that I am so right, I get an ego trip, they tell more people, those people come, the people I am talking about get mad and talk to their friends who come to see what I have put out and by the end of the day I have run my banner ads so high that all of you have paid me $50 to talk shit all day.
I love America.
Do I wake up and give a crap if Jessica got a car for a year for buttering up Ford? Hell no. I think she is smart as hell for that. Do I think it sounds cheesy to talk about a car. OK, Yes. But would I do it for a free car? Let me think. Yes. Do I care if you care that I did it? No offense, but not really.
I love y’all, but I would love me driving around in a free car more.Would you stop coming here if you found out that I got one? Probably not.
You didn’t stop coming here when I got a free trip to Washington, D.C. this weekend. In fact, you probably didn’t even think twice about it. My idea is to make myself so interesting that when I do cheesy, only for me things, you forgive me because I am giving you back something that makes you still want to be here. Hear that Ford, Disney, Lexus……SEND ME SOMETHING. MY AUDIENCE WILL GET OVER IT.
And if they don’t? Trust me, I’ll get over it.
Oh, and let’s chat about the women who stress the hell over putting up ads on their sidebars and even worse, the commenters that COMPLAIN about it. Complain about some ads? On the Internet? Have you been to any site on the internet lately? My freaking EMAIL has ads in the sidebars.
Listen, I put up ads here. You can see them. Do me a favor and click on them sometimes so I can get paid more for the 1 penny an hour I get paid now. I encourage more bloggers to put ads in their sidebars and stop enslaving themselves to work for free.
If you own a blog you already know how time consuming it is. I have 4 conference calls this week. Probably 15 more articles that have to be published, a blog party we are running every day in May, and I have emails I have yet to answer from 5 days ago. So if someone is going to begrudge me finding a way to compensate myself for that work, you can go get a job at McDonalds and ask them to not pay you for 10 months. In fact, ask McDonalds to give you free fries as compensation! But be careful to not tell ANYONE you like the fries or you will need to disclose that.
I am worth a lot of money an hour. A Lot. More than I will ever make sitting on this blog. Which should show you that I don’t do it for the money. I know bloggers worth a lot an hour that sit behind a computer and run their blogs and give out free advice, knowledge, and skills all day, every day. I know people worth $100 in hour and feel guilty charging me $5 for their work.
Hey..you. STOP FEELING GUILTY. Figure out what you’re worth and START CHARGING FOR IT .
I think bloggers should unionize.
I have paid my dues. I may be a “new” blogger compared to some bloggers, but I have been in this Internet game for over 10 years. I was signing posters for the Navy through my website when I was 20 years old.I owned and ran a celebrity website through college, I had my own online community that helped models find photographers, I had a forum account on every major forum community before WebMd had its footing, and I have been building websites and attracting stalkers before I was married.
I have given up about every free amount of advice and help I could muster up over the years and I am just damn tired.
I am TIRED.
So I don’t give a flying two cents if someone knows I got this awesome (and it is) new Sansa ipod thing here loaded with 1000 songs on it so I can rock out with my socks out (you didn’t think I was gonna say THAT did you) and I certainly don’t give a flying two cents if you know I am getting paid for the ads on my sidebars.
The way I think is we spend WAAAAAAAAY too much time analyzing who is getting paid for what and who is doing what online and not enough time worrying about ourselves. If you have time to get up in a tizzy cause your favorite blogger threw an ad on their sidebar, you’re a moron. If you don’t realize a blogger is getting a free product, you’re a moron.
Go read a book or something.
And those of you caring about what other people think about you doing it?
STOP.
Stop giving a crap what other people think. They teach you that in like 8th grade. Or 5th grade. Or when your 3 and someone tells you they wont be your B.F.F. anymore. Put up an ad. Charge for reviews. Open a webcam and strip for a living. I don’t give a crap.
If you are happy and feel complete and true to what YOU are doing, its between you, the IRS, and God. Or Allah. Or Sand people.
Right?
Right.
~Trisha
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Jannifer @wordsforliving wrote:
Well said!
Trish, You go, girl!
I really can’t believe people are getting mad at this stuff. Is it really that serious? Maybe they are just jealous that they aren’t making that or receiving such great gifts. Hell I want the same things, but I’m not mad at ya, keep on and share with me how I can do it too. How else are we suppose to pay bills or contribute to our household if we chose not to work. Then if all moms go to work we will be complaining about something else. You are right momdot, people just love to complain.
Three cheers from me! These are things that need to be said! I really can’t stand elitist people to get up on their high horse and judge what other people are doing or saying in their blogs. Last I checked, we still have the right to free speech!
Oh – and the whole concept that bloggers should be regulated by big government, kept poor, not be compensated, not get free products to review, etc. all sniffs like a liberal and/or socialist mindset to me. The elitists sure do love to judge and control.
I think those of us who believes in free speech and a right to fair compensation should all Stumble, Digg and promote the heck out of this post!
@ Trisha-admin:
And THAT’s Why I love ya! You tell it like it is with no shit in between. Ahhh…to be more like you when I ever grow up!
Deb@BirdonAWire wrote:
Hey, I ain’t mad at cha. LOL! It takes a LOT more to rile me up…a LOT. I am so easy going w/ peoples opinions, honestly. As long as no one is mud slinging and getting all personal and mean, Im straight.
For me…my brand IS who I am. I am not a professional writer and I dont work for anyone, I am a blogger and part of that includes my rants. People expect nothing less.
But it doesn’t offend me in the slightest your, or any one elses, opinion. Its welcome here!
(but dont expect me to not respond to it, lol)
Trisha
@ Trisha-admin:
nuf said, Trisha. I think that my comment was thorougly misunderstood. Nonetheless..your blog, your business. I continue to wish you well in all your endeavors.
