Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Why I'm Not Participating in the Blog Appreciation Awards...

Premio Dardos, Superior Scribbler Award, I Heart Your Blog Award, etc. All of these awards are spreading through the blogging world like wildfire. I've gotten a couple of recognitions. A Premio Dardos from All Talking! All Singing! All Dancing!, another one from Here's Looking Like You, Kid and a Superior Scribbler Award from Robert Frost's Banjo. I'm very honored that these fellow bloggers chose to recognize me and I would recognize them right back if I were to participate.

So why am I being such a shmuck and not participating?

It's like if you were to ask a mother who had 20 children to chose 5 of her favorites. Impossible! I really have a passion for blogs. I love them and I read many. Most of what I read are classic film blogs, but I also read general film blogs, vintage blogs, cooking blogs and craft blogs. I get so excited in the mornings when I have 30 blog posts to read and I enjoy savoring them along with my morning coffee or breakfast. There are so many great blogs. Even the bad blogs are good. My friends on Google Reader are probably cursing the day they let me start sharing posts with them!

So although these awards seem like they would be including, I would feel like I would be excluding. I already feel like I exclude with the memes. If I say "tag yourselves", others may not feel like they are being tagged. But if I tag specific people, others may be offended that they weren't included. If I were to buckle down and chose 5 blogs for whichever award, in a sense I'd be forming a clique. It's sort of a message to others that you don't belong. Or what if that blog already has received that award once or twice, or was the blog to give me the award in the first place? Should I award that blog for the recognition they have given me or should I exclude them because they have that recognition already?

I think, that if you really want to recognize someone's blogging achievements, you can do it without a forwarded blog appreciation award. So in lieu of awarding 5 blogs, I'm providing you with a list of 5 things to do to give props to those blogs which you truly believe have merit.
  1. Read that blog faithfully
  2. Comment thoughtfully and regularly
  3. Post a link to that blog on your blog if it's relevant
  4. Tell others about the blog
  5. Give a shout out to that blog in a post or in some other way.

I'm going out on a limb here. I'm sure I'll get some backlash. So please be kind and respect my opinion. And don't take any of this as judgement on anyone else's actions.

My last thought to share with you is that blogging is wonderful. There is a freedom in blogging that you won't find anywhere else. You can write what you want, when you what, how often you want and others will read it. You are your own editor. That kind of freedom can't be bought in the publishing world and in the blogging world it's free! And bloggers love to read other blogs and what results from that is a wonderful sense of community that we should cherish and enjoy.

[UPDATE]: I've received so much positive feedback from this post, I decided to leave it up after all. I almost didn't post this but I'm glad I did. Erica from Erica's Blog really enjoyed it and mentioned this in one of her posts! Thank you Erica!

27 comments:

  1. Hi Raquelle:

    As someone who passed an award on in this direction, I'm completely cool with your decision; I can see your point; & I think the 5 points you make about how to appreciate other folk's blogs are right on-- they certainly are worth putting down in black & white (or black & pink in this case).

    Keep up the good work & don't be afraid to swim upstream sometimes.

    Cheers.
    John

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  2. I understand completely Raquelle. And, I have to admit I do feel a little excluded sometimes when I see who the awards go out to on the blogs I read. I like your list a lot. My favorite part of this post though, is that last little line at the bottom. It cracked me up when I read it. :)

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  3. Thanks John and Casey for understanding! :-)

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  4. And there is also the point that many of these meme's are sort of like the new chain letters. "Send this to 5 people and you will become a better blogger".

    They are all well intentioned, and make you discover new blogs. But I've also found that the film blogosphere gets saturated pretty quickly. I've been tagged by some only to discover everyone I read has been tagged as well.

    I think blogrolls are the best way to show who you really appreciate.

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  5. I totally agree with the 5 points. I can imagine those awards getting out of control like junk mail!

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  6. I'm with you. When it comes to blogs, I really can't pick a favourite. I couldn't possible single one blog out over another!

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  7. I think the awards tend to be more of a popularity contest than an actual award that is presented based on the quality of the blog.

    I'm not a huge fan of them either (although I was a nominee for the Jerusalem Post awards a few years back)

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  8. Well said, and thoughtfully presented. Thank you. You've put into words what I'd only halfway become aware I felt.

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  9. I'm conflicted about awards and such too. I'm always thrilled to get them, but don't want to exclude people when I pass them on. I usually rebel and only give the award to one person rather than the sixty million the award or tag dictates, but I always feel weird about it. So, completely understand your position! :)

    Andrea xx

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  10. Gosh, don't feel badly about it -- t'was supposed to make you feel good!

