Are you a Blog Slob? Do you have Blog Snob Tendencies?
Posted by angela on 04/2/08 in Domestic Ramblings
What is a Blog Snob?
I have my own ideas of what constitutes a blog snob but first I wanted to share what some of my blog buddies believe defines a blog snob.
Calvin of Calvinwarr.com says: A blog snob, in my opinion, is a blogger who has attained what they believe to be a “higher” level than others. I have seen bloggers who have been active, friendly and helpful; become distant and snobbish. I believe that Google Page Rank has something to do with the acceleration of this disease. It’s like the unfair assessment of Julius Caesar: “… when he once attains the top-most rung, he then unto the ladder turns his back, scorning the very base degrees from which he did ascent…”. But they make it a truism. That’s snobbish.
Eliza of The Life of a Home Mom says: a blog snob is someone that refuses to visit blogs outside her niche. One that has comments shut off all the time, one that doesn’t reply, etc.
Marie of MiniMarie’s Corner says: a blog snob is one that expects readers to comment, simply because they wrote something. A blog snob is one that picks a fight or degrades another blogger, simply because they can. A blog snob is someone that expects people to read their blog, but doesn’t read and has no intention to read anyone else’s. And a blog slacker, if you want another opinion, is a blogger that posts random stuff off other blogs or places on the net, but never puts up any original material of their own.
Lin Burress of Telling It Like It Is says: Blog snob bloggers are those who don’t reply to comments left, and bloggers who have their comments section turned off so that there is no interaction but preaching.
Trish Forant of Email Our Military says: A Blog Snob is somebody who will never leave a comment on your blog. Trish actually wrote a couple of excellent posts with terrific points on this theory behind blog snobs. Be sure and check those out and show her some love: Social Networking - Good, Bad and Ugly and Here’s what I don’t get!
What is a Blog Hero?
A blog hero is someone that doesn’t judge a blog by it’s template. Someone that will take the time to read over something and leave a comment or two to contribute to the discussion. That blog hero will come back to your blog two, three, or four times to see if there might be a connection.
A blog hero is someone who attempts to make a difference in their community by sharing the littlest thing from what charities they donate to.. to what church they go to.. to which red cross appointment they have set up for blood donations.
Maybe that blogger will strike up a conversation with another blogger discussing religion or politics or anything controversial in nature. The bloggers walk away from those discussions as friends who have respect for the other person even if they don’t always agree.
(Obviously I could go on and on about what makes a blogger my hero)
What is a Blog Slob?
A blog slob is somebody that pays absolutely NO attention to ALL of the content on their blog. They literally throw-up (purge) their blog out there on the internet and think the only content they need to be concerned with is the posts that they write. NOT!
Don’t just throw up all over your blog. Keep it clean and easy to read. Check the links once in awhile. You’d be surprised at how many errors are oozing from your most cherished areas on the net. What a complete and total turn off.
Blog Snobs are the Worst!
Blogs snobs are those that forget how they started out blogging in the first place. They are friends with you one minute, chew on your ideas for a bit, and then spit you out when they are tired of you.
Blog snobs are fake people wanna-be-bloggers who won’t write about anything that might put a red mark on their name. They won’t blog religion, politics, and heaven forbid if somebody leaves a comment that is halfway controversial.
Blog snobs are afraid to be themselves. Everything they write about has to be politically correct. Every “t” has to be crossed and “i” dotted and I’m not talking about the heart dots either. In my opinion, if you haven’t ever been in trouble blogging you’ve never blogged.. at least not for real.
Blog snobs want to lead but they detest following OR they prefer to run with the higher class society of bloggers. The higher ups that wrinkle their noses and check their stats before they go to bed.
I’ve met A LOT of Blog Snobs - TOO MANY!
Blog snobbish is a HORRIBLE disease that runs lightening fast through the Blogosphere and I pray every day that Karma will come back to bite all the blog snobs in their little blog snob butts.
If you’re a blog snob I feel sorry for you. If you think you are a blog snob there’s still a chance you can come out of it. All that is needed is a little bit of humble pie with a strawberry on top.
