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March 29, 2005
Guest Blogging 101: Lessons Learned
By Windy Hill in March of Perceptions
It's the end of March and the end of MOP and I have to tell you I'm glad this is over. You all are an interesting — if brutal — lot that I can't say I've thoroughly enjoyed interacting with. Since this is our last time together, I'd like to post a list of lessons learned. In no particular order of importance:
- I'm not cut out for "real" links-and-comments blogging. I think I'll stick to the journaling end of the spectrum (and no, I'm not going to give my url here).
- People who comment on blogs can be very rude. In fact I dare say they'll type things that they'd never say to you in person.
- People who comment on blogs can be very fair, sometimes taking the rude ones to task for impolite comments. In a polite way, of course.
- Most people who comment on blogs have their minds made up about a topic and nothing you say can change it.
- Some people who comment on blogs remain open minded and are willing to consider another viewpoint.
- If you cannot adequately support your viewpoint, stay off the blog.
- Even if you supply facts and data in a decidedly dispassionate manner, people itching for a fight will see bias and comment accordingly.
If you are guest blogging, do not expect the webmaster to:
- Defend you
- Fact check your stuff
- Add in all your links for you
- Send you a T-shirt
- Or otherwise acknowledge your presence
He is busy — why do you think he has guest bloggers in the first place?
If you are guest blogging, you can expect the webmaster to:
- Suggest topics if you experience writer's block
- Require promptness in posting
- Add in links if you didn't have any
- Wheedle and cajole posts out of you when nobody else comes through for that day
- Get a little exasperated if you post then delete (twice) before he has a chance to publish
You can meet good people if you take up blogging, which is how I came to guest blog in the first place. In fact, I've cultivated a couple of friendships online now and plan to continue getting to know new and different people as I blog.
Just because the people are good does not mean you should guest blog on their sites. It just might ruin that new friendship.
Whew! I am so over March of Perceptions. But thanks, QBlog, for hosting what has been an interesting forum. I hope to see more of this kind of thing on Quixtar Blog. (just don't ask me to guest!) LOL
- Windy
The "March of Perceptions" is a special Quixtar BLOG project featuring the perceptions of four guest bloggers during the month of March.
Comments
One thing to keep in mind, "Windy," is that you are getting responses from people who felt they were defrauded by the people that operate under the protection of the corporation you admire so much, and called "losers" when they finally ran out of money and quit.
It may not be the culture of Amway/Quixtar for employees and executives, but it is and has been the culture of most if not all of the major lines of affiliation.
That is why you get the reaction you get when post that DeVos and Van Andel spent a bunch of money to renovate Grand Rapids. To much of your audience, that is partly THEIR money, and they aren't happy about the circumstances under which they were parted from it.
And frankly, I don't blame many of them for being angry.
MOP was an idea whose time had come, and even if it's a one-hit-wonder never to be repeated, it will remain a wonder! I know it's a heap of work for all involved, and I appreciate it!
Thank you, Guest posters.
Go Qblog!!!
Windy, many of the "brutal" comments you're referring to come from people who were involved with Amway and/or Quixtar for a number of years and lost a lot of money. We are upset with the truth that has been revealed on the Internet from former big pins. We're angry at:
- The AMO tenured pins for making most of their money through the system and not telling us that fact, while at the same time promising that the system will magically make us rich if we just submit without questioning.
- Amway/Quixtar for knowing about this for thirty years and not trying to correct it, but in fact actively supporting the tenured pins. In addition, using their legal department to brutally suppress free speech by former pins, so that the FTC doesn't get interested enough to initiate an investigation into the systems.
The above are truths for which there is now so much evidence on the Internet, it cannot reasonably be disputed. How can you expect any rational person, let alone someone like me who actually experienced losing thousands of dollars, to see these guys in a good light?
Cheers
Most ppl who participated on MOP are really smart ppl
Some ppl have some thing seriously wrong with them
Some ppl say some thing DUH e.g. Qblog is not authoritative source on Quixtar (It's a personal blog) and act paranoid for some not so apparent reasons.
Most people who particiapted on MOP have their minds made up about a topic and nothing you say can change it.
Posted by: Imran Aziz | March 29, 2005 4:33 PM