For the record, although it may seem that way, this is NOT a rant about GOMI. The whinging is not restricted to that forum alone, I've heard this whinge in many places from many different people and I'm just a bit sick of hearing it. And yes I do realise that having a whinge myself could be seen as being contradictory, but hey, just have a look at the name of my blog for the answer to that!
What I consider to be a good post, good writing, decent Internet viewing, is going to come down purely to my own personal taste, which will be shaped by my life experience.
So get the fuck over it OK?
{Image found here}
No, you are not going to like everything you see and read on the Internet. No you are not going to 'get' every blog you read, relate to every blog you read, like every blog you read. But to say that there aren't any good blogs? Well, I hate to break it to you, but you ain't looking hard enough.
And since when did the Internet exist purely for your own entertainment? You are not the only person in the world who uses the Internet and as such there is going to be plenty of shit on there that you don't wanna read. If it shits you so much then go to a bookstore and read a book. Buy a magazine and read that.
I am so fucking over hearing people whinge about how they can't find good blogs to read. Nobody writes anything decent. I mean, like, how unfair is it that nobody writes exactly what you want to read, when you want to read it. How dare some people write about stuff that doesn't interest you. "Where are all the good writers DAMMMIT!" everybody cries!
You know what? I'm not really in to whimsical photos and pretty things and lots of fashion, because that's just not the kind of person I am. So I DON'T READ blogs that are predominantly like that. But do I get the shits that people are posting this stuff on THEIR blogs because its stuff that THEY like? Does it bother me that there are people who DO like that stuff and only want to read blogs that have that stuff? Do I judge those bloggers or readers?
No. Because I don't have my fucking head up my arse.
It's not like this stuff is being crammed down your throat and you can't avoid it. If you're seeing this shit its because you're putting yourself in a position to see it. Don't follow it on facebook. Or Twitter. Or Instagram. Or Bloglovin, or any of the other ways this shit gets shoved down your throat. If I get sick of seeing a certain thing being posted all the time then I unsubscribe, I un-follow, and I move on with my life and concentrate on the stuff I do want shoved down my throat [insert gutter-trash joke here].
It's not like vile & vulgar TV shows, where the argument of "Just switch it off" or "Don't watch it" is a cop-out, there is limited choice for some people in TV, especially if you don't wanna pay for it or access it illegally. But when it comes to the Internet, the choice is endless and you can choose what blogs and sites you do and don't read/follow.
Lately I've been getting really shitted off by the whinge that there are no decent or good Aussie blogs. What shits me is the whinge about the lack of decent writing and deep-thinking. Sure there are LOTS of blogs that don't have deep-thinking. But there are many that do. I won't comment on the decent writing part because decent writing means different things to different people. For some its purely technical, do they use good grammar, spell correctly, etc. For others its the subject matter they tackle and how well they do that and make a clear point.
But the way I see it, if you want to find some good blogs to read then you're gonna have to do a few things first.
Number 1. Pull your head out of your arse.
Number 2. Check your smugness and superiority at the door. You and your blog are no better than anyone else out there. One persons awesomely talented blogger is another persons GOMI, and that's just a fact of life you're gonna have to deal with! Taste is subjective and comes down to personal preference and just because you don't like someone doesn't mean they aren't worthy to be a blogger. There are a few blogs out there that I can't stand. But do I get the shits and sook about it? No. Because its not my place to judge them.
If you wanna hate on those blogs then go right ahead, don't let me stop you or dictate to you what you should or shouldn't be liking, enjoying or reading. But if you don't like it then move right along. If you don't have anything nice to say about the person writing the blog then don't say anything at all! By all means have a discussion about what you think constitutes a decent blog, what you do and don't like about blogs, how you feel about sponsored posts, etc. Those kinds of discussions can benefit everyone, and its why I read GOMI, because I find it interesting to see what people think constitutes a good blog or good writing, perspectives on sponsored stuff and monetising, etc (although they could be bit clearer about some stuff, I haven't figured out yet what exactly they consider to be 'good writing'). I could do without the really personal attacks though.
This is how a blog post about what you do or don't like about blogging should be written. It's by a girl called Brittany at a blog called Love Comes First. It's very well written, respectful, and makes many of the same points that the whingers have been making, but in a nice, constructive way. She also calls out blog snobs but from the other side of the coin, with a different meaning than I am using. Go have a read, its worth it.
Number 3. Once you've removed your head from your arse, and checked that smugness and superiority, spend a bit of time just floating around the blogosphere. There are plenty of ways to find new blogs to read. You can check out the blog rolls on the blogs you already read and enjoy for a start (if they have them, some don't which is crazy!). You need to be prepared to spend the time to find your gems. I know I sure as heck don't have hours upon hours to spend looking for new blogs that appeal to me, but I still manage to find them. Discovering new things on the net usually takes time and patience coz there is a lot of stuff out there that won't appeal to you. But if you're not prepared to wade through it all to find the stuff that does? Well, that's your problem, not the Internets. It's just the nature of the beast.
Taste is subjective. As I said in my last post (and many others), on the Dymocks 101 list...
"We humans are all so different and unique. And as such, the type of book that one person loves is the type of book that another hates and classes as the worst written piece of drivel in history. To them."
The same goes for blogging. And just because people want to read different things to you doesn't make them inferior or you superior.It just makes you different.
If you haven't found any new blogs that appeal to you, that's not the blogger's fault. They don't owe you anything. There are plenty of smaller blogs out there that have great writing, interesting content, and they interact with their readers. You just have to try a little harder to find them. And if you're not prepared to do that? Then you don't deserve to find them and you don't have the right to whinge that there's none out there.
There is nothing wrong with liking a certain type of blog, or disliking another type. Just don't decry the entire Aussie blogosphere because YOU haven't been able to find ones that you like.
Blog snobs are as bad as book snobs in my opinion.
If you want a few interesting blogs to read then look no further than my sidebar. Those blogs listed there? Those are my daily reads, the ones I check every day to see if they have updated. Why? Because I enjoy what they post and write about. I can't guarantee that you'll like any of them though. Because, thank god, we are different people and like different things. But its a starting point. You can also try my blog roll, the link is up in the menu bar under my header. I enjoy those too. I also have a Pinterest board with blogs that I like which can be found here. They are many and varied and I like them for different reasons.
You could also check out one of the many link-ups (IBOT being one of them) that happen around the place for new blogs to read. You don't even have to link up yourself to read some of the people that do. You might be surprised by what you find!
The Aussie blogosphere is filled with with way more than crap.
And surely there is a place for everyone in that sphere, for the funny, for the sarcastic, for the craft, for the whimsy, for the creative, for the deep-thinkers, for the recipes, for the swearers and for the Seinfeldian*?
What do you think? Do I have a point? Or am I just talking out my arse?
*For the record, I define a Seinfeldian blog as a blog about nothing. Much like my blog.
Love your work! Thanks so much for reading.
K