(ok you can put chocolate sprinkles on that as well..with a little bit of whipped cream?)
The Blog Snobs probably won’t even see this one.. lol
Please pinch me if I ever start to have Blog Snob Tendencies, ok?
tag this
Dayngr | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply
Loved it! I’ve met my fair share of blog snobs and blog heroes for sure! Great job, I just had to share the post with friends. I hope they stop by and comment too.
Lin Burress | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
Good job with your list of what makes a blog snob! I can’t agree more with the importance of stepping out of your own niche and building relationships with bloggers outside your niche.
Closed comments really irk me. It still amazes me the number of blogs that turn off their comment sections after a period of time, or never have them open to begin with! WTF?
I’ve found numerous blog posts while using Stumble Upon, and after reading a phenomenal post I attempt to leave a relevant comment but discover they’ve turned their comments off, even though only a few people have left comments.
I’ve got posts from when I first started blogging that continue to get comments and questions from people finding my blog through online searches. WTF would I ever want to remove the ability for people to leave comments or ask questions?! Never gonna happen on my blog!
ptg | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
I’d like to be a blog snob, but my blog doesn’t get enough traffic. When I snub my fellow bloggers, they remain unmoved. I am considering switching over to being a blog whiner. You know, I’ll wallow in self pity and wail about how worthless and insignificant my wretched efforts at blogging make me feel. If this works, I can always try snobbery again.
Tequila Mockingbird | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
there is an inordinate amount of drama in the blogosphere. i mentioned something about it yesterday.
i haaaaate when people dont read my entire post and then do a comment that has nothing to do with what i’m writing about. LAME
angela | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
You are nowhere near being a blog snob OR a blog slob PTG. No matter how hard you try at it you will always be a well rounded blogger in my book!
angela | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
Lin - I never understood why people don’t allow comments on their blogs.
The other thing that I’ve come over lately are those that have blogs that allow you to leave comments BUT only if you sign up and create a user name and password.
THAT pisses me off.
angela | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
Hi Tequila Mockingbird - I know what you mean! It’s a wonder that they would even spend all this time on the internet and then leave a comment that has absolutely NOTHING to do with what you wrote.
It’s come to the point where if your comment isn’t relevant to the discussion I’ll delete your butt quicker than flies on poop! I mean seriously.. it’s worse that spamming.
Jake Kravitz | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
I am one of those terrible people that have turned off the comments section.
In the beginning, I wrote Fanny Flagg type stories for a made up newspaper in a made up little town called Higgins Corner.
For the first year, I would only publish these stories on my personal web site, “The Higgins Corner Clarion”
I always thought of this site as my pet project and even started a little blog featuring Aunt PittyPat, a made up features writer for the Clarion, along about 9/11/2001
As time passed, the internet became so anti-religious , so clannish and poisoned with political hatred.
I tuned out all the false pretense on the net and turned on real people in real life and my blogs have become fewer and for between
Have a nice day
Jake Kravitz
Kate | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
Blog snobs are those who only comment on certain blogs - the ones which belong to high profile bloggers.
Blog snobs look down on poor template design, even if the writing is good.
Blog snobs have no time for newcomers to the blogosphere.
Blog snobs jump on any bandwagon rolled out by A’listers, even if it does mean they look like wannabees.
Blog snobs believe their way of bloggng is the only way and anyone who does it differently is wrong.
Great post by the way. This is one of my bete noirs. I have even blogged about it. It’s nice to see I’m not the only one who finds that kind of attitude annoying.
*Marie* | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
Jake- thanks for sharing your side.
Angela, I noticed in your article, that the most mentioned thing was comments. I am constantly amazed at how comments make such a difference on a blog.
Lynda Lehmann | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply
Good article. I guess the Blogosphere is a microcosm of daily life (er, make that daily VIRTUAL life….) And where there are people, there will be snobs. Which to me, really just indicates selfishness and immaturity. Children often feel themselves at the center of the universe. By the time someone is old enough to blog, he or she should have grown past this stage!
