What I've Learned
Written By Bill from Critique My blog
I started critiquing blogs in August of 2006 as a way to break into this whole blog explosion that was taking the internet by storm. I didn't want to write a blog about myself, and the only other topic I knew about was pest control, both of which I thought others would find boring. So I thought about a way to help people and write at the same time, and it was here that Critique My Blog was born.
I decided to format it where bloggers would submit their blog to me and I'd place a review and their link right on the post with the hopes it would direct traffic their way. In returned I asked that they also place a link on their blog to bring more bloggers my way. I cringe when I say that is was more or less a link exchange.
Then came the bloggers. Bloggers who wrote about their hobbies, their work, their lives. I was reading the personal diary of people around the globe and they were asking for me to critique that. It was something I never took lightly and unless the blog was horrible, my reviews and critiques pointed out the positives rather than the negatives and I'd write the review with a tone of promotion, encouraging the readers to visit the blog I was reviewing.. I wanted those bloggers to be read.
It became clear that there is so much talent out there and this was an outlet that people from all over the world were using to express their creativity. It was also becoming clear that people were using this means of expression as a therapeutic way to express their feelings and problems that they were facing in their day to day lives.
Something that started as a link exchange became a crusade to promote bloggers and their talents. I wanted to raise awareness of the fantastic blogs that were submitted to my inbox and written about on my blog. These were people who deserved some attention and I was trying, in my own little way, to help them get it.
I guess when I ask myself what I've learned from the bloggers I've critiqued I'd have to say that they are some of the hardest working, caring, creative, and opinionated bunch of writers this world will ever know. This sub-culture of bloggers started out as a gimmick but has turned into a voice.
6 comments:
It was so nice to read something from the man behind all those great blog reviews and very interesting to here what you thought about the whole thing.
You do such great work for the blogging community. :)
Your invention is fantastic. I think blogging is for fun. I write articles simply because I enjoy them. Topblogmag is a wonderful way of bringing bloggers together. Cheers.
Wow, I've never heard of this before, but will be visiting. Thanks so much!!!
You've been doing a good job of it too. I like the fact that you look for the postive in your reviews. It's easy to tear things down, sometimes it takes more work to find the good. Most people are blogging for their enjoyment so it's nice to see you find the good in what they do.
Blogs can be such personal things and you treat them and their authors with respect in your reviews.
A fantastic service and great to hear from you.
Nice post. I'm gonna have to pay you a visit soon.
Post a Comment