Imagine, if you will, that my best friend sends me an invitation to her wedding. Imagine, too, that she lives across the country and there is an entire year before the event. Naturally, I’m going to look at the calendar and check to see if I can make it. Next, I’m going to assess whether or not I’m in need of a new dress and shoes. Then, I’m going to start writing letters to family members and friends and the occasional neighbor to see if they’d like to sponsor me. You know, pay for my airfare, hotel, and possibly pay for some new clothes for me to wear while I’m there. Then, I’m going to mention that I’d love a new DSLR camera and a bigger, better laptop on which to download the pictures because this MacBook I’m using actually belongs to the school district I work for and hey! It’d be great if THEY could pay for it all and give it to me for FREE. All I would have to do is mention them in my card that I give the bride and groom for their wedding present. While I’m at it, perhaps I could get Williams and Sonoma to sponsor a gift. Something really nice and in the price range of $300 or so and, oh, what the hell, I’ll just ask for two of them so that the new couple could enjoy one and so could I! This is a genius plan, right?
You see, bloggers, this is a ridiculous notion. I have a whole 12 months to plan for this wedding. In the meantime, I will have to continue to pay my bills, keep up with my car insurance, buy groceries, and deal with the same financial issues as everyone else. We even have a word for this. It’s called R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-I-L-I-T-Y. If, by chance, I’m unable to afford such things then the conclusion I come to is that I simply cannot go.
Asking for a sponsor on the very post that BlogHer tells us that next year’s conference is in New York City is beyond low. Shame on you.
But I understand why you did that. You saw lots of women do it this year and get away with it. But really, have they? In every circle of women in which I was included in a conversation we were appalled at your behavior. Your lack of shame in striking a pose and declaring that your head-to-toe outfit was sponsored by so-and-so. In fact, my response to that was to do my best model pose and exclaim, “This, ladies? THIS was sponsored by Goodwill and hand-me-downs.” It’s just that I can’t help myself when you act so outrageous.
The onus is on us as a community to fix this. As a community, I was excited that I got to interact with companies this weekend. INTERACT. Which meant that I didn’t grab free swag and leave a party as soon as I collected some loot. I had a conversation with the folks from Microsoft who gave me new information about how to use their new interface and answer my questions. Did they shove crap in my hands? No way. They respectfully cared about me learning something new. Not getting something new.
Obligations from companies who want to see us use their product are at an all time high. Those of us who were sympathetic to the free stuff did our level best to come up with a way to re-use it. Would a hotel employee want this free swag? Could I convince people to give me products that I can take back to my highly impoverished high school and put in the hands of teenagers? While that’s a good intention, companies, it’s not what you wanted. You wanted your product in my hand and you want me to use it and love it and share it. Right? Unless I’m making a poor assumption about that, Mr. and Mrs. Corporate Sponsors, you’re going to have to come up with a way to connect better with me. I’d like to see that happen because the alternative is that you don’t hand out free stuff at all. (As an aside, I don’t expect you to give me expensive products like cameras and those of you who expected that? I’m looking at you.) (Another aside: As I’m looking at you I’m rolling my eyes at you, Greedy McNeedy.)
For some reason, it’s as if we pandered to the lowest common denominator this year with some attendants at BlogHer acting entitled and privileged and like their entire reason for being centered on getting free stuff. I’ll take responsibility here and use the pronoun “we”. That’s because I’m a part of this community and have even signed the pledge to Blog With Integrity. But I did this to write. I only started a blog to write. That’s been the passion all along. If you think you can start a blog and make money right away then you’re doing it wrong. Not just wrong. You’re doing it pathetically and you’re making a poor reflection on the writers.
So, companies? Take all that and learn from it. If you do better, we will do better. Having a better plan helps us all in the long run and we can make better informed decisions about products and things we’d normally purchase.
Or not purchase.
You know. Because maybe we don’t have the money for something and will have to do without.
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Daaa-yum! No sponsors? How am I gonna get to my brother’s wedding next year!?!
