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This morning I woke up to find a whole bunch of different people posting blogs (and comments) about the recent "best blog" award over at Jaybarkerfan's Junk. On the surface, the "best blog" award seems like a fun idea - and yes, I was even nominated which makes me happy that people like what I do on my humble little blog. However, based on a few of the comments that I've read on some of the various blogs on the subject matter, I think I'd prefer that no one be labeled "Best Blog." While it would be an honor for the blog selected as "the best," I think it is a disservice to all of the other wonderful blogs (and bloggers) that make up our little baseball card community which would then be losers...
Now, here's why I feel rather strongly about blog awards like this:
#1: I used to blog (about baseball, not baseball cards) at a site called Sporting News. I had a blog there for two or three years that was amongst the most read - consistently #1 among all Reds blogs but usually ranking amongst all MLB blogs on the site. Much like our community, the Sporting News community had a fairly tight-knit group of people each with a great voice that they shared both via their blogs and their comments. However, at some point, someone decided that there should be blogger awards. I forget exactly how the votes were tallied, I think it was by "thumbs up/down" voting (similar to likes on Facebook). Anyhow, long story short, there were allegations of cheating, allegations of people purposely being left off the ballots, etc. In short, it was a mess. Even worse, the voting (coupled with a few other unrelated incidents) actually helped to destroy the "old guard" at Sporting News and forced most of the people to abandon their blog. About a year or so later, the Sporting News blogs ended up being shut down (they now have a new name and owner I believe). While I'm not suggesting that a similar thing will happen with our blogging community, it is a distinct possibility based on history that I've seen.
#2: Voting for the best is entirely subjective (which in and of itself isn't necessarily a bad thing). However, suppose for example that there were only three blogs nominated and then suppose that two of the blogs split the votes while the third got 0 votes. Wouldn't that third person feel like their blog was woefully inadequate compared to the other two? If the goal is to be the best blogger one can be (and I'm guessing most of us do strive for that), it's human nature to try to emulate the best in order to one day be considered the best. To me, that's a shame. I LOVE that each of us has our own voice. Sure, I don't agree with all the voices out there - but the real joy is reading different people's takes on different things. Even within the rather narrow hobby of baseball cards we still have a large amount of differing opinions and views - and personally, I think that's great. Unfortunately, as soon as it becomes a contest to be #1 - then everyone starts to homogenize their blog/writing to try and be that #1 blog. That's a shame.
#3: This is the most personal of the three reasons why I'm against a single "best blog" award - but I find that there are certain blogs that I think are "the best" at certain things. There isn't one blog that is perfect in every way. For example, Dayf makes me laugh almost every blog, Night Owl almost always has great stories/anecdotes about various cards, Community Gum offers a unique business perspective, the Daily Dimwit is one of the best traders around, etc. etc. And yes, there are TONS more blogs that I didn't mention that are equally interesting to me...and therein lies the problem - which of those four blogs would you rank first? How about if I threw in some others like Thorzul's, Dinged Corners, or Ike's Cards? You might have a favorite, you might even say that a certain blogger does a certain thing "best", but is any one of those blogs (or any other blog you care to name, including mine), the best at everything? I doubt it.
And so, with that said, I urge everyone to do two things.
First, don't take the award selection too seriously. Yes, it's an honor to be nominated, but there are also a whole bunch of great blogs that haven't been mentioned yet. Second, congratulate the eventual winner but keep your own voice. Sure, there are things that we could all learn from some of the greats - I, for example, could learn how to write well (that'd be nice, huh)? However, don't copy the winner - but rather, try to improve your own message and delivery.
And with that, a Merry Christmas to all. The next few days will be quite busy for me (and many of you I'm sure) but don't fret - I do have posts scheduled already for throughout the weekend. And finally, if you believe I'm completely wrong in my assessment of the blog award, please by all means, sound off in the comments. This is an equal opportunity blog - or, put another way, there's no harm in telling me that I'm an idiot - trust me, I already know that.
Happy Holidays!
Now, here's why I feel rather strongly about blog awards like this:
#1: I used to blog (about baseball, not baseball cards) at a site called Sporting News. I had a blog there for two or three years that was amongst the most read - consistently #1 among all Reds blogs but usually ranking amongst all MLB blogs on the site. Much like our community, the Sporting News community had a fairly tight-knit group of people each with a great voice that they shared both via their blogs and their comments. However, at some point, someone decided that there should be blogger awards. I forget exactly how the votes were tallied, I think it was by "thumbs up/down" voting (similar to likes on Facebook). Anyhow, long story short, there were allegations of cheating, allegations of people purposely being left off the ballots, etc. In short, it was a mess. Even worse, the voting (coupled with a few other unrelated incidents) actually helped to destroy the "old guard" at Sporting News and forced most of the people to abandon their blog. About a year or so later, the Sporting News blogs ended up being shut down (they now have a new name and owner I believe). While I'm not suggesting that a similar thing will happen with our blogging community, it is a distinct possibility based on history that I've seen.
