Ten things I hate about blogging

Generally, people think blogging is a pretty sweet existence – sitting at home, postman dropping off free stuff, you take a picture, write words – DONE! Well, yeah, that’s correct to an extent, however, there are further layers of blogging that can be pretty annoying. I’ve moaned a lot about it before, so I thought I’d add a new voice on the subject. Step forward Fran from Whinge Whinge Wine, who has written ‘Ten things I hate about blogging’ – enjoy!

I try very hard not to blog about blogging. I sincerely believe that way, madness lies. I much prefer writing about stuff that I find hilarious and that no one else wants to read; that’s how I roll.

However when it’s not on my own blog I don’t care too much, and so here you go. The ten things that wind me up more than anything in the Blogosphere.

1) The word Blogosphere.

Oh, fuck off.

2) People who apparently can set up a WordPress account, but not google ‘What is Moz DA and why should I care?’.

Which leads on nicely to…

3) DA in general.

The fact that PR people don’t really understand what it means and rather than looking for bloggers who fit nicely with their campaigns go with the one who’s got a massive DA because they’ve been writing bland guest posts around the web (Do I get a backlink here Kip?), and that it is seen by many to be the ultimate goal in blogging. Not for people to think you’re good. Not to write what’s in your heart, to help, to make people laugh. No; the main aim is to build up a completely arbitrary number. See also:

4) Ranking schemes.

Same as above. Do not denote quality or skill in any way, shape or form, but PR people are lazy so use them anyway. People get all het up about whether they’ve risen or fallen, and it’s essentially nonsense. If you want to get to the top, just buy traffic and followers like everyone else, or at least hold as many competitions as you can face. Which leads me to…

5) Buying followers or using bots/apps to artificially increase your social follower numbers.

Are you Beyonce? No? Then don’t try and convince me that 4002 people legitimately like that picture of your sandwich.

6) Shitty grammar.

I know that it’s not PC to point out when someone says their and they mean they’re but a) Your putting you’re (har-di-har) writing in the public domain; that is it. That’s entirely what people are judging you on b) this is my list and I’m putting it in here. Grammarly is free, use it, or perhaps consider doing something less dependent on the written word like collecting thimbles.

7) People that completely and utterly take the piss.

I recognise not everyone blogs or writes for a living, but even those that don’t surely have better things to do than write original content once a week for an ‘up and coming online magazine’ through the goodness of their heart, host terribly written straight-from-the-Indian-content-mill guest posts for nothing or write 400 words about a sample sized tube of arse cream. Take the freebies – you worked for them! – but please, don’t leave your self worth at the door.

8) The fact that it can eat your life away.

I used to have so much more material before I was surgically attached to my computer and actually left the house occasionally. That might be slightly over-exaggerating but I do remember fondly the times when no one emailed me anything ‘important’ and if my phone buzzed in my pocket it was probably a picture of something my friend found on her local selling site.

9) Weird people.

There are some, as in any walk of life. I’m leaving this point here.

10) The crushing ennui.

There are obviously a lot of pros to the whole thing; the money, fame and bitches to name but three, and the fact that you get to do something you enjoy, meet nice people who you occasionally get to drink wine and eat cake with. And also your mum usually knows what you’re up to so doesn’t have to ring to ask all the time.

Thanks to Fran for penning that – give her a Like on Facebook, and call her a bellend on Twitter!