Mirror, Mirror: Who Is The Most Self-Indulgent Blogger?
As part of his epic 31 Days To Building a Better Blog project, Darren at ProBlogger is following his own tips and linking to some fellow bloggers in a post today called 10 Blogs That I Read. Because he reads “hundreds” of blogs and has the feelings of a very large readership to consider, Darren used a random number generator to randomly select 10 blogs in his RSS Reader, and I was one of them! The Blogging Gods are surely smiling on me this week.
It’s also been interesting to read the mix of comments left below his post, particularly these two:
Chuck wrote: “I enjoy Michelle’s writing at Bloggrrl, mostly for the humor. The others I don’t find so appealing. There’s a fine line between writing with personality and crossing into nearly pure self-indulgence and presuming that that adds value.”
Admittedly this comment, although perhaps not directed at me specifically, made me think about myself, which is already self-indulgent. The truth is, it’s quite hard not to be self-indulgent when you’re the director, writer, editor and star of your own site. It’s the most narcissistic thing imaginable.
And browsing through recent Minx archives, I am almost always the protagonist in each post. I am Tom Cruise, without the Xenu bit, out the front and making the noise with Top Gun music in the background. I’m okay with that, although perhaps it’s time for a Guest Blogger cameo to mix things up a little. What about you, do you ever consider your blog a little too self-indulgent? Perhaps you should read 8 Signs You Masturbate Too Much. It’s about blogging, really.
Speaking of compromising positions, Carl Coddington commented: “It looks like a couple of them were caught with their pants down… I just think that if they knew they were going to be featured on ProBlogger they would have had a better top post.”
My top post at the time was Would You Tattoo A Website On Your Body? as it was what caught my attention online that day. Carl has a point; if I’d known I was getting a Big Link the next morning I might’ve drunk less wine, gotten more sleep and tidied up a bit.
But you can’t dress up every day like The Queen is coming to tea, and I don’t think you can be overly stressed about making a good impression or it doesn’t ring true. I want people to like me, but I’m not always in heels; sometimes I’m in my PJs. That’s true and a metaphor.
Do you manage your blog every day as through your readership might increase dramatically overnight? Or would you be “caught with your pants down”?
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Monday, August 27th, 2007 at 10:07 am
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Well done with the link! What kind of extra traffic does a plug like that get ya?
I was thinking about the ‘pants down’ question today except without any image of pants being down. I guest post at another blog and will be telling its readers soon about my new blog and giving the URL. I’m trying to think up a really wicked post to lure people in.
I might just stick up some porn or something though. It’ll probably have a better effect.
August 27th, 2007 at 10:32 amActually I had a lot more traffic from his link the other day in the blogging project with the 101 articles, funnily enough, but maybe it was the day of the week or something.
Yes, porn would attract attention!
August 27th, 2007 at 10:41 amI actually enjoyed your Tattoo piece. That was one of the one’s I enjoyed
Some people only get 1 chance to make an impression.
I was wondering if the 10 featured blogs knew they were going to be featured.
I have been caught with my proverbial pants down many times. And, I’m actually proud of it.
Keep up the good work
August 27th, 2007 at 12:32 pmI have gotten some traffic from Darren myself having taken part in his project. My topics are so diverse that one day you will find me talking about blogging and the next day I am talking about sex toys or a website that moans your Ip. I too want people to like me for me. Makes you wonder though, if people knew they were being linked from an A list blogger such as Darren would they dress to impress or wear something that was them.
August 27th, 2007 at 12:40 pmI’ve gotten a fair bit of Traffic from Darren and a fair bit from dailyblogtips in my time. I don’t necessarily agree with the “caught with your pants down” in my case as it linked to the article I wanted to be linked from. Darren I notice rarely links to blogs as a whole (such as yourself), most link to the article.
I find that usually if they like your post as a whole, they’ll subscribe to your feed.
Oh, and regarding Carl Coddington’s comment - you need to make yourself have more than 1 chance to make an impression
August 27th, 2007 at 8:03 pmI get linked from universalhub.com (a hugely popular Boston-themed site) a lot and then I always freak about what to write AFTER the link-up. I’m scared my next post won’t be good enough.
August 28th, 2007 at 12:22 amI’d probably be caught with my pants down…lol
I’m going to try to put my two cents in for the blogging tips thing that Darren’s doing. I think out of the list of ten that he linked to, I only read you and Bloggrrl….good stuff
August 28th, 2007 at 1:38 amOh most definitely pants-down! In fact, that happened to me the one time JLP of All Financial Matters linked me! *blush* I’d written my post title half-asleep and boy, it sure showed!
August 28th, 2007 at 9:00 amOh no, what did it say?
August 28th, 2007 at 9:03 amAngela, that’s so true. I think Darren calls it ‘riding the wave’. Bad to use a surfing analogy though because I’m not good at sports.
Thanks Carl and Roberta
August 28th, 2007 at 9:59 pmI was definitely caught with my pants down–but I think some of my male readers like that…;-) When he posted those links, my site was in the process of being transferred to another domain, the email was not working and I had had a guest post up for three days. I didn’t even realize Darren had linked to me until it had been up there for a while.
Thanks for linking to my post. You’ll find that you’ll begin to get some very odd traffic in a few days…
August 29th, 2007 at 3:06 pmAs much as I like reading Problogger I can’t help feeling the man is a little bit smug.
There again I have been told myself that I am smug, and quite graphically as well!
If you put some pants down pictures on here I’d be back
August 30th, 2007 at 8:12 pmThanks for sharing your reaction to getting linked on Problogger. The pants down metaphor is funny. Plus now I have a new saying “you can’t dress up every day like The Queen is coming to tea”. I find your writing very entertaining.
August 31st, 2007 at 3:28 amThanks Emma. Actually I met the Queen once and had to practice my curtsying, all very silly but exciting.
Working Nomad, I’ve also met ProBlogger (I didn’t have to curtsy) and he’s really lovely. And not just because he linked to me
August 31st, 2007 at 8:19 am