Forget Blogher, let’s just meet for drinks in NYC next year–I’ll buy the first round!
K, you crack me up. You’ve also inspired me to write another post (GD you, I’ve already got two other BH posts in the queue…).
I actually did have sponsorship for BlogHer but you probably didn’t notice in the couple of times we interacted because I wasn’t a complete a**hole about it. I had sponsors that made sense for my site (parent oriented, organic) where the arrangements were more in the tile domain etc. than pushing random promotional materials on people. I did have some coupons for free stuff to offer to people, which I only handed out if I was talking to people about food and organics, or feeding kids, etc…
The point is it was relevant sponsorship and done in a way that wasn’t classless. It CAN be done. I’m a freelancer and my husband just left corporate so the sponsorship was helpful to get me there, but bottom line, even if I didn’t have a sponsor, I would have been there. It was important to me to connect with people in my community. I’ll be there next year too, with or without a sponsor. But always with class and integrity.
More forthcoming… -Christine
Well, I personally am in need of a vacation to the Maldives. As a person owning a swimsuit, I believe this is my right. Just like as a blogger, I’m owed a free trip to BlogHer.
I’m still shaking my head. Great post. It’s embarrassing to see this behaviour and other things I saw at the conference.
Well I’m not going to lick your feet over this post, though I do enjoy your writing very much. I get a little nauseous when commenters gush themselves all over bloggers, that’s all. All I can say is I’m glad blogher’s over this year so I don’t have to read anymore posts by bloggers who are Oh! So! Excited! but Don’t! Know! What! To! Wear! like, oh my gosh!
I don’t even know where to begin. Thanks for starters. I really felt I was the only one not rushing the door at every swag bag opportunity. I’ve been to blogher twice…and this year I felt nauseous. I have also heard of bloggers looking for sponsors for next year. I did get some great info on SEO and social media. I loved hanging out with other bloggers and feeling inspired by them. But the swag scene left a bad taste in my mouth. Anyway, well said!
I thought the same thing about people trolling for sponsors on that BlogHer posting. People have no shame (and apparently no money saving skills).
The only reason I’m fairly certain I’ll attend next year is because I live in NJ and won’t need to fly. Even if someone wanted to sponsor me, I wouldn’t take it. I want to go to have the experience, not whore myself out for some random company.
you? kick ass.
And here I was about to offer to sponsor you to go to BlogHer 2010 and all you’d have to do is tell the world that my ROYO panel was better than yours, and then wear a T-shirt attesting to said fact throughout the entire conference, plus whenever you heard the name “Avitable” mentioned, you’d have to shout loudly “Ayyyyymeeennnnnn” and raise your head to the sky.
I was a member of the “Green Team” that volunteered to help make the conference greener than it was last year. In some ways we succeeded. But now it feels like our efforts were negated by the overt commercialization of the conference and empasis on “”stuff” over relationships and content. I hope I’m wrong. We came up with a list of ideas for the swag bags that would be eco friendly and useful. The out of control swag situation that occurred was a nightmare.
My question is why we as women are so easily “bought” by companies. Where is our self-respect? My blog is part of my mission in life. Anything I promote has to be in line with that mission or it doesn’t go on my blog. My integrity is not for sale.
Okay, I’ve stalked you for years online and then got see you for a total of 30 seconds in real life at BlogHer. You might not remember, I’m the chick that ran up to you saying “I’m WhiteTrashMom”!
This post TOTALLY rocks. Right on target, with a side of sass. Love it. Thanks for making me laugh out loud.
I am still torn about BlogHer.
I am not going to lie – I LOVE conferences. One of the best experiences I have had career-wise was at the NWMBA Conference two years ago – I met some amazing people and learned a lot about marketing myself and my skill set. And after hearing (via Twitter) that next year’s BlogHer is going to be in NYC makes it a HELLUVA lot cheaper for me to go as I only live an hour away. And everyone on Twitter sounded like they were having an AMAZING time in Chicago.
