That's how it looks out here!
There was just a, relatively small, 3rd JIB awards, this time hosted by JBlogCentral. It seems like not everyone in the jblogsphere liked how it was done. So now they want to make their own version of the competition.
Why bother?
It's a lot of work to promote ego trips.
The world of Jewish blogging is enormous and varied, no surprise considering how many Jews are in writing, journalism, show-biz etc.
Only a small clique who know how to manipulate the votes will really vote. And the other votes will be from fans of specific blogs, so the higher the hits, the more votes. The more mega the blog, the better they'll do. Most bloggers can't be bothered reading a whole bunch of blogs to see what's "best." Most of us don't have time to visit all the links in HH, and not everyone even feels guilty about it.
Also if you have some happy winners, you'll have plenty more alienated losers.
So let's just blog, link, "visit" and host HH and KCC and find other ways of working together. And if these "idle" bloggers really declare another competition, don't complain about the work getting in the way of the rest of your life.
Shavua Tov
11 comments:
First of all, we aren't doing "our own version" we are hosting the actual 3rd year of the Jibs, rightfully given to us by the founder and creator of the Jibs.
Second, we are going to fix it so exactly what you said won't happen. The "Mega" blogs will be separated from us mere mortal blogs. We will also be separating, at least in the political and Israel field blogs according to their religious/political slant so that people don't "gang up" on each other or just vote for the left wing or right wing or religious or non religious blogger ignoring quality and content.
There will also be certain categories that will be given awards based on a panel of bloggers who were 1st, 2nd or 3rd place winners in past Jibs. Of course there will always be bloggers that just make it about ego trip, but you can't stop that, and that element will always be a part of it. Hopefully come May, we can at least limit that element. Either way, when done right the Jibs can do so much good. Look at me, I am only a blogger because of accidentally bumping into the first year of the Jibs and finding all the great Jblogs for the first time.
- PS - Of course I think we should pump the heck out of HH and CC all year anyway, I want to get more people involved and host that also. (I'll be hosting HH next week BTW)
I don't know anything about the politics involved.
What you call "mere mortals" get ten times more hits and comments than I do, and that's on one of my good days.
I guess my blogs are no great shakes.
Do you really have time to invest in it?
And as I've been asking? What are the rubrics for a good post?
ps It's KCC, the Kosher Cooking Carnival. Why not try that? It's not just recipes!
Your post indicates that you too miss the whole point of the awards. They are not to stroke anyone's egos, but rather to bring attention and publicity to the Jewish, Israeli, and Israel advocacy blogs out there. And not just within the J Blogosphere, but to the wider world. That is why having the so-called "mega" blogs in the contest is a good thing...they bring more traffic to the awards.
I think everyone should get behind Chaim and co. and support the awards.
Honestly, are the mega, or even the 200+ hits a day blogs going to say:
"Look at the minis, the underdogs, the unknown? Vote for them!"
They all say: "Lookee, I'm nominated! Vote for me!"
Again, you are focusing on the votes! The votes mean NOTHING. But rest assured, the megas bring traffic to the awards page, people will have a look around and click on links to other nominees, and the worthwhile blogs may just get more readers. And THAT is the whole point.
Enjoy.
Two years ago I was dead last in all categories, and last near not even nomimated. Obviously it colors my opinion of it all.
I agree with you in theory, muse. That is why I have placed the jblog awareness banner on my site and am changing its link every day or so and am only linking to what I think are smaller blogs, not to the bigger ones.
There are "Mega's" which get let's say 1,000 visits a day and then there is what I call mortal, which get more like 100-200 a day. Look, if a blog only get 40 hits a day, then that doesn't mean it isn't as good, but it does mean that it needs more exposure and the only way it will climb from 40 hits to 200 hits to who know, maybe one day 1,000 hits is for the 40 people that ARE reading it every day to tell their friends and and for it to be exposed more.
The Jibs bring that exposure, as well as Haveil Havalim and things like the JBlog Awareness and blogger roundups.
If you only concentrate on the "award" and "voting" process then of course it will upset you. And you will always have certain bloggers who shout "look at me, look at me" but just ignore them.
You can just as easily partake in the awards by doing roundups, hosting H.H. or K.C.C. or just doing random roundups.
IN you don't care who reads your blog and you don't care about numbers and ego, then none of this should matter anyway, including some contest.
But Kol Hakavod, ignore the ego trippers and help spread the word by linking to the "smaller blogs."
I write for my "sanity," which is good. And I also consider my blogging to be my contribution to the pro-Israel hasbara effort. I host and contribute to HH and other carnivals and initiated KCC.
And my biggest "referrer" still is google.
Why?
everyones biggest refferer is google, its because blogger own google and our blogs are woven through the fabric that is the google universe.
Alright, if you say so, but I got prizes in the "other contest." Not that it seems to give me more hits. Oops, that sounds rather masochistic.
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