Gothamist Notes 1: What Not to Do When You Blog

Often, while sifting through the mountain of daily Gothamist correspondence, we come across emails asking for advice about starting a blog. Why anyone would consider Gothamist an authority on the sweet, intricate science of blogging is beyond us – but we are loathe to sidestep our obligation to respond. Here then, based on our blog-exploration and the evolution that is Gothamist, the first in a series of Gothamist Notes On Blogging, entitled "What not to do when you blog."

1. Don't use the word blog without realizing what it means. Blog blog blog - our ears are bleeding from it. Using Meg's definition as a guide, blogs are made up of posts that have "links + commentary." Commentary, not Joyce-ian stream-of-consciousness. They can be personal, but more in terms of point of view, versus a webcam of yourself. It's more fiting to call your website a website. Call yourself a journalist, or a writer. Having special names for everything smacks of 1999 newspeak. Sure- it's sad that the word blog has gotten all used up but c'est la vie, time to move on. "Bloggers" have come to be irrevocably associated with 16 year old girls, writing in bad grammar on LiveJournal, the label has become inappropriate for the rest of us.

2. Therefore, for the love of God, do not write about yourself. Do not write about your friends. Do not write about your family. Do not write about your pets. Or airport travels. Do not write about that girl at the bodega on 4th avenue and how she's giving you the eye. Do not write about your dates. Pick a real subject or series of subjects and stick to it – if you have to use the word "I" more than once a week, you are doing something very, very wrong. No one cares about you or the things you do (unless you are Paris Hilton, Bazima, or Bennifer – don't believe the weary, B.Lo, keep it comin' strong!), keep it to yourself. And if that's not enough to stop you from writing about yourself, just remember these words of advice from Meg: "A cardinal rule of blogging is this: Post as if everyone you know will read your weblog because chances are very good that they will. If you don't want your boss, religious leader, or your parents to read what you're writing, you might want to think twice about posting it." And if you're on that first date where he/she knows everything about you, it's your own fault.

3. Do not blog unless you plan to take it seriously. Nothing looks worse than a blog where the latest entry is from last month. Do not forget the commitment you make to your readers. You provide content and they consume it on a regular basis. If you post every single day, you need to keep that up. Have a goal of posting a certain number of times a week and try to stick with it. Do not bitch and moan about how little traffic you get when the last time you posted was two weeks ago, and that post was about your freaking cat. By the same token, do not go for the easy posts. If all you are doing is passing on a link, use a sidebar- or go the Kottke/Dashes route and balance linkage with real posts in the main column. If you do a post and it takes only 5 minutes you are doing something wrong. You probably haven't thought about it enough. You've probably missed some typos. Laziness is not a nice quality in bloggers.

4. Do not write to other bloggers and ask for links. No not expect to make someone's permanent link list just because you linked to them. Links are like relationships – they take work. Asking for a link is like taking "it" out on the first date – it might work with some girls, but most of the time it makes you look desperate. Very very desperate. How do you get a link? Produce high quality content for months on end- link to other people in those high quality posts, drop them a line (but don't harrass) about your site. Eventually you'll get the love you so desperately need.

5. Do not steal. A Creative Commons license is not permission to rip someone off. If you take an idea or a link, make sure you credit it to the appropriate person. If you borrow an image, make sure the attribution is present and correct. If you steal someone's design, at least have the decency to change the colors. Do not steal a design and then ask for a link. That's like stealing someone's watch and then asking them if they know how to change the battery.

6. Do not consider your blog a free ride to slander, promote gross inaccuracies, or pass along "facts" that are rumors. Sure, you are not writing for the New York Times, but you should keep in mind the basic rules of journalism and ideas of fairness. If you are sarcastic and have a snarky tone with your site, that's fine, but realize that a lot of literal thinkers out there are going to make assumptions that you'll have to deal with. And, associated with that, do not allow your blog to become a vehicle for slander. Do not neglect to moderate your blog. Some son–of–a–bitch is going to start using your comments section as a personal platform for hating or whatnot, and if you don't slap him down, that nonsense might as well be coming out of your mouth. You are responsible for every word that appears on your website – and don't use free speech or bullshit like that to sidestep the issue. So if someone is using your blog to call someone else a whore, that person better be a whore – or it's your ass on the line.

7. Do not overreact when you get dissed by your readers. While it's your blood, sweat, and tears that you're putting up there, it's myopic to think that everyone will have the same opinions as you. If people are calling you out, just learn to take it and move on. If they start to attack you, again, you can close comments, delete comments, and block IP addresses. When someone decides to launch a personal vendetta against you, using five different pseudonyms and ten different websites, enjoy the ride! No one becomes successful without acquiring some enemies – and the more devoted your enemies, the more successful you are. At least, that's what we keep telling ourselves.

8. Do not forget to be polite. If someone links to one of your posts, say thank you. If you see a picture on a photoblog that you like, tell the photographer that you appreciate their work. If someone points out a typo, let them know you appreciate their vigilance and insanity. Courtesy is the grease that lubricates the wheels of society. And as Kramer would say, if you don't want to be part of society, maybe you should move to the Upper East Side.

That is all – feel free to add your own advice in the comments section. We remain, as ever, your loyal readers.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

December 8, 2003 4:31 AM

Comments [rss]

Ron Mwangaguhunga

Gothamist is like the cool Uncle for bloggers -- like Tom Hanks on Family Ties without the alcohol problem. I heart Gothamist.