However, I still have a major issue with the commercialism of the whole thing. While I love shopping just as much as the next chick, I don’t need people pushing swag in my face to try and get me to buy things. I also would probably not appreciate the swag whores and (eventually) feel the need to say something to them, which would (of course) cause issues. And, while I do love conferences, I can’t get past the fact that BlogHer IS so expensive. While my employer probably would sponsor me (if I sold to them why my presence there would increase their business), I wouldn’t think of asking them for it because it’s my responsibility to pay, not anyone else’s.
So while I really want to go next year, a little voice inside of me is telling me to slow down and think about it first….and I don’t like that.
Waaaaaaay back when I was in college, our marching band director had a favorite saying: “remember who you are and what you represent.” He said it all the time – at practices, before bus trips to away games, before home games, etc., etc. And the point of that was to remind us that, as a member of the marching band, EVERYTHING we did (both good and bad) would in some way reflect back on our organization and our school. This was particularly important to remember when, for example, you’ve been up since 5 AM, in uniform since 7 AM, it’s been raining since 7:30 AM and your white poly-wool uniform is nice and soaked, and some fans on the upper deck decide to vent their frustration at the play on the field by showering the band with open glass mini bottles, some filled with alcohol. “Remember who you are and what you represent” becomes REALLY important then because, while some folks *might* remember the fans’ actions, they sure as hell will remember YOURS if you lose your cool, no matter how provoked you feel.
Which brings me back to swag. Because it is provoking, isn’t it? The idea that other people are getting something and you’re not…and who are they? How are they and their blog better and more deserving than you and your blog? It’s so easy, in that kind of competitive climate, to think that if you don’t grab for whatever you can get now, now, now, then you’ll be acting like a fool and missing out on opportunities that may never come back again.
But life is all about cause and effect. If you want to make your blog your job, that’s fine, but then you have to ACT like a professional at a blogging conference…because everything you do and say will reflect on you as a professional, your blog as your product, AND your sponsors (who, if they have any sense, will only work with bloggers who consistently ACT like professionals…I mean, it’s not like there’s a shortage of bloggers out there or anything).
If your blog isn’t your job that’s fine too and it means you have more leeway in how you act, but it doesn’t let you off the hook completely. I can’t help but think that part of the disconnect on this topic is that so many people view blogging as something that they do that is somehow separate from how they live the rest of their lives…which is bull, in my opinion. Because we all represent something all the time, whether we’re bloggers or not – we represent the things, ideas, and people who matter to us. Blogging just gives us more visibility than folks who don’t, it doesn’t change what we’re entitled to, how we should act, or the fact that people will judge “who we are and what we represent” by those actions.
This post is wonderfully stated and needs to be plastered all over the place. If I was a “stumbler” I would do it but I’m not really into all that stuff. I just like to blog.
I was lucky enough to afford to go to BlogHer this year. And yes, I will start saving for next year too…
Wow another great post!
I signed up for BlogHer a while ago and forgot it about. After reading this I went over and filled out my profile
I’m still not quite sure how to use it yet…
Hope you can make it to one of the local Spfld Bloggers meet-ups sometime
Hey sister,
Thought you’d be interested in this: http://gawker.com/5324636/the-low-low-price-of-a-bloggers-soul-a-pair-of-plastic-shoes
I am now doubly, even triply (not a word) sad that I didn’t meet you at BlogHer because this post has me in love with your writing. This was so fabulously written, truly sad that I didn’t have the opportunity to meet you.
Right on.
Holy crap. I knew it was bad, but I didn’t know HOW BAD until I saw those comments on the blogher post. I think I need a breath mint now.
