Groucho's club

May 15, 2012

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I’m completely confused over my attitude to awards. Of course I want to win. We’re brought up to believe being the best if a good thing. But I hate the idea of pimping and begging, I want to be recognised without having to ask ppl to look.

Which, in the style of awards we’ve got floating around right now in the blogging world, just isn’t going to work. Not for me – I don’t have enough regular readers who are into that kind of thing and would think to vote without being asked. Which I suppose means that actually, I’m not good enough. Hm.

So, if I didn’t ask, didn’t get the votes to go through to the next stage of either BiBs or MADs why do I have this curious feeling of disappointment? I knew it wouldn’t happen. But there’s that tiny germ of hope that somehow it will…

Why would I want to win? Do I really want to be a part of the in crowd that much? Of course I do! I want posh prizes, I want glorious nights out, I want ppl to sit up and notice when I mention my award winning blog, like I saw ppl react at Cybher when other bloggers just mentioned their nominations. I want to be able to use that to climb another step, maybe break into paid writing, be the blogger that ppl want to meet but are almost too shy to – don’t I?

I don’t know. I want some of it. The payment, definitely. Times are, as they say, hard. But not at the price of asking for ppl to like me. There’s a stubborn streak that won’t let me do that.

So I guess I’ll go on without awards, trying to make my way some other way. Otherwise, you might even say 😉

This post started life as a comment on Michelle’s blog (yes, that is a follow link, do you remember the days when we used to just link to ppl because we wanted to, not because of a linky or a carnival, just because?), but got out of control and had to be dragged over here.

It’s where it is

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Comments

7 responses to “Groucho's club”

Elaine (Littlesheep)
15 May 2012
((((((((((()))))))))) I’m thrilled to have got through to the next round but am convinced there must be some mistake because there are lots of blogs that are better than mine out there… I guess though that being in the small business category means the pond is smaller. I also think that some blogs that fall into multiple categories get their nominations diluted so to speak as some people will have nominated you in different categories so whilst you would have lots of nominations overall you won’t have them all in one place.
I love reading your blog and would have loved to meet you… I’m sure the time will come one day!
Reply
1. Jax
  15 May 2012
  Thanks Elaine. Do hope we get to meet one day. And I’m rooting for you in the awards 🙂
  Reply
Hannah F
15 May 2012
I love reading your blog and I definitely think you are good enough! I don’t think there’s anything wrong with asking for votes, but I can certainly relate to the stubborn streak:)
Reply
1. Jax
  15 May 2012
  Thanks Hannah, I’ll have to have a good hard think about it all for next year.
  Reply
michelle twin mum
15 May 2012
I can’t at all have you saying you are not good enough, total rubbish. Your blog is one of the long-term few that post good and original content regulalry. We both have to face facts there was only a certain amount of spaces and far more blogs nominated. Like you I did not want to ask for votes and I feel good about that.
Ohh and cheers for that golddust follow link! lol Mich x
Reply
Sarah, Maison Cupcake
16 May 2012
I’ve been quite torn about awards too, I can’t bear the period when everyone is asking for nominations, writing posts asking people to nominate, tweeting it and facebooking it blah blah blah. I’ve seen people win stuff after running these campaigns (even inferring that a vote for that person could win them a prize) and always thought what a hollow victory it must be.
For my part, I didn’t do any of these things and made no effort to be nominated this year. I quietly left the badge at the bottom of the site and waiting to see what happened. Votes in the MADS are mostly to be garnered by those to shout loudest and shout quickest (neither of which I’m likely to manage) therefore it was quite a surprise to be a finalist in both awards. Panel judged stuff isn’t perfect either, say for instance the person leading the judging in your category doesn’t like you?
I may have had some success with my site but I certainly don’t consider myself one of the in-crowd. Never was at school, never will be. With the exception of yourself and a few others, the majority of people either don’t speak to me at blog events or frown and say “you look nothing like your photo do you”!
Sorry to hear you didn’t make it as a finalist for either this time round but to be honest I’ve been very surprised how few names I have recognised. Maybe it’s more indicative of the increased numbers of blogs being started. I suspect that the numbers of votes required to become a finalist is far fewer than we imagine and that with a little canvassing of your own non blogging friends and family you have a good chance of making the finals.
Even though I am now a finalist, I am retaining my “que sera” attitude to the whole thing!
Reply
Blue Sky
20 May 2012
I loved reading this as it says almost everything that I would like to say about the awards system but am afraid too – even commenting on it to my mind suggests that I am uppity enough to think I deserve an award. Being on the edge of the community and in another country and unwilling to ask for votes meant that I only had a tiny hope of ever getting further than the nomination stage, and some lovely bloggers and non-bloggers said they nominated me and that was great and that will do me. Thanks for this post x
Reply