still avoiding the religion topic

This was my response to an email I recieved about the "power of blogs." Because of some personal issues and also my latest crisis of faith (thank you Maug, for stepping up to the plate on that one. I am sAY-yeved-haha) this has an undercurrent of snippishness. Do your best to ignore it and focus on the topic, which is using blogs to market shit.

What do you guys think?

I have mixed feelings about using blogs as marketing tools, because it's hardly their intended purpose. Hit "next blog" several times and you'll see what I mean. It's hard to find good ones, much less ones that aren't selling to you. To me, blogs can have the noble effect of bringing people together,(that's been my experience) and using them as business opportunities sullies that. Those of us who consider ourselves "real" bloggers keep it personal or confined to a certain topic. We are a quiet underground with our own small network and we like it that way.

Of course my view is that business and sales and marketing sullies all that we try to do in life--that's just my personal bias. I do realize that your company provides a great service. But I believe "real" bloggers, many of whom are the demographic you seek, would scoff your blog(s) if they sense they are only doing it for a sales purpose. I have had lengthy online discussions with college students about this very topic.

I did do some research for a piece I wrote for NPR a while back. About one million blogs are created daily and no one knows how many there are now, so your blogs (and mine!) are small fishes in a great sea.

I would like to see this guy's blog, though. What does a college kid know about products and services? People are so stupid; they'll believe anything they read. The notion that some people take a blog 100% seriously confirms that.

I did see the site. It's a 21 year old college semi-student who I'd guess probably has a trust fund. It's something about trends and coolness and shit like that. He basically writes up products and services, and apparently he's well-read, if hits mean anything. The first thing I noticed was the advertising (wonder if people pay to get a write-up on his site?) and that he's starting a consulting/marketing business. Snore.

If he can make a buck off his blog, well, then, more power to him. To me, he who whores his opinion is a sell-out and has to live with himself. He's certainly not the first one. Me? I'd rather read Jack's work potty stories and Greg's drunk posts.