Brouhaha Over The 2009 Emerging Influential Blog Awards
Not sure if the term is appropriate, but if you go to a certain section in the web, the war trumpet has been sounded and I’m sure a lot of folks are running for cover. It’s amusing really. One camp joined the competition knowing fully well that it is a popularity contest and cried foul when some other camp resorted to not so straightforward methods. Doh, when a supposedly ‘emerging influential blog’ contest says that you can vote for your own site, it means that all bets are off; you can take off your glove, throw your shame out the window, and feel free to take a mud bath.
For years, unless you’re blind in one eye, or both, no wait, even a blind man can see it, everyone knew that the ‘emerging influential blog award’ is, without a shadow of a doubt, a popularity contest designed to well, maybe to a certain degree, expose some lesser known blog, but more importantly to generate lots of links. Link bait is the actual term here. To call the ‘writing project’ (lol, I cringe at the sound of that) as perpetuating a link farm is a bit of a stretch. Hey, the ‘project initiator’ actually organized it so that person is entitled to his/her pound of flesh. In this case, flesh comes in the form of links and referral traffic.
What’s laughable and at the same time tragic about all this sordid mess is that harsh words were thrown into the mix, hurting a lot of people’s feelings. Really, hell hath no fury like a nominator(?) whose nominee did not win. Or something to that effect. My take on all this is, if you can’t play the game, get out of the way. Don’t go crying to mommy or raise a ruckus because some sector did not play by the rules, when, lol, there are no rules. So what’s all this bitching about? You joined the game and you got played. That’s all there is to it.
The only good that came out of this is that somebody has finally emerged (no matter how dubious his reasons may be) to call the kettle black. Something that for so long I’ve been too much of a pussy to do by myself. But then again this is a blog with an audience of 1 so there’s really not much sense in hemming and hawing from these parts.
The really awesome question that I would like answered is this, will there be an emerging influential blogger contest for 2010? Gad, the suspense is excruciating.
“What’s laughable and at the same time tragic about all this sordid mess is that harsh words were thrown into the mix, hurting a lot of people’s feelings. Really, hell hath no fury like a nominator(?) whose nominee did not win. Or something to that effect. My take on all this is, if you can’t play the game, get out of the way. Don’t go crying to mommy or raise a ruckus because some sector did not play by the rules, when, lol, there are no rules. So what’s all this bitching about? You joined the game and you got played. That’s all there is to it.”SO WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?! YOU KNOW IT'S WRONG AND YOU WILL JUST AGREE AND NOD AND CONTINUE ON?! THAT IS NOT ME. SORRY. I WILL BALK. IF I HAVE LENT MY INTEGRITY AND CREDIBILITY WITH THAT AWARDING BODY, THEY THEY SHOULD FOLLOW MY STANDARDS. PERIOD AND THAT IS NON-NEGOTIABLE.I HOPE YOU ARE READING THE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING. IT'S NO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE GOVERNMENT. WHERE WERE YOU!?Reyna Elena as La Kapitana of Barrio Siete
Oooh, la kapitana himself.
Welcome.To answer the very biting question, I'm just here sitting on the fence as usual. When you have the president as a role model you can't help but do the same.Seriously though what did I do about it? I ignored it of course. The internet thrives on publicity, positive or otherwise. By not even acknowledging it ('til now) I am not lending legitimacy to that event.You on the other hand (now, now, we're just talking) decided to be a part of it, extending your I quote “integrity and credibility” to a project that was suspect from the start. A project that you can nominate any blog or even yourself as long as the blog in question was created after May '08. That was the only rule. It didn't specify whether a blog has to have a certain number of posts or has a minimum alexa rank of xxx. A blog has only to be created after May 2008. Now working within those boundaries, some folks 'may' have created blogs just to push their agenda. Were they breaking any contest rules if it did happen? Err, no. Was it tasteless, if true? Maybe a bit (understatement of the year).It was all too clear right from the get go, that if somebody wanted to 'game' the awards they can do so, and very easily too. However, given all these you still chose to bring forward your nominees. And now, you feel that some group has “supposedly” manipulated the awards so that their own bets win, and now you feel really strongly against this. But la kapitana, were they breaking any rule? Ermm, as far as rules go, I think no.That's all I'm saying. You participate in a contest that can easily be manipulated, don't be shocked or scandalized when it is. Better steer clear from such contests, you'll only pop some arteries when you do.
Maybe you'll have a chance to be on the contest. Hehehhehe…
Now, you have three other persons besides you on your blog. Isn't that something?One little detail: You said you're sitting on the fence. But on this issue you seem to have landed on the side of the fence opposite Reynz'. How do you explain that? Is that sleight of hand? Or you're just stretching your numbed extremities?I guess I don't have to sue you. I particularly like the tongue-in-cheek humor you've woven into your post.
make that 4. lol.
So you're saying, the Internet has sections? Man. What if I've been hanging out in the wrong section?
LOL – I thought of that too! Hehehe. Hey, I'm the 6th reader of your blog.
That's it? This is the best efforts of Influenza Bloggers. Shame on us. Ahahaha.
Oh man, there goes my private little kingdom. Not sure if this calls for a celebration, or a public execution. I really had no intention of delving into this matter further because, uh, I'm so over this. This is like, so yesterday.But anyway, as jan aptly said, I may have hyperextended myself on this one. But actually jumping off my very comfortable fence and taking sides? Nah, I don't think I have that in me. Having no backbone not only helps considerably, it's actually pretty convenient. But I guess hyperextending every once in a while is not so bad, look, just for this awful post I already got a 600% increase in traffic. Whoopdeedoo!
Well, just thinking out loud here: 600 % increase in traffic is nothing. Try espousing the big themes: credibility, integrity and honesty. And see what happens.A little excitement, however, can be a dangerous thing though. Although of course I suspect you're a little too modest here. It's not every day I see individuals calling out that the emperor has no clothes.So what else is your best read here? I'm beginning to get tired of this post already.
all brouhaha!