A short tour of the parent blogosphere today provided a fresh reminder about how many illiterate brand whores are masquerading as bloggers.
Can’t tell you how many times I came across advertising that was camouflaged as a blog post or all of the times I wondered if the brands spent any time reading the posts they paid for.
It warms my tiny black heart and angry black soul to see the sort of drek people slap upon their pages.
Really, it is good to know that fortune can smile upon you and provide you with products and trips even though you haven’t a clue how to tell a story that includes a beginning, middle or end.
Jack’s A Cranky Jerk
Some of you will label me a cranky jerk and provide a litany of reasons why people shouldn’t take me seriously.
You’ll say I am jealous or suggest I should keep my mouth shut because my prose isn’t perfect and wave your fingers back at me.
That is cool with me because I am not here to get your approval any more than you need to get mine.
I have spent the last 12 years blogging because I love to write and because this world had been one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given.
Bloggers come and go and very few last unless they have fun doing this and that includes the people that are going on all of the trips and getting all of the swag.
Why Do I Comment/Complain?
I love writing and I believe it deserves respect. I believe it is a skill and that it is possible for all of us to improve.
I get cranky when bloggers devalue writing and our work by throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks and by working for free.
I believe a rising tide raises all ships and that Illiterate Brand Whores are dropping bombs through the middle of our ranks.
It is hard enough to make a buck this way and to make things work without those hacks blindly lumbering around.
Show some respect for yourself and for others and take a moment to proof your work. Get to know your spellchecker and take some time to ask if your stories have a beginning, middle and an end.
Do with this what you will.
Call me a crank, a saint or something in between.
I am the guy who bleeds at the keyboard or whatever the hell it was Hemingway said.
You may not ever find perfection here but you will find passion and a desire to do better every time.
My words mean something to me even when they suck.
There are many fine writers in the parent blogosphere. Many men and women whose command of the language makes me strive to do more and become better.
I just wish the brand whores didn’t get as much attention as they do. It is a real shame that and a disservice to those who deserve better.
End of rant.
I wonder why some blogs are as popular as they are after I read them. Clearly, some have become popular despite the writing and not because of it. Occasionally, it gets on my nerves when I come across these blogs which quite frankly are not as good as mine and yet more popular.
It grates on my nerves too. Hard to read crap and then look at something your own and know it is better. It is not a simple matter of jealousy either. It is better written, easier to read etc.