#2: Voting for the best is entirely subjective (which in and of itself isn't necessarily a bad thing). However, suppose for example that there were only three blogs nominated and then suppose that two of the blogs split the votes while the third got 0 votes. Wouldn't that third person feel like their blog was woefully inadequate compared to the other two? If the goal is to be the best blogger one can be (and I'm guessing most of us do strive for that), it's human nature to try to emulate the best in order to one day be considered the best. To me, that's a shame. I LOVE that each of us has our own voice. Sure, I don't agree with all the voices out there - but the real joy is reading different people's takes on different things. Even within the rather narrow hobby of baseball cards we still have a large amount of differing opinions and views - and personally, I think that's great. Unfortunately, as soon as it becomes a contest to be #1 - then everyone starts to homogenize their blog/writing to try and be that #1 blog. That's a shame.
#3: This is the most personal of the three reasons why I'm against a single "best blog" award - but I find that there are certain blogs that I think are "the best" at certain things. There isn't one blog that is perfect in every way. For example, Dayf makes me laugh almost every blog, Night Owl almost always has great stories/anecdotes about various cards, Community Gum offers a unique business perspective, the Daily Dimwit is one of the best traders around, etc. etc. And yes, there are TONS more blogs that I didn't mention that are equally interesting to me...and therein lies the problem - which of those four blogs would you rank first? How about if I threw in some others like Thorzul's, Dinged Corners, or Ike's Cards? You might have a favorite, you might even say that a certain blogger does a certain thing "best", but is any one of those blogs (or any other blog you care to name, including mine), the best at everything? I doubt it.
And so, with that said, I urge everyone to do two things.
First, don't take the award selection too seriously. Yes, it's an honor to be nominated, but there are also a whole bunch of great blogs that haven't been mentioned yet. Second, congratulate the eventual winner but keep your own voice. Sure, there are things that we could all learn from some of the greats - I, for example, could learn how to write well (that'd be nice, huh)? However, don't copy the winner - but rather, try to improve your own message and delivery.
And with that, a Merry Christmas to all. The next few days will be quite busy for me (and many of you I'm sure) but don't fret - I do have posts scheduled already for throughout the weekend. And finally, if you believe I'm completely wrong in my assessment of the blog award, please by all means, sound off in the comments. This is an equal opportunity blog - or, put another way, there's no harm in telling me that I'm an idiot - trust me, I already know that.
Happy Holidays!
Comments
Chris, I just have one word for your post.
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
Have a great holiday!!
This is just a fantastic post. I am participating in the blog of the year contest at jaybarkerfan's site and nominated a very worthy Cardboard Collecions. I didn't nominate Colbey's site because I think it is necessarily the best blog, I nominated because he inspired me to be a better blogger. That being said, I read and enjoy and cull inspiration from a lot of different blogs (yours included). I too love that each of them has a different slant on the issue of cards and I try to get a little of that mixed in with my own unique flavor in maintaining my blog.
ReplyDeleteI agree as well.
ReplyDeleteExactly, I like reading a bunch of blogs because they all offer something different when I read them. I just nominated dayf because I find myself visiting his the most either to read or utilize his blogroll!
ReplyDeleteWell said! Merry Christmas to you too!
ReplyDeleteI agree - the nature of blogs is that there is a variable on both sides for something like this. The blogger, who writes his/her blog for specific reasons - to catalog a project going after every topps set, to describe as many of Tim Wallach's cards as possible, to organize group breaks, etc., etc.
ReplyDeleteThen there's individual readers - who brings his/her own preferences. Someone who loves basketball cards is going to have a different opinion from someone who collects Upper Deck and hates Topps.
So - I think to say something is best is a little, I don't know... misrepresentative. Having a "best" implies that everyone has a common competitive goal and that it's fairly measurable. That's certainly not the case with baseball card blogs.
oh, and - interesting story about the sporting news site. I don't think that will happen hear, because everyone is so humble that most of us wouldn't want to win. And I think most also realize that's not why they blog. Personally, I blog because it's like a journal for my collection - it's a place for me to write down and store the useless :) information that I've always wanted to know.
ReplyDeleteOn a side about Sporting News - I wonder if the blog story is relevant to that great magazine had 120 years as a weekly, then 3 years as bi-weekly, and has now gone to monthly. I don't have a subscription, but I'll miss it when it goes to ... never.