OK. I have something I just have to get out there. I guess I have to put out a disclaimer first, though: I'm NOT judging anyone. Other bloggers can do whatever the heck they want, it really has no effect on my life. I'm not in this "blog thing" for any reason except that I enjoy talking about myself and showing off my projects to the people on the computer. ;)
I came across this post on Crafterminds the other day. Another disclaimer: I love Crafterminds! Awesome blog. This is nothing against them, or anyone. Just...just go read the post. I want to know what you think. If you are a blogger, or a blog reader - I want to know what you think.
Here is the comment I posted:
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Wow. I have such mixed feelings on reading these confessions! Yeah, it’s nice to be reminded that other bloggers are not “perfect.” And the confessions are funny! Not sayin’ they’re not.
But on the other hand, it also makes me wonder why I bother. If I faked finishing projects just to get a good pic for my blog…well I could have a heck of a lot more projects to show.
Sponsored posts are bad enough to read (come on let’s be honest); now I have to wonder if the blogger really likes the product or not? Eww. Sorry, but eww.
I’m proud to say that everything on my blog is the real deal. It’s a small blog and I don’t churn out fantastic creative project posts every other day, but oh well! It’s kind of disappointing to know that now, I have to wonder about other bloggers “if they really did that” or not. This whole thing just makes me think twice about the whole blogging thing in general. Kind of a bummer.
I hope this doesn’t sound judgmental. I’m really not judging – people can do whatever they want! We all have our reasons for doing what we do. I’m just kind of disappointed, that’s all.
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What do YOU think of all this?
Edited to add:
Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but I noticed that my comment (on the Crafterminds blog) has been removed, as well as the rather defensive response to it. Um...wow.
I agree about being kind of disappointed. Some of the confessions are funny and I understand where they are coming from, but some are really disappointing. I think the ones that bother me the most are the ones that use angles or photoshop to make their project look finished. I could understand doing that once or twice, but from their comments it sounds like it's a typical thing. Oh well, to each their own. I'll stick with posting projects that are truthfully, completely finished.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on that one. No faking and no lying please.
ReplyDeleteHer reply back to you was pretty harsh!
Thanks for letting me know that there was a reply!
ReplyDeleteUm, yeah you could say it was a little harsh. And very defensive, which upsets me because I really tried not to be attacking with my comments. I didn't say that I don't like Photoshop - not sure where that came from. (I mean, I don't, but only because I can't figure it out and I'm bitter because of it - ha ha!)
I mean, call me naive, but I didn't realize this kind of crap went on behind the scenes of other creative blogs. So for me to now wonder about who's doing it and who's not...I think that's perfectly normal.
"Unforgiving?" Thinking people are "liars?" I never said that...didn't even imply it. :(
What-ev.
I can relate with the confessions about plopping the kids in front of the TV to get a post or project done... guilty. I've never faked a project though... I didn't even know that was a thing.
ReplyDeleteMost of my projects are stuff that I wanted in the first place, so finishing it is more about what I want than about a post. This was interesting to read, that's for sure.
Wow! That post has actually pissed me off, lying about sponsored posts, changing the winner of a giveaway, photoshopping to finish projects and not even finishing projects just passing them off as done and passing off another persons creation as their own. Love all the integrity!
ReplyDeleteWhether its a one time slip of judgement or not, they should at least have the balls to admit it, to both the readers who stick with them and the sponsors who pay them!
First, I usually don't read sponsored posts, and if I do it's because the fact that they are sponsored doesn't show up until the bottom (annoying)! Also, you know who is sending who something free because all of the sudden there is styrofoam all over all the sites at the same time! Second, I love reality. There was a post about how hard it was to do the spray painted mercury glass stuff (can't remember blog) and I immediately added that blog to bloglovin. Third, I never enter giveaways because I'm coming to read blogs for ideas not stuff that I'm never going to win. Forth, on my page about advice to bloggers from someone who loves crafts it's ironic because I list this: "Please use restraint when deciding on a camera angle. I like looking at your finished product with all of it in the frame without having to imagine what it really looks like (see #2 - instagram photos)." Now I know why I may sometimes see some of these strange angles. Lastly, again, repeating myself, I love reality - knowing why a project didn't go well, why a blogger never finished it etc... All this has been very interesting. And I follow you on bloglovin.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel! Thanks for posting about our post over at Crafterminds & sharing your thoughts. I hope you read our follow up post, too!