First a thank-you, I read this post before I went to my kick-boxing class and was half way through the torture before I even noticed because my mind was on this post. I am a bit like a community theatre player trying to understand the dirty little dealings of Hollywood. I have been a fan of yours for two years. On some days at my business you were my only contact with the outside world. You always gave me something to think about, laugh about, and sometimes cry about. I thought this was a remarkable thing. As I have been unemployed for the first time in my life, I decided to write down my thoughts and share them with my daughters through Facebook. My reasons for doing this are many;
1. I needed to feel I had accomplished something in my day;
2. I believe in the power of the written word;
3. I had too much clutter in my brain and this was a way of sorting through it;
4. Somehow, I could find answers or direction in my own stories;
5. I wanted to be heard.
Never did it enter my mind that this was a money-making exercise. I am not even on anyone’s blogroll. Truly, I don’t even know how that happens. I write because it gives me satisfaction, it matters to me. I want to believe that maybe my daughters will learn something about me they didn’t know. You were my teacher. I think there will always be people in this world who are motivated by rewards and not personal satisfaction.
I thought about this very fact last night as I watched the news of Michael Jackson’s doctor and his ability to ignore everything that a doctor stands for in exchange for $150,000 per month. I applaud your efforts to make this little corner of the world different, and for lots of woman like myself the lesson has been taught. Keep teaching
I’m sure that Avitable wouldn’t mind having his sponsorship for you plastered across your tits. Think about it.
You know how I feel hence the joking around. And I’m not going to make grand pronouncements of my love for you because that would be like announcing that grass is green. No shit.
As always, well said! I went back to the announcement post and was BLOWN AWAY.
Not only did people whine for sponsors more than a year ahead of time, but most of them also did it in the most entitled tone imaginable. I don’t want to look for a sponsor, I don’t want to approach a business and ask them to sponsor me, I just want someone, anyone!, to pay me to go to a super cool conference full of amazing women (and some amazing men too).
It makes me want to invent Borat-inspired fake and outrageous organizations that offer to sponsor people, just to see what they say.
Fuck I love you.
So, I just wrote a post about the same thing last night, only it seems that you said it both first and better. I’m in absolute agreement with you. And, it looks as though I’ll be following your blog now too — judging by the number of comments you’ve gotten, seems I’m late to the party!
I didn’t go to BlogHer but have watched and learned from all this posting. One thing I have seen is that the established bloggers–those of you with hundreds of comments and who have the traffic seem to be extremely unhappy with those new bloggers who are trying to “make it.” These new bloggers are trying to do the stay at home mom thing that you have been doing. I couldn’t believe one established blogger living in Boston (a very expensive city) stating that she felt that advertisers needed to be more “selective” in which bloggers to support. Selective would, I imagine, mean her blog and those of her more established friends that have gotten the traffic and know the ins and outs of give-aways and contests. She had quite a give-away site that she must be supporting her very well. I hate to shatter the love fest here but this does seem to be the haves dissing the have-nots.
By the way, shame on Danielle who sold Celebrity Baby Blog to Time Warner and I’m sure made a mighty large amount of money for giving anyone a hard time about accepting sponsorships or funds….Look these are hard times and every mom wants to stay home with their children!–and wouldn’t we all like to be like Heather and be able to have our blog support our husband too! http://www.answersformoms.org
I love you…there’s really nothing more I can say…i love a woman that tells it like it is, puts all the #swaghags in check, and teaches a lesson/drops some knowledge & food for thought at the same time…you’re my hero…I miss you!!!!!!! Put in NOW to take that friday off & get to Atlanta!!!!!
kaydee – Your second comment went to moderation because you left a link. I’m clarifying that lest you think I deleted comments. I don’t do that unless it’s really nasty.
But I do feel like I need to respond to your statements.
First, I don’t get hundreds of comments. They average about 20 per post and that always fluctuates after BlogHer. My issue with those new bloggers trying to “make it” is that they want to do so without content. They want to start a review blog or get sponsors without having established that they can even write. It’s not an overnight thing. I have been doing this for several years now and if you read the post above this you’ll note that there are other issues for women of color involved in this money-making/reviewing/being sponsored thing.
Secondly, I’m not sure what you mean about staying home. I don’t stay home and I have never stayed at home. If these women want to stay at home that’s certainly fine, but they can’t have a successful blog right away if they aren’t willing to do the work of writing. I have a full time job that supports me and my blog is secondary to that.
