damn yo, this horse is DEAD

So the internets have been swirling and swirling around this topic the last few days. I meant to get on here earlier to post what I PROMISE are my last thoughts on this topic for now, but alas the cold/flu has hit my house. And hit it hard. (hey, as a side note, has anyone else ever hallucinated to Tylenol 1 with codeine?)

I apologize in advance if some of you are sick and tired of hearing about this debate. I just gotta get my last thoughts out, and then I am done.

I want to clear up a few things first: I don't have a problem with popular bloggers. I'm not jealous of bloggers with more readership than I, nor am I interested in being the blog police. I actually respect and read a lot of the bloggers with high readership. What I have felt exceedingly more uncomfortable with, and please note I include myself here, is the climate that surrounds the popularity. It bothers me that there exist companies who are invested in what they hope is our competitive nature (Technorati and Blogshare, for example) My original rant on the subject was somewhat born from my own obsession with checking my site meter. I know a lot of you disagree, but I truly feel as if this constant search to increase your readership can affect your content.

That's how I feel. You can disagree with me (as many have), and you can also call me on my arguments (which also others have). And I respect your right to do so. But I stand by my argument.

Another thing I want to make clear is that I was wrong to limit this argument to just the mommy blogging world (and hey, don't even get me started on the term "mommy blogger" right now, OK? 'Cause that's a whole other can of worms I am not prepared to open at this time). It's everywhere, this obsession with increasing readership, and I should not have limited my argument to this one group. By way of explanation (and not justification) I called out the mommy bloggers on this issue because this is where I personally tend to reside in the blogging world. I never ever meant to suggest that women are alone in this regard, and I do retract my focus on mothers. (I also gave back York University my Women's Studies degree, when they called to ask for it back after reading my post, in case you are interested).

Also, I never meant to offend anyone with my rant. If you notice, my original post does not discuss specific bloggers, and for a reason. Because, as I have said, it's not particular bloggers but rather the general obsession that engulfs the community at large. The focus on linking and commenting and blah diggity blah - it can consume you, eat you up until there's little focus on content and more on the linkage. At least it can consume me. I know some of you disagree and I respect that. In fact, I truly appreciate the debate that has arisen from this discussion. I have listened and read the counter-arguments, and have to at least say this: damn we mommy bloggers have lots to say!

Blogs are a fluid, ever-changing medium, and we should always feel free to challenge their power. Hold it up for introspection. I believe that the blogging world is a microcosm of the outside world in many ways - complete with hierarchy and all. How can we deal with this, and what are some possible solutions? I have some ideas, but they are still percolating and I'm not ready to get into this again. And please, my poor brain just wants to focus on the fact that America's Next Top Model starts tomorrow.


Also, just to be my own devil's advocate about links - I would point out that I too have benefited from linkage. It was through links that I met some close friends, and have many more online blogger friends who I hold dear. I have, like many of you, received great support and created bonds from blogging, and these relationships were first created from a link. So, yes, in that respect, links can be an extremely positive thing.

As for ads on blogs, my jury is still a little out on that argument. But I do think that others are debating it well, and I would encourage you to go see for yourself.


Whew. I'm done with this for now. Where is all the bloggy love, you ask? Because friends, I do have it. Contrary to what you might think. The love is still here, it's just buried a bit amongst my finger wagging and furrowed brow.

So coming up next - a return to the reason I started this blog. My 3 year old. My beautiful spitfire of a daughter, who knows nothing of ads or blogs or real debate (yet). And who yesterday, while I lay in agony on the couch convinced rats were eating my eyeballs, insisted on taking care of me and checking my temperature. Such sweetness, such innocence, this little girl. I should take some cues from her, I think.