    I don't participate in most of these awards, but now and then it's nice to just give a general good nod to those blogs/bloggers you may not have had a reason to link to (other than the old sidebar). So just take it for what it's worth and don't sweat out the recips or whatever (it's not like I'm going to pull the award away lol)

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  11. Wow so many lovely responses!

    Moviezzz- I agree they are kind of like chain letters. And right now I'm so memed out.

    Robby - Too true! I'd like to get back to real posts.

    Mercurie - There is too much love to restrict it to just a few! I love so many blogs.

    Comrade- Oh no, you are right. They are a bit like popularity contests. Kind of reminds me of high school.

    Andrea - And I'm sure you are getting plastered with awards!

    Jaynie- Thanks! I'm terribly sensitive sometimes and I always take things more seriously than others seem to do.

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  12. Hi Raquelle!

    very nice post--
    I think your 5 points of blog appreciation are truly wonderful. There's no doubt that those are the ideal ways to bestow honor upon work in this domain.

    the comments are particularly crucial

    Back when I was actually mustering daily posts (on my new blog I'm gonna try for a few a week), the knowledge that there were commentators out there waiting to respond to my musings often pushed me to give up that extra half-hour of sleep!

    Dave

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  13. Completely understand and agree.
    I read different blogs for different reasons, but only because I want to.
    Never an obligation.

    (found you through Erica, who linked to you.)


    oh, this is too funny! Word verification is: "ablog". Honestly.

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  14. David- I'm glad that you liked those 5 points. I really should have called this "I Heart Blogs". It really is worth the extra effort to work on the blog, to get the feedback.

    Hey Jean - Thanks for stopping by. "Ablog"! That's hilarious. I never get any interesting Word Verifications.

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  15. Great post Raquelle, and to be honest I feel a bit iffy about things like this too for a lot of the same reasons. I just think of them as one more meme to pass along, and hope it gets to everyone eventually.

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  16. Since Erica is a pal of mine I thought I'd drop by and see what she is excited about. I'll try to remember to come back. So many blogs, so little time.

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  17. Great post, it gives me a completely different perspective. Although now I feel kind of guilty about having gone along with it and picked just five blogs for an award the other day :(

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  18. I must concur with all your commenters -- an outstanding post. And thank YOU, as the pleasure was truly mine.

    Being only five years younger than me, you really gave me some hope for the future of people in our age group: you are thoughtful, respectful, and have great taste in movies.

    I think the next time somebody is kind enough to tag me with an award, I will either tag no one (citing the reasons included in this post), or just tag every single blogger on my blogroll (in which, I may get lots of tomaters thrown at me!).

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  19. Just having got my first award I was flattered but now I see there is another one coming, and another, and another... The resemblence to chain letters is indeed striking...

    Raquelle, once again you have enlightened us!

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  20. Erica's blog is a good read. I'd send her an award, but ... well, you know.

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  21. Princess - I guess that's the good thing about the awards spreading like wildfire. Everyone will get one eventually.

    Kate - Don't feel guilty! Please don't!

    Erica - I'm very humbled. Thank you so much!

    Jonas - Yes, wouldn't it be funny if the awards were like, pass on to 5 blogs or 5 innocent puppies will die!

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  22. Raquelle, I thought the thing about public grousing was more directed at my post about these awards -- it is a lot more rant-y than your nice post here. But of course it's up to you if you want to remove it.

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  23. I don't think you should remove your post for these reasons:
    1. Obviously a LOT of people feel the same way.
    2. Having a blog is all about self-expression. That's why its YOUR blog, and not someone else's. If someone doesn't agree, that's their right. But in a few weeks, once this post is pushed into the "Older Posts" section, how many people are going to remember it and hold it against you?

    Personally, I've found that when people stop reading a blog or de-friend you because they are easily offended, its not a big loss. I mean, this post was by no means scathing or controversial.

    Oh, and "grouse" means to complain, protest, whine, carp, make a fuss ... I would use none of those to describe this post. Its simply stating your reasons for respectfully declining.

    But then again, that's just my opinion. You have the right to your opinion if you want to remove the post after all!

    - Cece
    http://designbycece.blogspot.com

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  24. I'd tend to agree with what Cesia said-- I thought you raised some points that were worthwhile, & I don't recall that any of the feedback was negative-- I think folks supported your decision. Even if I wouldn't make the same decision myself, I'd support someone else's stance, especially when the person explains her position as articulately as you did.

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  25. Thanks guys. I'm just going to leave it up and move on. I appreciate your support.

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  26. I know you won't pass it on, but I named you when passing along the Dardos. Mostly because I really enjoy your blog and wanted to honor that and maybe send some more love your way. Hope you don't mind. :-)

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  27. Wendy - I don't mind at all. Thank you for the honor. I really enjoy reading your blog too!

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