Finally, I can only guess you are speaking about Heather Armstrong and her blog, Dooce. But to answer your question, no, I would not like to be like her because my career and passion are in education. It’s what I studied to practice and my career there far outweighs any decision to stay home and be the writer that Heather has become. Sadly, that is a target for people who are jealous of what she’s achieved. Would I trade what I do for a living for her life? Absolutely not. These were my choices and I’m happy with them. Incidentally, we both have to deal with a lot of criticism: me from the public which I serve in a school and her from the public which loves to read and detest her.
The “haves” are those writers who HAVE been writing and they HAVE been keeping true to the integrity of editing and thoughtful posts. The “havenots” are those people who HAVE NOT put in the hours of practicing prose and they HAVE NOT seen fit to practice discernment about what it is they want to get out of writing a blog which, unfortunately for some of them, means that they don’t recognize the serious business of writing.
Maybe your argument fell apart at the very beginning of your comment when you used the word “established” because, quite frankly, that’s what this all comes down to if you want to be taken seriously. I see from your blog that you’re well on your way as you’re sponsoring your first giveaway. Congratulations, but keep writing content. Nothing else will matter very much without that.
I have lots of intelligent, reasoned supporting arguments to make here. But um, I’m just going to go with I love you, ma’am. See you in NYC. I will be selling plasma and eating beans to get there, but I will be there. (Uh, no bean companies need to see that as a sponsorship opportunity. Thanks)
Sorry Kaydee-I have to go with Mocha Momma on this one.
There are tacky people out there who started sites just to get “stuff.”
Be it attention, products, notoriety, bragging rights.
Thankfully those of us who have been doing this because we love writing and community more than we love stuff know that these people who are doing it for all the wrong reasons will fizzle out when marketers and companies become sick and tired of their all drama no content gimme gimme attitude.
I for one am embarrassed for some companies who have lent their name to bloggers who have made fools out of themselves and for the ugly mess and stereotypes they are going to leave behind.
So um…should I be happy or sad that the only PR person who shoved anything in my face this weekend in Chicago was the chick with the pee standing up funnel thing and she approached me like ten times which means I probably spent the whole night looking like I really needed to hit the head and really, no I don’t want your funnel thing because while I can see the logic in it I guess if you really WANT to be able to pee standing up I just can’t get over the fact that it’s reusable and therefore would have to go in my pocket *after*. Wow, sorry got off topic there.
MochaMomma—You, I’m in love with. I’m a “newbie” blogger or a “Have-Not,” if you will, so I thought I’d give some perspective to some of these people who are dissing both the haves and the have nots.
I didn’t go to BlogHer. Couldn’t afford to. Sure, I entered a contest here and there to try and go, but I didn’t win and I certainly didn’t expect to. I had a hard time even getting someone to let me do a review/giveaway for my 100th post. Why? Because I’m A) not a review/giveaway site and B) I’m not that established of a writer yet.
I did want to go to Blog Her. Quite a lot, actually. I was interested in meeting a lot of you ladies who’ve inspired my writing. I won’t lie and say I wasn’t interested in going to any of the parties or that I wasn’t enticed by some swag. However, it wasn’t my motivation for going. I knew that I could learn a lot about what it takes to make my blog better. I was excited to learn that. For now though, I will take my inspiration from my inspiring ladies who do have successful blogs.
So why did I start a blog? I started my blog to chronicle my new life as a SAHM. I HAD to be a SAHM. It was either that, or spend nearly $1500 a month in child care when my mom got sick. As I begun to rediscover my love for writing, it turned into a mix of comedy, memes, and just writing about things that I’m passionate about, such as sexual abuse, eating disorders, and God.