What peeves me the most is people who come along and address me as “friend,” and then beseech me to come to their blog, where they tell me I will find some variety of steadfast and lasting truth. If they want to be friends, they should BE a friend! They will unashamedly tell you why you SHOULD come read and leave comments on their blogs, without ever once coming to yours! They don’t realize that we need to give to get.
Okay, enough. I’ll hush…
Texas Truth | Apr 4, 2008 | Reply
I hope I am not a “Blog Snob.”
Good post!!!!
jafabrit | Apr 4, 2008 | Reply
I deplore snobbery of any kind and lack no compunction in confronting it when it’s thrown at others or in my direction, arg! The only statement I might question is the reason a blogger becomes distant. I have found lately I have been so overwhelmed with work and life that I haven’t been able to visit even some of my fave blogs as regularly as I used to. Likewise I know a couple of bloggers who I know are currently overwhelmed with successful projects and just are not able to visit my blog as much.
I agree with most of what is said though.
Great post.
angela | Apr 4, 2008 | Reply
Hi Jake! There’s always the option of allowing comments and keeping them moderated. You might actually meet some real people with a real interest in what you have to say. BTW, the butterfly and flower photos on your blog are beautiful. I would have mentioned it over there however.. you know the rest.
Hi Kate! I totally agree! I also believe a Blog Snob is somebody that says they’re going to do something and then does the complete opposite. They also like to pretend that they are busy making updates and didn’t notice that your link was removed OR they like to use the excuse that they are shuffling things around.. mostly because they think we are too stupid to notice. Trust me, I notice EVERYTHING and I’m NOT in the least bit stupid about it! Hence the T-shirt in my “about” page.
Hi Marie! Comments are huge for a lot of reasons. The biggest reason (in my book) that they are a big deal is because they foster a feeling of community. I for one hope that on my blogs it’s a genuine feeling of community and friendship and NOT for ratings, etc.
Hi Lynda! We need to give in order to get.. that’s an interesting way of looking at it. So for Marie who is wondering why comments are such a big deal.. would you say that she needs to leave a comment in order to get them?
Hi Texas Truth! I promise that you are NOT a blog snob.
Hi Jafabrit! That’s what I like about you. You are not afraid to call a spade a spade. I’m the same way. I can tell when people are not being themselves OR afraid to be associated with somebody who is not afraid to call it like they see it.
One thing I have to say is that if I’m a “friend” by the true sense of the word “friend” and you step all over me once.. you are DONE done. You’ve burned that bridge with me. I take my friendships quite seriously.. almost to a fault. I guess that’s just part of what makes me.. ME.
Lynda Lehmann | Apr 4, 2008 | Reply
Angela, I’m the same way with friendships. If someone whom I have trusted and confided in and also have given a lot of goodwill and support to, dumps on me or says something mean that’s INTENDED to hurt, I usually walk.
I had one friend tell me how wonderful I was to her, for years, and that I was the “only one who listened” to her and her issues. I WAS always there for her, and she acknowledged that, many times.
She was not the most considerate person, and inconsistent, but I overlooked the small stuff in favor of the things that were good in our relationship.
One day out of left field, at a time when I was just coming out of breast cancer treatment and very vulnerable, a comment slipped out of her mouth that was so malevolent, hurtful, ugly and bizarre, that I never looked back.
Fifteen years of friendship, gone! The underlying soul had come out, and I didn’t want to look at it again!
angela | Apr 4, 2008 | Reply
Good for you for being strong enough to realize she was never a friend to you!
I had a friend once and I thought (at the time) we were really good friends.
Then I found out that she was going to have dinner with my ex mother in-law right as I was starting my new life with Don.
I dumped her quicker than flies on poop and have never looked back.
Lynda Lehmann | Apr 4, 2008 | Reply
Good for you, as well! Life is too short to waste time with deceitful or destructive people!
Have a great weekend!
angela | Apr 4, 2008 | Reply
I had to share this with you guys:
My 4 year old saw the photo on this post and she asked me:
Momma, who kissed his butt??
