Upcoming Events:
I am taking a blogging break for a little while. I am in the process of getting all of my challenges for 2011 picked out so you'll see a bunch of those posts.
NOTE: This post is NOT intended to upset/offend/irritate/etc. any one. I'm just expressing my feelings. It is MY blog after all :) A few weeks ago I wrote a post on my "view" of the affiliate "craze" that's running rampant through the book blogging community. My hope was to glean information from this post so that when I saw "affiliate" related links in my google reader it wouldn't upset/frustrate me as much as it had been up to that point. I simply did not understand the process....Why it had to be so "difficult" and "cliquey." So I posted my post and I got a lot of feedback both from people who have affiliates and those who don't. What I did NOT intend to do when I posted this post was to upset/offend/trash anyone who had or has affiliates. I was just trying to learn.Natalie from Mindful Musings wrote this post and pretty much explained a LOT of my questions in it. Which I think was really awesome of her to do. From what I can see (and I may be offbase here) she took a subject that a lot of people had questions about and saw it as a way to educate not only myself but others as well about the process. And I think a lot of people who read that post learned a lot from it. I know I did.But then I came across this post over at Book Crazy and I felt really bad because I felt that I was the cause of this particular post. That is a pretty much the crappiest feeling in the world. Seeing someone take something that you wrote as a way to learn more about a process personally. So here I am feeling responsible for hurting someone unintentionally by asking the "hard" questions about a process.Then it all sort of died down a little bit for a couple of weeks and then this morning while I was going through my google reader....The subject reared it's "ugly head" again. I found this post, which is really about getting affiliate related material out there to the book blogosphere and not so much about the process. But here I am feeling responsible again because the second paragraph of this post brings up the other two posts that I've already talked about. "Defending the trend," but because Natalie wrote her post, answered my questions and linked back to my post and Jen at Book Crazy used information that I voiced as "concerns" in my original post, then I am feeling that Natalie and Jen are "defending the trend" against a big ole blogger bully...Little ole ME.Personally, as of this post I am DONE feeling responsible. Right now at this very minute I feel that I have a big ole bulls eye painted on my blog because I asked the "hard" questions and because there were some who took the way I happen to learn things (I'm ADD and some think I'm a bit dyslexic too. So I tend to ask a lot of questions and prefer to see things in writing.) personally. For that I am sorry....That was NOT my intention. What I will NOT apologize for is asking those questions. You may or you may not have liked them but I felt at the time that I had a right (maybe that's not the right word but it's what I came up with at the time) to know the answers to those burning questions...To understand the process. Is that so wrong? I am done with those feelings. I just wanted to put that out there. I'm not looking to fan the flames....Personally, I wish the issue would sort of just go away....It's now a NON-issue for me why can't it be for others?
8 comments:
OH gosh, I did not write my post to single you out at all, I was not upset or mad or anything at you or anyone else, I was just trying to voice my feelings on the subject..I am sorry I made you feel bad, that was not my intent, and I am really sorry.
Jamie, I wouldn't worry that you're being made out to be the bully. I think the affiliate thing is a sensitive issue for a lot of people b/c a lot of people have strong opinions about it. Your initial post probably just helped other people start being more open to discussing what they thought about it, and that's a good thing!! I, personally, enjoyed reading everyone's opinions, including yours! I don't think you started anything bad!
@Book Crazy Jen
It's all good. I'm not really mad or upset...I'm an emotion that I really can't describe...Hence the post. It may or may not be one of my "brighter" idea's.
@Jenny
I agree with you entirely. I think the subject matter is a touchy subject. But I still feel a little bit responsible because there may have readers out there who took what I wrote and viewed the process in a negative light. Which of course was not my intent.
I am a semi new book blogger and know that I still have a lot to learn and truly believe that asking questions is one form of learning and educating ourself (except my sons think it is called nagging lol) I found this whole topic interesting since I had no clue about it, so thank you for the discussion.
CMashLovesToRead
Jamie,
I wouldn't worry about it. There is nothing wrong with you voicing your opinion. You can't control how other people are going to react. If there is more discussion on this topic, don't blame yourself. It's a hot topic after all. :P
No worries. You are all good :)
I don't expect anyone to feel like they should apologize for asking the hard questions. Most of the time, that question is on a lot of people's minds, but most of them won't say anything about it. What I like most about the majority of the people in the blogosphere is that they're able to voice their different opinions and ask each other questions, yet still respect each other.
Personally, I respect most the bloggers that ask the tough questions. It's always difficult to put something out there that might have a conflicted response. Kudos to you for doing that!
I woudn't stress over it. To Affilaite or not to Affilaite, is irrelevant as long as you have a blog roll. Blogs are your way to freely express yourself. Do what you want. Ask the questions. Swear, write in all CAPITAL LETTERS, post sexy men pics...and more sexy men pics, unless you are under 18 then post cute puppies and kittens. What I am trying to say, don't let others bring you down, do your own thing. What you have to look at is this: After all said and done, did you get your questions answered? Have you decided what you want to do, now that you have the answers? Then do it and be happy. :)New drama will start elsewhere. :P
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