ReplyDeleteBasically, people make mistakes. Bloggers are not perfect. Everyone has experienced a lapse in judgment. I don't think any of the confessions in the post are regular things... except maybe using the TV as a toddler sitter! :)
Keep on blogging just like you do!
I agree...it makes me wonder about the big, fancy blogs and how "real" they are. I guess when something gets big or the expectations get so big, you do what you must. To be honest, I love it when bloggers post their "fails." We've all been there!
ReplyDeleteI'm all about photoshop for cropping out my kid's heads that like to pop up in pics. And I did PS out some fuzzies on a pillow that I didn't notice until after I took the pics. But to PS basically the whole project is crap. My husband is a graphic designer, imagine all the stuff I could say I did if I just let him work his magic.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm curious what their reply was. I'm all about being honest on my blog, which is why I don't post nearly as often as I want. I'm not the type who is like "oh look, I stuck a pumpkin on the mantle, here is 47 pictures of it!" I'd rather have real stuff every so often, then crap every day.
I absolutely agree with you. I also have a small blog, and I've been trying to build up readership, but it's difficult when not everything I create is perfect, so I don't want to post it... and the idea that some of the popular bloggers are actually faking it? Doing everything on photoshop just because they can? So frustrating. Really, I guess I should just be honing my PS skills instead of my sewing ones. Lame.
ReplyDeleteThe part that really upset me, though, was the idea of passing off other peoples' work as your own. This is never ok. Not even once. That's why it's illegal. In her follow up post, she talks about how nothing is "real". There is a difference between wanting people to be "real" (would be nice, and is lame that it's not), and just plain being dishonest. I'm just sorry the writers in the post don't see that.
I am a fairly new follower here. I found this post and the one it linked to interesting. I wasn't all that shocked to learn about all this dishonesty - I see more and more of it in the world.
ReplyDeleteBut the part I found disturbing is that your comment was removed! I don't think you said anything offensive, just your true feelings. How sad that it was okay to post all the dishonesty, but not the honest response. A sad reflection of our times!
Stay real Rachel. That is what I want to read. Even if a project isn't perfect, I don't care! We all have our flops! Just admit it and move on.
ReplyDeleteI like how you keep it real. It really turns me off when I read that someone would say they liked the product when they don't. Aren't they suppose to be honest and tell us how it would be if WE used it?
ReplyDeleteI do find it disappointing on those bloggers... I kind of would like to know which so I know not to 'trust' them.
Wow what an eye opener! I think honesty is always the best policy. So what if you mess up all us readers know how real life is!
ReplyDeleteI am right there with you... I too am a small little blog and had no idea others faked it at times. It's also really upseting when someone doesnt give their honest opinion about a product. I think that's unfair to their fellow bloggers. It's very disappointing to think a blogger we trusted mislead us into purchasing something of less quality or value just because they didn't want to upset the sponsor. Just my 2 cents! BTW I love your blog.
ReplyDeleteWow. I am really upset by those "confessions"... However, it is somewhat comforting to know that there's nothing wrong with me and the fact that my crafts never look "perfect." In reality, one of the main purposes of my blog is to reveal how ridiculous Martha Stewart's crafts are. I'm really glad that you posted this and that I stumbled upon your blog through Pinterest (hooray Pinterest!). If you ever want to check my (very) imperfect blog, it's: www.peachesmcgee.com
ReplyDeleteI really like visiting blogs mainly for the things that people make and yes, only seeing a small part of project really annoys me. I show the very few readers I have, lol, what projects I'm doing and the mistakes I've made so that others learn from them. I do like some of those fancy blogs though.
ReplyDelete