I couldn’t help but laugh!! SO cute!!
jafabrit | Apr 4, 2008 | Reply
ROFLOL, cute.
*Marie* | Apr 4, 2008 | Reply
Angela- that’s a good way of putting it. And yes, I think your blog does that.
Your daughter is so cute! I love hearing stories about her.
mrsmogul | Apr 7, 2008 | Reply
I like this post hee hee. Not sure if I can tell if someone is a blog snob but I’ll be on the lookout!
Karen Swim | Apr 7, 2008 | Reply
I laughed while reading the post. I’m definitely not a snob and don’t think I’m a slob. So far all the bloggers I’ve met are gracious and supportive. I love visiting blogs, and commenting. I didn’t even realize that commenting was a “marketing” strategy, I was just being supportive and trying to join the conversation. If I break some rules along the way, it will be from ignorance and not snobbery or purposeful slobbery. Thanks for the info and the laugh!
Todd Jordan | Apr 7, 2008 | Reply
Not a blog snob here for sure. I’ll visit anyone’s blog once, twice if they ask, and comment here and there. Mostly maybe because I’m not famous yet.
Sadly, I think there are lot of blog slobs. Their posts are hard to enjoy because of poor formatting, or too many flashing things, or freaky colors.
I avoid those much more than avoid snobby bloggers blogs. I’m not so much about the blogger unless we connect outside their blog, but I love great posts.
This particular post caught my eye out of several I opted not to comment on here. That’s not a value judgement but this one just popped out to me. And I didn’t comment because I know or don’t know you, or even how neat the blog was, it is just an interesting post.
Does that help?
Brooke | Apr 8, 2008 | Reply
This was a funny post and so true of many bloggers! I will keep reading your blog now that I have found it!
angela | Apr 9, 2008 | Reply
Twinkle Mom has presented me with a fun idea –
Wouldn’t it be cool if somebody would create an anti-Blog Snob button of sorts to award to people that clearly are NOT blog snobs.
What do you guys think of THAT idea?
Know of any graphics peeps that would like to get in on this idea?
I’m picturing a “bling” page featuring all the graphics designers that want to participate with their rendition of a “blog snob” button along with a link to their design work.
What do you guys think?
Karen Sugarpants | Apr 22, 2008 | Reply
I loved this post. While sometimes I get busy and don’t always have time to respond to comments or comment elsewhere, I do try to reach out to everyone when I *do* have the time.
I found you through Twitter - and a lot of other people too. What I’m finding is that there’s a new generation of bloggers out there with karma on their minds and that is AWESOME. LOVE.
Great post - and if you want me to make up an anti-blog snob kind of a button, email me - I’ll do it for free and post it on my site, darlin’!
xo
Bradie | Apr 22, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for the post! Blog snobs take all the fun out of blogging.
Bradie
@QuiltCetera
JaniceNW | Apr 22, 2008 | Reply
This was interesting. I had not thought about things in quite this way. I just hope I haven’t thrown up all over my blog at any point! (wink) I do tend to leave the typical controversial subjects alone. I just don’t want my blog to be about politics, different religious beliefs etc. I’m Christian and proud of it, but I make a true effort not to judge anyone but myself.
Thanks for making me think today.
angela | Apr 30, 2008 | Reply
Hi Karen!
Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on the concept of blog snubbing. I don’t always have time to post comments on everybody’s blogs BUT I do try and visit the blogs of the bloggers that have visited me. Thank you so much for offering to make up an anti-blog snob button. I think it will be a lot of fun. I’ll be sending you an e-mail shortly to see what you have in mind.
Hi Bradie!
Thanks for stopping by. I agree, sometimes blog snobs can and do take the fun out of blogging. Especially the ones that run within this closely knit circles in the hierarchy of the blogosphere.
Hi JaniceNW –
I don’t think having an opinion on a topic should necessarily be construed as being judgmental. Sure it’s important to look in the mirror and do our best to fix ourselves but that doesn’t mean we can’t discuss politics and religion and talk about where we are at with today’s world issues. Thanks for voicing your opinion on this!