I won’t be attending next year’s BlogHer. I can either save up a million dollars (exaggeration, but only slight) to stay in a hotel in NYC for several nights, plus $100-200 for tickets, plus sightseeing money (b/c if I’s going to NYC, I’s going to see the sights and it wouldn’t even be my first trip to NYC!), plus I’d have to take my husband and get him Yankee tickets ORRRRRRR I can save to go see one of my oldest and dearest friends get married in Florida in the Spring. It’s a no-brainer for me, dears, my friend wins out! I don’t even care if you’re offended!
Now, not to pat myself on the back or say “Hey, Lisa, you are so down-to-earth!” but seriously people. Didn’t your parents ever teach you this thing called “decorum?” There is a way that you act in public! A way that you act at a party! A way that you act when you are in a PROFESSIONAL setting! I would be embarrassed to call myself a blogger in all seriousness and be involved in some of the tawdry dealings I have read about. I’m not sayin’ I’m just sayin’! I
What I forgot to say, is I can understand why people who have made a name for themselves don’t want the people who are just in it for “stuff” to ruin the sense of community in the blogging community. I, for one, am in love with the blogging community, in general.
I’d like to address the following:
“Um, didn’t the BlogHer founders to that Very. Same. Thing. Up on stage, projected out to 1,000 bloggers in the audience? That + the mention of a make-up sponsor on behalf of these very wonderful and successful women was tacky! If our leaders and role models in the blogging community can shill like that why can’t Jane Blogger from SmallTown USA?”
-and-
“Kim Moldofsky makes a great point re Elisa, Jory and Lisa announcing that their wardrobes were sponsored by Ann Taylor…”
BlogHer is a venture capital/privately funded company. It is not a non-profit or an NGO. BlogHer is a business and to acknowledge sponsorship in the creative fashion – pun intended – Elisa, Lisa and Jory did that morning was a professional courtesy. I myself have done this in my previous career in medical device/pharmaceutical research and development. On academic papers, I would cite co-authorships and/or include a note in the margin as to where the research funds originated. When presenting research at a scientific conclave, I would make a brief announcement in recognition of sponsorship and certainly add word of gratitude . Sadly, sponsors of research I worked on did not specialize in lovely apparel and cosmetics, to which I say, lucky Elisa, Lisa and Jory! And, they looked fabulous.
Conference fees are high, just as you said, Kelly. Tech conference fees are astronomical. The next O’Reilly conference, Gov 2.0, will cost you $1295 at early bird pricing. Standard price – $1495. Buying a ticket on-site – $1595. And? You have to be invited.
This may seem like a niche event to many, but O’Reilly conferences are premier events for the online industry and community, just as BlogHer is the online industry and community’s premier event for women. But, BlogHer’s fees are shockingly low compared to the dollar amounts quoted above. Why? Because of BlogHer’s many patrons.
My bottom line? What Jory said:
In 2009 sponsorship allowed more bloggers to afford this event in a really bad economy. (http://www.jorydesjardins.com/pause/2009/07/some-thoughts-on-blogher09-a-founders-and-a-bloggers-view.html).
This is hardly “tacky”.
If modeling Ann Taylor and Mary Kay in front of all of us helped to make that happen – in a recession, no less – then I say bravo and thank you, Elisa, Lisa and Jory.
And people ask me why I am such a fan of @MochaMomma and @GraceD… and I point them to their most recent comments, in this post, and say, “THAT’S why – at least, a tiny fraction of why”.
Rocks, I tellz ya, rocks. As are Elisa, Jory and Lisa, for staying true to the original mission and intent of BlogHer, by making conference attendance as accessible for anyone as it can be made. They keep the ticket prices low – and every year there are opportunities for people to attend for free, in exchange for some degree of work. I see that, increasingly, there are even travel sponsorships and contests to cover, not just the conference fee, but travel and accommodation costs too. In other words, short of picking you up from home, leaving one of their family or friends behind to {baby / house / pet / husband / wife / parent}-sit for you, and wiping your ass for you while at the conference… I’m struggling to see what MORE they could do to make it possible for anybody to attend.
People.
This post is not only brilliant and well-written, but it actually speaks for the way many of us feel.
