Doing the Right Thing Matters

Dec5

I’ve been chatting on some boards about what constitutes ethical behavior on this side of the rankspank. People are tense, emotions are running high, and it’s very easy to want to move the line of ethical behavior. I really, really want to caution us as bloggers to not make big changes in the way we run our blogs in this time of frustration. It’s very easy when we are scared and worried to do things that are edgy, iffy, not quite legit. Please hold firm. If you compromise your blogging values now, they win. No, not Google. The ones who accused us of being shills, of selling out, of being whores. I’ve said all along that I believe in what I am doing, and if that’s true than I have no choice but to continue to blog as I always have. I am what I am, and that must not change.

sam elliott You know, in some respects, blogging is like real life, and that’s particularly true for those of us who earn money with our writing. It’s up to the blogger to build and maintain a credibility in the blogoshpere based on their own skills and experiences. We owe it to ourselves and our readers to be ourselves, and we can’t do that if we run like chickens with our heads cut off every time the wind blows from a contrary corner. If you had a medical problem, would you rather go to a doc who had his own diplomas on the wall, or diplomas that belonged to someone else? Do you like your ball players to use their own talents or enhance them with steroids? If Sam Elliot’s voice makes you quiver, will you deny it because your acquaintance thinks he blows?
*pause for consideration of Sam Elliot’s voice*
*ok, moving on*

My point is this: if you believe you are right, keep on keeping on. And if you think you were not right, why the heck were you doing it anyway? Having a reputation for keeping your end of the bargain, even when it hurts means something. Business may be business, but businesses are run by people, and people like to know they can count on the people they are working with. It’s my opinion that if I sell out and do what feels like cheating to me, if I change my blogging technique to overcome the rankspank, then I lose whatever value I had as a blogger. I’ve been accused of selling my soul for 18 months now, and I have denied it vehemently. I’m not about to start doing it now.

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4 thoughts on “Doing the Right Thing Matters”

  1. I think I got confused with rankspank? That aside, sticking to your principles has got to be the road ahead unless you want a great many unnecessary regrets.
    Cheers

  2. “My point is this: if you believe you are right, keep on keeping on. And if you think you were not right, why the heck were you doing it anyway? Having a reputation for keeping your end of the bargain, even when it hurts means something. Business may be business, but businesses are run by people, and people like to know they can count on the people they are working with.”

    I think you were channeling my Dad right there. That is exactly the set of values that I grew up with and heard my Dad cite often. It served my Dad well as a farmer and as a politician. I think it will serve us well as bloggers, too.

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