All You Need To Know About the Blogging Bourgeoisie
Is an elite cadre of blogging gatekeepers keeping us all in our place and limiting our blogging potential?Pshaw.
However, if you have too much time on your hands ( :D ), you may have been following a theatrical little debate that pits the "A-list" against "blue-collar" bloggers. Oh yes, you know where this is going.
It all started with one blogger's annoyance at the trend of A-lister's who have taken to bashing poor ol' PayPerPost.
What follows is a (ridiculously) paraphrased version of the debate, including links to the appropriate
DeepJive: PayPerPost isn't evil. The A-list is just an elitist aristocracy who has no need for it.
Calacanis: BS! If there was an A-List, which there isn't, all it would take to be an A-lister would be to stop being such slackers. And then you'd be on the A-list. If there was one. But there isn't.
Lorelle: Yes, there is.
Calacanis: NEGATIVE, dummies. Stop whining.
Jim Kukral: You're all wrong and all right. Like that paragon of philosophically deep movies, The Matrix; the A-List both exists and does not exist. Oooommmm...
Webomatica: Jason's partly right, though; slackers don't make the A-list. Hard work alone, however, probably won't get you there either. After all, most of us have to write really good content to get links; Scoble can write about Earl Grey tea and bloggers around the world will swoon.
Gaping Void: Uh, no, Jason's all-the-way right; and you're all so wrong that I'm going to make a cartoon about how whiny you are.
Rebecca: Calacanis both sucks and blows. He's in denial. He's the Bill O'Reilly of blogging. Not only does the A-list exist, but hard work isn't even close to being all that's necessary for success.
Loren Feldman: Uh-huh. I have one word for you so-called "blue collar bloggers" - Waaaaa.
CopyBlogger: Funny, Loren; but you know, the A-list does exist. It just doesn't matter.
DeepJive: Uh, thanks for all your thoughts, but this isn't even really what I meant in the first place. :(
Update: Andy Beal of Marketing Pilgrim fame wants your RSS feed:
"I’m not claiming to be A-list, but I do realize there are a lot of great blogs out there, that don’t get the attention we do, so I’m sharing the love."
Key phrase: "If you have too much time on your hands"...
ReplyDelete;-)
Yo Hugh,
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed. >:)
-j
If I call myself an A-list blogger, do I become an A-list blogger?
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, I would put money on a blog's readership increasing just by adding "An A-List Blog" tagline to the title.
There's an experiment for a rainy day...
Kumiko
Okay, you're getting a little too John Chow on me, Kumiko. Come baaack...
ReplyDelete-j
I keep on having the opposite problem.
ReplyDeleteI have this habit of being called an SEO expert, and I go into instant denial mode.
Hey Andy,
ReplyDeleteNot only are you an SEO expert, but you're also sane, reasonable and hype-free. A rare combination, sir.
-j
I have to admit, I have not been following the A-list blogger controversy at all but reading your synopsis of the debate was hilarious and informative.
ReplyDeleteI had read DeepJiveInterest's original post back in the day and thought, yup, there is a class system amongst bloggers and if some people want to make a few bucks by being paid to write, who cares?
The world of bloggers is not so different than the real world - we're not out on a higher spiritual plane by any means.
I liked his comment about "why are we holding bloggers up to this impossible standard where they are supposed to be better, more rigorous, and held to a higher ethical standard than seemingly everyone else?"
Until you wrote this post I had no idea that there was all this debate going on probably because I don't frequent many of the A-list sites. I only recognized a few of the bloggers you mentioned and I'm guessing these are the A-listers!
Hi Ms. Q,
ReplyDeleteI don't blame anyone for not knowing about the debate - it's stupid. :) It does have some comedic value, though; and there's a little wheat among the chaff.
To tell you the truth, I don't much keep up with the A-list, either. They're boring. o O I do keep an eye on Calacanis, though, for the odd rant or flame-bait he throws out there.
On the whole ethics thing, I'm sure it has something to do with smaller blogs becoming competition to the bigger blogs, or something to do with the "long tail" not knowing it's place, et cetera.
-j