Wendy

Your rule one quotes Meg's definition of a blog and rule two says don't blog about yourself, family or friends. Have you actually read Meg's blog? I would guess not. Her blog is highly personal ... she writes about all of those things and then some. I find a lot of blogs just repeat the same old tired information and links everyone else is linking to - boring! Give me inteilligent personal commentary anyday - intelligent being the keyword. Besides - if you don't like someone's blog ... don't read it. Why do people always want to tell other people what to do?

themadblogger

Oh, I see. "Don't use 'I.'" Instead, just use pronouns like "we" and "our." Seems to me like a cheap way to violate your own rule.

jake

The usage statement for the gothamist royal "we" goes something like this:

1. don't write about yourself or your experiences on gothamist

2. if you must include a personal experience as supporting information in a post, use "Gothamist remembers the first time we woke up under a table at the Magician" or "Gothamist remembers the first time we were kissed by a homeless man".

3. if a post contains more than one or two of these statements, don't run it.

Kim Wells

And the one thing I noticed is that on your main page, whenever you want to say something "personal" you say "Gothamist" or "we" instead of "I." Are you really a "we?" Is there more than one person writing your site?

Your note about not using "I" reminds me A LOT of when I get students in my freshman comp class who say "you mean we're actually allowed to use 'I' in our writing" (because their English teachers have told them not to) and I say "yes, for God's sake because otherwise your prose becomes tortured in trying to find and/or invent other pronouns and I can't bear to read it."

I notice that in one of your comments you say: "if you must, blog about your dog- but blog about other things too" and I would say that this is probably your best bit of advice.

And maybe you'd get less flack if you said "a list of things you should do to make a blog that the Gothamist wants to read."

Because I for one love blogs with personal stuff. And am usually sort of bored by the ones without it. So if this were seen as a general list of your preferences, instead of commandments from on high, people might take them better.

But then, I might be full of crap too.

rocketman

Interesting "rules", though rules that go beyond things such as the need to be factual and to be conscientious toward readers may be excessive and take some of the fun out of blogging. Some of my favorite blogs are personal in nature, and if a person is willing to share, I have no problem with that.

Good job.

PZ Myers

I think the comments here reveal another rule that was not mentioned: in your commentary, be sure to say a few things that your readers will disagree with, so that lots of dissent and argument will ensue.

A

Interesting article. Although I have to disagree with some of your points. Maybe you need to remind yourself what a blogger/webjournal/weblog is.

I love Destiny's comment. I totally agree with her.

Jen

And by large salary, Jake means "salary of the imagination."

jake

no one appointed gothamist blog cop- we applied for the job through the blog civil service exam that was administered in downtown newark last spring, and after months of background checks, we finally received our badge last week. as you know, the job comes with a large salary- but the real benefits come from the perks! mostly we just use the badge to impress chicks, but jen beat a speeding ticket with it last week.

e_e

There are different blogs, with different aims. My friends and I use blogs primarily as a way to keep in touch with each other, now that we are living in different cities and no longer see each other regularly. Day to day updates with our thoughts, jokes, and details of what is going on in our lives are not likely to be of interest to a random reader, but are invaluable to close friends. It's more personal and less work than letters and not annoying like those mass email updates that some of my other friends send while they are away. If some other random person wants to read my blog - well and good; I don't mind, but it's not aimed at them. At the same time, I'm careful to keep it anonymous so my parents, boss, etc, don't find it.

JMAY

Apparently it's better to refer to yourself in the third-person than to say "I". Yeah, that's not pompous or anything.

Who appointed Gothamist blog cop?

Mat_Drinks

You mean you didn't hear??? Livejournal is back in, but this time it's ironic!

PS: Do I have free reign of the use of Web Log... y'know since it's not abbreviated.

Gus

Jen: I actually did pee blood once and then wrote about it in my blog:

http://www.spies.com/~gus/ran/0006/000627.htm

That probably violates these blog principles on several levels.

omit

The Gothamist rules of success:

1) Use an image with every post.

2) Put more than one link in every post (over 3 links is good).

3) Post about at least once every hour.

4) Focus on a particular subject, like New York.

5) Refer to yourself in the third person.

6) Link to the NY Times and NY Post once a day.

About the personal/nonpersonal thing, I've seen both methods be successful. However, I think blogging personal items to the public can be very draining and problematic when it comes to your relationships, jobs, etc (Pepys is an exception, but he's dead.). If you're going to do a journal/diary, I think password protection is a good idea.

bk

Sorry for the typo: It should be "I think it's essential..."

bk

I do not understand why so many oppose advise about blogging and also confuse it with "instructions" or "rules". Is this subject a new taboo? Lawrence Block, the famous writer (living in New York) has written four books with advise about writing fiction. The books are very popular. I think its essential in any creative occupation to listen and learn from others experiences, to discuss what you are doing and how you can develop what you are doing.

fairest

Wow you guy's are corny, why don't you put a TV show on Lifetime about blogging? Thank God I had that cute teen lesbian from your personals to "gawk" at during the tooth-pulling.

PureLand

Do bloggers really need instructions from anyone on what they should all write/not write? There are folks of all ages and persuasions writing about things of interest (or not) to folks of all ages and persuasions. I think the blogosphere can handle the diversity.

Aine

I thought the whole blog entry was pretty amusing, especially the comments. Spend an evening reading and surfing through LiveJournal (if you can stand it). The reason I left LJ was because people told me they didn't want to read serious posts on thoughtful subjects (and tried to tell me what to write about), they much preferred the Quizilla crap, the surveys, the whining about relationships, the babbling about daily life stuff. I still have my account over there, but I almost never post in it because of the pressure I felt to write about unimportant things.

I prefer writing in my own blog about whatever I want to write about. I miss the interaction of what a community like LiveJournal brings, but I don't miss the mindless babble.