I liked that the brands were mostly contained in the PR hall this year, because you could choose if you wanted to check them out or not. And I think some of them did things right, like Picnik, that actually organized a fun activity, not just gave away free stuff. And the swag hoarders? Shame on them. My tolerance of this type of behavior is getting lower and lower. Mostly because I started realizing that their behavior reflects on us all. When a large number of bloggers behave in an ungrateful, greedy, shameless way, have unreasonable demands or whine about being burned out from writing on their reviews-only blog and team-up to shun PR people, when any of that and any other obnoxious thing happens, we all pay the consequences. And that is unacceptable. Because while everyone is free to do as they please, your “freedom” shouldn’t entitle you to do something that will hurt or damage someone else.
It comes down to O.P.P. (yeah you know me!)
Other People Paying.
It’s in our politics when politicians buy votes with promises to make peoples lives better with someone else’s money.
It’s in our healthcare when patients and doctor do too much care simply because insurance will cover it. And besides, they can smoke an eat themselves to death because either insurance or the government will take care of them.
It’s in our auto industry when people don’t care as much about how careful they drive because if they damage the car, a claim will take care of it.
It’s in our teenagers because they can have sex and create life and they’ll have assistance to take care of the kid.
It’s in the economy because when people make bad investments and lose their homes because they can no longer pay for a house they never should have even TRIED to buy, they get sympathy and bailouts and the people lending them the money is blamed instead of the greedy homeowners.
It’s one thing for a company to hunt down bloggers an approach them to work out a mutually beneficial relationship, but I’m with you on your disgust of expectation of sponsorship.
Entitlement is poison to the human spirit.
I am just now reading this post at the most timely time. I recently sent a message to the PR person who was sharing the features of one of the sponsored parties. I was giving her an honest assessment of how much I appreciated them doing this, as I saw it being rather generous considering what it was and I also told her how nice it was to see her at another conference and actually get to talk to her and hoped we could continue the conversation.
She responded back that the craziness of stealing swag had left a bad taste in the sponsor’s mouth and they were considering not doing it ever again. That deeply disturbed me, because I was genuine in my appreciation and pissed off at the people who had nothing good to say except they did not get the gift. Asses!
I expect nothing from them for giving them an honest opinion about their product and I am all about the relationships. I met a lot of PR and marketing people this time around and it was great building relationships that I hope will bring some attention to my cause of bringing art back to peoples lives as an everyday thing. Free stuff is great, but it is not everything. I could have sat in the Shutter Suite all weekend laughing at you making body part comments. Those moments were priceless.
Blogging is still such a tiny thing in the UK (I think). I know very few people who blog, and those who know I blog still often ask “but what’s the point?” and “Do you get paid?” and also “what’s to gain from it?”
It never even occurred to me to try to “get stuff” for blogging. I started blogging because I wanted to journal my life, and share it with anyone bored/stupid/insane enough to read. I actually think I’m too naive to blog, because I seem to miss so much, from my life, and other people’s lives.
But on hearing about blogher (again, something that feels like it deserves much more publicity over here) I thought it sounded PERFECT. Actually meeting the people who have deeply inspired me. The only thing I seek to take away is knowledge and reverence. I’m saddened by the greed that seems to be attached to blogher.
Posts like yours help keep it real for people like me. I hope many more people see your post and WAKE UP and smell the roses, before they go swagging and sponsor hunting for blogher10.
Oh and by the way? If I don’t meet you, expect me to knock the stalking up a notch. 3,500 miles is a long way to travel and not even meet you, dammit. Love yoo!
I don’t know much about BlogHer, but I sure like your attitude toward this topic. Damn right. A “personal brand” is bad enough. Why through stickers all over yourself, a la NASCAR, too.
Also, howdy to you in Springfield, IL. I was born and raised to 18 on farm in Christian County. Lived in Springfield for a couple of years. Parents and siblings still there.
Anyway, you’ve got a new blog reader.
Ta.
through? argh. throw.
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