Blog Politics - Should you Get Involved?
Blog politics is an ugly ugly thing.
What I am talking about is when bloggers start airing their dirty laundry on their blogs.
This usually comes in the form of a very public falling out with another blogger over what usually amounts to a very trivial issue.
There have been a couple of quite famous blogs engaging in this rubbish over the last few weeks, and while I refuse to link to such garbage, I am sure at least a few of you will be aware of these spats in the blogosphere.
I was astonished to see one blog from a blogger that I quite respect even weigh into an issue between two other bloggers. The reasons I was very surprised to see this were several.
1) Professionalism - weighing into arguments in public is not classy. Professionals do not air this crap in public and professionals do not comment on others doing so. By participating in a blogosphere spat or even commenting on it, you degrade yourself and your blog and bring the issue of your professional conduct into question. There are very few arguments that are well served by being made public and very little to be won by responding to insults and threats in kind or by taking sides in others’ arguments.
That isn’t to say that you cannot comment on the SITUATION. If you feel that someone is acting in an inappropriate way, then write a blog regarding that topic - not that person. A good writer should be able to get their point accross without naming names or making personal accusations. A blog post on “Why Listening to Your Designer is a Good Idea” would be much better than “Why Steve X is an Idiot for not Listening to Joe Y.”
2) Value - what possible value can your readers take away from your comments on what other bloggers are arguing about? The above example is a way to overcome this value issue without without being drawn into the idiocy that is a blog-brawl. You always need to consider creating value for your bloggers, and value does not generally lie in gossip.
3) Image - Many bloggers blog for crediblity or influence. While this is roughly related to point one, there is no better way to destroy your reputation than by involving yourself in juvenile tit-for-tats on the internet. I certainly would never become professionally involved with somebody if I thought there could be a chance that their actions could taint me or my company via association.
4) The Internet has a Long Memory - The things you write one the internet are going to be around for a LONG time. Your comments will be in the blogsphere, search engines and internet archives for decades to come - even if you close your site down. What goes around comes around - especially online.
Hopefully I have given you a few ideas of why I would strongly advise against ever becoming involved in blogosphere brawls. Stick to your plan of creating valuable content to the exclusion of all else and the rest will take care of itself.
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