Saturday, December 20, 2008

tough conversation....

I know this is possibly a controversial subject but something I should have mentioned before but didn't. When another email hit my box and I knew it was finally time to say something. I know reading the emotion in a computer post can be hard, so let me say that I'm being as polite and nice as I can be here. Nothing is meant with animosity at all. So what the heck is she talking about?....

Well, I'm talking about all the new sites listing "Quilting blogs". To name a few...Quilter Blogs, Quilting Bloggers, Quilt Qua, etc. When I got listed on the first one I politely asked to be removed and I was taken off right away. Now it seems that more and more are popping up and I keep getting listed with either no notice or I do get a polite email saying I've been included and asking me to please mention them on my blog. To open up one of these sites and see whole posts from hundreds thousands of bloggers feels somehow wrong to me. To see a post about a new baby, family pet that has died, or worse a sick or deceased parent...very personal posts... is just wrong somehow next to google AD's that are used to generate revenue.

Here's my problem with this...I didn't start my blog to get thousands of people clicking through. My posts belong to me. They are personal. I don't do this to make money or increase my notability on the web. So I don't want someone generating revenue off my hobby and what I want to share with my quilting friends. When you are on those sites anyone that clicks on an AD gives revenue to the site owner. It also opens my blog up to tons of spammers who now have thousands of blogs and email addresses they can use to send spam. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don't begrudge anyone who wants to have a site like this or even try and make money, but please don't include my blog to do so. I've spent weeks trying to stop the latest "as seen on TV" emails.

Now this does not mean that you can't be included in all these lists..it's your blog and you can do anything you'd like. I just wanted to explain why I was adding the reminder, what it meant and also asking them NOT to include my blog.

So, I've added some wording to my Copyright notice on the left sidebar to that effect. BUT...I don't want any of my regular or new readers to think that this means that you can't link to me in your blogs. YOU CAN! Please feel free as you always have to mention my blog if you are explaining something, or even sending someone over for a particular reason to read something I wrote. Just as you always have before this. Heck, I just did a whole post with links to cool stuff!

This is strictly meant for content aggregators, link farms or link portals as hubby calls them. Just the sites who wish to provide listings of quilting or crafting blogs. Sorry but if you want to find them...goggle them. I won't provide links to them.

Thanks!

14 comments:

Kim said...

Hummm. Interesting subject. I hadn't thought of that before. I joined Quilting Bloggers and haven't gotten any spam, but I've gotten more recent invitations to join these kinds of groups and ignored them because they seemed totally geared toward commercial advertising. Of course, Quilting Bloggers seems to be now too, although it didn't at the start. Something to think about!

May Britt said...

I so agree. I have got several mails now asking me to join different quilt lists. I have not answered them, but when I look at their site I find my link on it. I have not agreed to to that and I gets a little angry noticing this.

Anonymous said...

Well said. I went to the latest one that is advertising to get us on there and it is nice, fun to read through, but you said it right. It takes the "personal" out of it and I would have to become very guarded about what I would say. I know people read my blog, that is great, but having THAT many people read my blog might be a bit scary!

Sew Create It - Jane said...

I think you've written that very eloquently...How one advertises their blog should be up to them and not to link farms...I haven't really thought about it much, but I think you raise some valid points.

Diane said...

Well said! I got an e-mail invitation to join Quilt Qua and when I went to check it out, saw my blog was already listed.

Anonymous said...

Well said....as I was thinking the exact same thing. I received one from Winfabric this week....I did not permit them to link me nor did I link them (so they can profit--although doubtful much revenue would come from my blog anyway-LOL).

AllisonK said...

Very well said. Thank you.

Paula, the quilter said...

It seems that the 'invitations' have been coming fast and furious. I have only given permission to the Quilting Blogger but it seems I am on other (without permission) plus that WinFabric invite. You have raised valid points. I wonder if there is a way to get off the link portals.

Sweet P said...

Well said! Bravo to you for speaking up. It seems quite a few of us feel the same way.

Red Geranium Cottage said...

AMEN sisterfriend!!! I do not like all that either. So well said!

Ginger Patches said...

Wow, I had no idea that's what was going on...the money making end of it. Thanks for the heads up. I'm pretty sure I've only given permission to quilting blogger. I have been getting more spam than usual though. Thanks again for speaking up especially for everyone like me who was clueless about this stuff :)

Elaine Adair said...

I didn't know all of this - thank you.

Nancy Near Philadelphia said...

An eye-opening post. I had no idea this was what was going on. I enjoy your blog so much, though I seldom comment, and I've had a link to you for several weeks so that I can get to you easily!

Wishing you peace and joy.

Unknown said...

I'm fairly new to blogging and quilting too. I look upon my blog as a way for friends and family to view, my journal such as it is. I started quilting last year and enjoy comments from the few persons that have taken the time to comment on my quilts etc.
I thank you for posting your advice about visitors and links and all the problems that can arise as a result.
I'd sure like to visit you again. Very interesting blog.