What’s next – Aid to Dependent Bloggers? (An Open Letter to Doc Searls)
I’m part of that “Long Tail,” and no, Doc, I’m not insulted in the least by the term. One would think you’d be more insulted by having to admit you’re part of a construct known as the “Short Head.” Yikes!
As far as I’m concerned, you could call the place where my blog resides The Long Tail, or you could call it cottage cheese. Long Tail is more descriptive of reality, however, and I’m all for accuracy in reporting, as opposed to political correctness.
The blogosphere is and has been the most level playing field ever known to mankind. It will remain so until somebody starts tinkering with it, under the misguided notion that they’re “helping the less fortunate.” Do we really want a blog-based system of welfare where nobody gets to simply succeed on their own merits, while those who may or may not succeed that way are guaranteed some sort of exposure (or hits, or readership…whatever.)
I’m not saying that you suggested such a thing, or that there could even be a way something like that could work, but it’s beginning to look like that’s the way we’re headed in this Gatekeeper discussion.
This scares the crap outta me.
My blog’s so “small” I’m probably down past the Z-list where they’ve started on Greek characters, like the convention used for naming hurricanes. Maybe I’m a Delta, who knows? I just know for sure I’m not an Omega, because sometimes total strangers e-mail me and tell me they like my work. Even when I didn’t post anything anywhere for almost three months last year, the main blog was still getting 500 visits a day without me. That means something. My posts are copied and e-mailed on an unknown number of discussion groups, and Lord only knows how many people are e-mailing my stuff to their private groups of friends.
A few times I’ve been invited to speak to large groups, where they’ve covered my expenses for plane, hotel, etc. So I guess some people want to hear what I have to say.
Website metrics only tell a portion of the story.
I wish I knew what kind of standards those who are going whining to you about their plight are using. See, everyone’s definition of success is quite different, and to even try to level that out is a fool’s game.
The first inkling I got that somebody might be tempted to tinker was when that BlogHer monstrosity reared its ugly head. How women claiming to be “in sisterhood” would label all female bloggers as incompetent and unable to achieve something on their own merits without outside help is beyond me.
Sure, there have been other groups, other gatherings of like-minded bloggers, but the others never said there weren’t “enough” bloggers of x variety getting “enough” attention, while blaming the blogosphere in general for their perceived lack. You’d think the organizers of BlogHer would be cheering the fact of this wonderful, equable, advance in technology, but no – somebody’s always gotta complain, when it comes to certain groups of girls.
So, Doc, when you’re thinking about how to solve this apparent inequity in blog success, I’d hope you’d give a thought for the other kinds of variables that enter in here. Please don’t forget that a blog is just a tool. If it is the only tool some people have in their toolbox, then maybe they’re expecting something that can’t happen.
Every truly successful blogger I know of has some other medium working for them. You have print publications and other media, as does Dean Esmay of Dean’s World, who frequently shows up in the Detroit Free Press, and radio. Glenn Reynolds has had everything – print, TV, radio on a national scale.
There may have been a brief moment in time, in late 1990s, when Dave Winer was mucking about with Radio Userland, that blogs existed uniquely unto themselves.
This is no longer true. I think if you asked all the top 100, you’d find they had some way of reaching out into the non-blogging populace.
The biggest Internet myth of all is “build it and they will come.” Sure, people will come, but first you have to invite them over and tell them where you live.