It’s not that often that I feel I need to react to a post which I read on one of the feeds, and even more rare that I feel so strongly about doing so.
Yesterday I read a post from a newish to me blogger who stated that “we bloggers rarerly blog things we have to pay for” and it annoyed the crap out of me for a various number of reasons.
First and foremost there is the blatant majestic plural, by which she assumes to speak for all bloggers. It sounds so arrogant that I want to break things, and I can but say… speak for yourself, because many reputable bloggers will not recognise themselves in what this blogger claims.
Secondly, what she claims is just not true. A “serious” SL fashion blogger, whether it is a style or a review blogger, does so for the love of pixel fashion and invests not only time, but also a lot of money in making their blog as attractive as possible. They invest in skins, hair, clothes and other avatar apparel and many do the same with props to dress a set. While I am lucky to have many generous creator friends who share their items with me, my blog would be pretty boring if I only showed their items. When I look back to the posts on my blog for the past year, I think about 10- 20 % of what I have used for the various entries have been gifts from friends, or, if you will, have been sent to me because I have invested time in helping them test their products when still in beta. And of course, I am more than happy to use these items when I feel like it!
I love it when my friends share their new stuff with me, but review/promotional copies make me feel uncomfortable and they take the fun out of blogging for me. That’s why I usually put in my profile that it’s better not to send me items with the purpose of having them blogged. I suppose it’s the opposite and yet the very same of what many creators have in their profiles these days and what above mentioned blogger is also referring to in her post: they state that they are not sending out review copies, or have their list of selected bloggers and are not considering adding people at this time.
Guess why? Because they are probably sick and tired as well of all kinds of bloggers sending IMs or notecards asking them for stuff, like I got crazy at some point of creators I had never even heard of dropping their entire shops on me and asking me 2 days later why on earth I hadn’t blogged their stuff. I kid you not.
And while the aforementioned blogger states that it doesn’t cost a content creator a thing to send out a review copy (which strictly taken is true) one can also ask oneself how smart it is to give your work for free to everyone and their mom who claims they are a blogger. After all, people who really like your stuff, will buy it too and will contribute to your new computer, or next month of rent, or whatever.
Oh well… I’m rambling and ranting and being totally incoherent, but I happen to be that way when something pushes my buttons. My mind goes in overdrive, but outputwise I get blurry
Pro – tip for everyone who considers to start a blog in 2011. Being modest and a hard worker with a consistent style on your weblog will take you further than bragging how good you are for their marketing and pretty much breathing entitlement to stuff from hard working creatives. Content creators are always willing to share their items with blogs they think are good showcases for their brand, just like I am always willing to do my best to show the items of creators I like and admire. But face it… we’re all only human, and sometimes… we’re just not that into you….
Amen Grazia! I think I read the same post and had exactly the same reaction as you: Speak for yourself girl!
I probably pay for 80% of the content on my blog, and I will continue do to so. And like you, I’m very grateful to receive copies from friends or designers who I’ve developed a rapport with over the years.
Amen and thumbs up!
My reply got way too lengthy, so I posted and linked back here. Thanks for posting your opinion. It was a good to ponder.
http://chicatphilsplace.blogspot.com/2010/12/why-we-blog.html
Hi there!
I totally agree with you. I have a freebie blog, with have the purpose to help newers and people that can’t afford many RL money for any reason.
But I do spend my money on creations, I don’t blog things just because someone sended to me, but I post the item because I like it and think it worths.
But I’ proud about never had ask any creator for review copies.
I do receive few itens for friends and I post them when I like it.
A while ago I had a small shop with my partner (the creator, since I can only create plain wood boxes xD).
I used to send review copies for blogs that I read really oftem. In the folder with my itens I send a notecard explaining who I am, witch was my store, what kind of products I used to sell and plus a note telling the blogers that I hoped they like the itens, and feel free to not blog any of my stuff if they don’t like it.
Some bloged my itens, other’s don’t… and some added my group and a pick on their profiles.
I blog what I like it, most freebies because my blog is about it.. but on my flickr I post non freebie stuff in pretty pics.
Its all about have fun doing it.
I couldn’t agree more. It amuses me that I blog primarily freebies and dollarbies and/or my own creations, and receive regular generous gifts from creators, and STILL spend substantial amounts of Linden on products I use to improve the overall look of a post.
Bravo!!! I think I’ll post my own thoughts on my site as well.
I was very put off by that post and I’m glad her snobbishness has been addressed. She does not speak for me since I spend a small fortune in sl every month. I like to think that I singlehandedly keep the sl economy flourishing with all my purchases 🙂
I think the plural and overall sweeping use of the word ‘bloggers ‘ is being used way to often lately, not only from people like the blogger in this case, but way too much lately by designers as well. Often refering to issues they may have with one; or more they also sweep us all into a pile.
Many also don’t understand that it usually takes a hell of a lot of investment of your own lindens to have stuck around as long as many of us have, and as Grazia said, we tend to beta test, or help many a designer in preparation for a release, and often that results in being given the items as well, some will blog them, some wont, but we do have them.
Many of the stores that send me items are stores that I purchased from and then once they saw the post added me to a list I didn’t know existed, or have let me know all I have to do is ask when a release comes out if I am interested.
I am never going to say I do not ask for items to blog, I do, and have done…but the reason I ask is not because I want all the pretties to wear – have you ever seen me in world lol, I am usually bare foot and bald, and often go shopping in glitch layers – but I ask because I really want my readers to see something that I think deserves exposure, and that a while ago I realised I cannot keep buying things just to blog them.
I have spent hundreds of thousands of lindens on items just to blog them and put them away, I still do that, but now not as much. If I see an item that is something I think I will do justice to, and want to share the info of a great creator or creation, I ask, and they can say no.
There is nothing wrong with it, if done with respect and done with the right intentions, if a designer does not wish to be approached for items, they only have to put that in their profile, but you will find many ask you to contact them, and a lot of the time designers are shy and don’t know how to approach bloggers, it is a fine line.
I rambled sorry Grazia 😛
Sasy, you are the perfect example of somebody who’s earned their way to the short list of (popular) designers, if only everybody blogging would have the same level of modesty.
I love you Milla so much ♥ you honor me so much with what you just said, you just made my years end perfect.
xoxSasyxox
Well said…by everyone.