Claire wrote:
You have no idea how much the blogging world can be just like High School. It’s the mean girls/popular girls versus those they decide to hate that day. Tomorrow it will be another blogger. And on and on…ad infinitum. The rules, in the mean girls’ world, change along with their hormones and underwear.
I had a friend get blog flogged. She was devastated and shut down her blog because of it. These are the same 16 year old girls who pulled the “my shit don’t stink, kneel before me and kiss my feet” bullshit in High School. They never matured, had kids and now have a computer and a blog. Their lives are sad and since they are (usually) not the “Queen” anymore, the stalk the internet looking for shit to stir that day so that they can feel powerful again. How powerful are they when they are not hiding behind their PCs? Not very powerful, I am sure.
@Trisha
Trisha, as always, you are right. I agree with you completely.
Here is my two cents on this issue…It’s my (your) blog. I (you) built it. I (You) will do and say what I (You) want. And if you don’t like what I have to say, or don’t like that I am trying to generate (through ads, etc.) an income to help out my struggling family’s bottom line, then don’t read it. Move on. (Yes, I would totally take the car if offered to me, too. So there!)
And PLEASE do not leave me a message saying how stupid/insipid/sell out you think I am because I will be forced to tell you one of two things: Kiss my white Irish ass OR Why don’t you just go have a Coke and a smile and shut the fuck up??!! I really hate having to break out my pimp hand.
OH BABY! I found you by this tirade post. Yep, you got a new subscriber for speaking your mind. Gasp, the horror! You mean you got your new follower by actually blogging your opinion? That can’t possibly be true.
I love a woman that isn’t afraid to speak her mind. Yes, we blog, we get some free products. But hopefully we are also still BLOGGING and filling in the gaps between those posts. If not, the blog won’t last long.
I don’t do tons of reviews. I find viewers tune out if it’s all reviews and meme’s. I see that those that are doing the meme’s each week are getting lots of traffic, but is that traffic transferring to money or mailing list sign ups? I doubt it. So keep your worthless traffic with your daily post about the same thing 1000’s of others are doing as well. I’ll just keep blogging and annoying my usual followers and getting my products and advertising here and there as it keeps building.
Very Nice! Very Nice! Thank you
@ Jessica – Jessica Knows:
I apologize for the misquote, ill correct that!
Halle-FREAKING-LLUia! Yes, Trish, I agree 100%. Who gives a darn? I’m working for pennies, PENNIES.
AMEN! I am a new blogger and I have been reading some of the posts about this and thinking the same things to myself that you have written here. I am having fun, trying new things, yes getting them for free, so who really cares what others think. I would never endorse something I didn’t like just cause I got it for free and I hope my friends know me well enough to realize that.
Trisha,
I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to mosey on over here. I think your post is great and you’re so right, at 32 I should not care what others think anymore.
Do you know any PR contacts who rep Skin Thickening lotion? I could use some right now.
Seriously, though. I’m all for the FTC too. In fact I called them today and had a productive conversation.
And I’m hoping you’ll make a correction to your post. Ford is NOT paying for my insurance…the WSJ has that correction on their article as well.
Also, when I flew out to meet with the folks at Ford AFTER I blogged about the Flex, that was on my own dime and my presentation is up on my blog for all to see. Yes, a presentation, about why the Ford Flex fits with my personal brand.
And while you and I have butt heads a few times, I find your blog highly entertaining, informative, and well, freakin’ hysterical really. That’s why I keep coming back. That and to make sure you’re not talkin’ too much trash about me (kidding!).
Now I’m off to grow some thicker skin…
Trisha-admin wrote:
I was recently talking to one of the bloggers that has been around a long time and was a writer for BlogHer and she basically said the same thing. She said she loves seeing new people become part of the blogging world, but she knows a lot of the other people who have been blogging as long as she has doesn’t like others “intruding on their space,” and “taking THEIR opportunities.” Her opinion, however, was that the www is a big place, and there’s plenty of room for everyone. I just wished everyone felt the same way.
I think there’s room for all of us, and the sooner people realize that we’re not going away, the better we can all get along.
One more thank ~ As I Mommy/Grammy Product reviewer, If I Vlog, do you all think I’ll take your readers away & give ya’all compettion by showing my “Muffin Top” (LOL)? JK
BTW, I add my goodwill to everyone by Retweeting contests, posts & also host weekly Giveaway’s to other bloggers with (now) Mr. Linky ~ so I think I’m pretty “Blogger Friendly” to everyone. Just sayin’
You always say what I am thinking but don’t have the cajones to say- kudos!
I’ve had to split my original blog of 4 times now because of different interests of different people.
I started with one WAHM, included my interests of product reviews, cooking & mommy/grammy/kiddy banter.
Now each one is separate and people can visit whichever one to get whatever information they want out of it. As a wannabe librarian, I like to share information.
My WAHM About Me page even has a Disclaimer on it: If you don’t like what I have to say (since it’s my blog) Move On.
My product review blog says just that, “Reviews.” It’s right in the title, and I have a Disclosure Statement. Anyone who does product reviews knows what’s going on, as most certainly any PR reps or business owners.
Normally I will disclose right within my posts that “I was asked to do a review of this product by (insert name of company/PR firm here.)
I don’t do promos as a matter of course. My time is valuable. Actually, I’m paid pretty decent money per hour in my FT job. I use my administrative, organizational skills and business acumen developed over 30+ years to write blog posts, and if you have a business, then you should allocate funds for advertising. My DH runs a one-man business, and the only way he gets business is a) advertise b) reputation and word of mouth. Enough said.