Apr
30
What do I owe you?
April 30, 2008 |
Steven Hodson asked an interesting question today: What do I owe my readers? This lead to a number of interesting responses.
Sidenote: What struck me in the responses to Steven’s post was that they often revolved around the meaning of the term ‘blogger.’ Indeed, ‘blogger’ can be a confusing term. I can think of at least three or four different types of bloggers (right now I’m mostly thinking in terms of ‘professionalism,’ but there are lots of other shades as well), all of which have different motivations, expectations and aspirations. While they probably all consider themselves to be bloggers, the term probably ends up being a disservice to all of them. But let’s get back to what I owe you.
I think Steven got it quite right - I basically owe you honesty. I don’t owe you three posts a day and I don’t owe you an opinion on every new meme that pops up. Maybe ‘honesty’ isn’t even the right word - maybe ‘respect’ catches more of what I want to say.
If you take the time to read what I write, then I owe you that I give you my honest opinion - unfiltered by paybacks or other bribes. I can’t help that I don’t know everything, haven’t read everything and might get it wrong sometimes. But if I do, I owe you to correct myself.
Just like Steven - if I’m interested in something, I will write about it.
I do feel I owe you a response when you leave a comment (unless you are disrespectful - then I don’t owe you anything…). If you take the time to write a comment, I owe you a response. If you ask me a question, it’s only respectful of me to answer it. (Update: as Andy rightly points out in the comments - not every comment necessitates a response - I was mostly thinking in terms of questions and comments where the writer wants to engage in a discussion)
I think bloggers, if they take what they do seriously, are participants in an unwritten social contract and that contract is simply based on mutual respect. No more - no less.
That’s why I rile against PayPerPost and similar schemes whenever I get a chance - bloggers who willingly engage in convert marketing campaigns like that simply don’t respect their readers (that doesn’t mean that we can’t get swept up in somebody’s ’social media campaign’ as well, but I think that’s a separate issue).
Comments
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If you take the time to write a comment, I owe you a response.
I struggle a lot with this. I know most bloggers view it as a common courtesy to the author of the comment but sometimes, there simply is nothing to add.
Simply saying ‘Hey - thanks for popping by’ (or similar) just seems really trite and patronising.
Well Andy - thanks for popping by
But seriously - there are lots of issues with comments - not the least the fact that you can never know if somebody who leaves a comment is ever going to come back and see your response.
Blog posts should have a Like button
It depends on which blog we’re talking about.
If we’re talking about my first blog, which was an online diary of sorts, I’d say I owe the reader nothing. I wrote that blog for an audience of me. Anyone else that wanted in on that was welcome, but I’d toss someone out on their ear quicker than a red sled.
If we’re talking about my current personal blog (or the iteration immediately previous to it), I owe the reader my condolences, as it rarely approached anything resembling a cohesive theme.
My blogs at Mashable dictate I adhere to a journalism-ish ethos, and owe the readers all that this entails.
Ahhh yes! The digital social contract! I love it. I argue in a different post about an unwritten “social (networking) contract” that you may find interesting.
Glad to see you contribute to the conversation Corvida, Steven, and I have been having! Looking forward to reading more…
Jarred
http://tropophilia.com
Regarding your point about unless you are disrespectful - then I don’t owe you anything I think that in some cases while you may not owe the originating commentor a reply you do may need to reply - in a unemotional way as possible (I wish I could follow my own advise here) - if only to both demonstrate to your regular readers and yourself to a point that this type of behavior isn’t acceptable. By not reply some might see it as tacit acceptance that this negative behavior is allowed.
I really need more coffee before replying
a couple of glaring sentence structure problems in my comment .. bad commentor 
@Steven - I will let it slide this time
It’s a good point though and you are totally right - hadn’t thought of it that way.