Blogging · Little rants · Musings · Social critic

Please Correct Me If I Am Wrong, But I Beg To Disagree!…a little rant.

jacquelineobyikocha

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Maybe I am wrong to rant, but allow me to stew a bit in some of my righteous indignation juices 😉

I came across a post with regards to blogging etiquette and best practices and I would like to holler a bit.

A blogger friend had to start extra blogs based on another bloggers advise to break down her current blog into different blogs, because they deemed it that her articles on devotion do not fit in with articles concerning her mental health and I am like what?

In essence, the advise is that for a mental health blog, all that is expected of the blog are issues about the person’s mental health and depression. How depressing is that? Is that all that her life is about?

Who decides these things and makes these rules? I feel that humans who tend to make this suggestion have issues with other peoples happiness and therefore decides that a person who has mental ill health has no business praying :/

I am still struggling to grasp and understand so maybe someone will educate my poor mind a bit more.

The ‘so-called blog experts’ say that your blog must be themed to be deemed worthwhile and to get like-minded followers. I don’t need only like-mindedness. I love variety and its that simple.

It’s all a matter of choice, or isn’t it? My blog, my rules 😉

To me, it sounds a bit as if she is being asked to break herself into compartments *the blog represents* her to me.

Some of us write not necessarily to score points and what not, but because we find healing in our hearts by doing so. We write because we hope that our words will encourage someone else out there, even if it is just one person.

Why do we like to put ourselves in manacles and strictures? Actively managing one blog can be hectic not to talk of two or three.

Some of us just want to share our mundane conundrums without having some persnickety human, pointing fingers at where you should fit in x or y and souring the juice of fun in the blog.

Very soon, they would want us all to turn into little wound up robots, all saying the same thing and fitting into one tiny box.

Typically, I dislike stereotyping and labeling.  I see it as being narrow-minded, when we assume just a little too much.

If someone who has mental health issues or any other issues for that matter, cannot have a category in his/her blog where he/she connects with his/her intrinsic self, as well as show her readers her self-help survival tips through her devotionals, just how dry do you want the blog to be?

What if a reader is not inclined to follow all the other blogs they have started because they like the original one-stop shop of a blog? Then I suppose they should just be contented in losing their readers.

Mental ill-health or any ill-health is not who the individual is, but a condition that he/she has.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Published by jacquelineobyikocha

A wordsmith with a vivid imagination, an eager mind and a burning desire to carve out tales. As I journey with my muse to that land of all possibilities and self discovery, I hope my personal evolution will serve as a beacon of inspiration for anyone who chooses to stop by.

188 thoughts on “Please Correct Me If I Am Wrong, But I Beg To Disagree!…a little rant.”

  2. My blog is called “Mathemagical Site” which means that I normally post math related stuff. However, from time to time, I also blog about other topics such as science, wordplays, poetry and other non math related stuff, and I don’t see any problem in doing that. Others may complain but it’s my blog so they can’t force me to do what is “right”.

    From a SEO perspective, finding a niche for your blog is a sound strategy since if you can always produce good quality content for that niche, then the blog would rank higher on search engine results, and thus, gaining more traffic.

    However, many bloggers (including me) don’t care about this stuff that much. Many of us just blog in order to share our thoughts, stories, knowledge or experiences.

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      1. Several years ago, I had a part-time job of writing on a high traffic site which niche is graduate and post-graduate level mathematics. Since this site is a niche within a niche, it has a very good SEO ranking and most of its views comes from search engine referrals, social media groups (they’re all math people of course) and several universities.

        It might be fun at first that so many people were able to read my writings but if you write on this type of sites, you have to follow their rules. For example, the tone of writing there should be quite impersonal, and when I tried to add some of my personal touches to them, they will be edited out by the editors.

        Choosing the title’s not easy as well because you have to include keywords that have high SEO ranking, e.g. “lebesgue measure” and “differential topology” in our case.

        So it’s obvious that it’s not fun there…

        As for learning about SEO, I think that learning about the very basics like proper tagging would suffice considering that a lot of these SEO techniques can become obsolete very quickly. For example, when Google updated it search engine’s algorithm (Panda and Penguin update), several of these so-called sophisticated SEO techniques just got destroyed…

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  3. Someone, a wise blogger, told me early on when I was unsure, “This is your blog do what you want” wow it felt good thinking that and yes it is. So, I think we can each do what we feel is best for us and what makes us happy! Great post!

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  4. Sigh, kudos to all who can maintain several blogs because I cannot do it. There is nothing wrong with versatility, shoot my blog covers History, Book Stuff, Movie Stuff and Life Lessons in story, article and poetry form. Just state what your blog in your ‘About Page’ and readers will be guided accordingly. Also make use of appropriate menus and categories, so if Joe Doe is interested in Mental Health, when he comes to said blog, he go directly to that page for information.

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    1. That’s the simple and short of it. I don’t get what the hullabaloo of the so called SEO experts but then again, what do I know. I may eventually have a blog for my books but until then, let me enjoy mulling in this one.

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      1. I have done alot of research about blogging and I take what I need and I leave the rest behind. I understand a bit about SEO, I thing WordPress had an article with a bit of information in it. SEO are basics, words/phrases you would use to drive readers to your blog from the web especially google. I think you have to add some gadgets to your site and it shows you what words to use. It was more complicated when I first heard of it, it is still a bit wearisome but I gained the general jist.If you want to know more do a web search. It is more of a marketing device.

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  5. Blogs are kind of a newspaper based on one or more persons. I don’t care what the theme for a blog is. As long as it is interesting posts about any subject, the blog is great. I like mixed blog, where you can read about almost anything and find new blog friends 🙂

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  6. Very well-said! Indeed, who makes the “rules” in what is “right” or “wrong” for a blog?
    People aren’t compartments, they’re people! No need to compartmentalize them, or their means of expression…including their blogs!
    😀

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  7. Never have I seen a more honest approach to what a blog should be all about, nor a more concise description than this! I think this worthy of a reblog… Not merely because I have ‘SUCKER’ writen on my forehead. Nor does the fact that I’m a big, human Jack-Ass with pressing mental tissues, have anything to do with it! I LIKE IT!!

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  8. Reblogged this on My Opinionsville and commented:
    Never have I seen a more honest approach to what a blog should be all about, nor a more concise description than this! I think this worthy of a reblog… Not merely because I have ‘SUCKER’ writen on my forehead. Nor does the fact that I’m a big, human Jack-Ass with pressing mental tissues, have anything to do with it! I LIKE IT!!

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    1. I had to stare hard to see the sucker written on your forehead but I couldn’t find it Spartacus. Thank you very much for not only finding the time to read but considering it worthy of a reblog. My appreciations 🙂

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      1. Most gracious of you to at least search my forehead for anomolies… I actually looked up ‘blogging techniques’, and they believe rants to be ‘undesireable’. So much for what they know; it’s only when we get worked up about something, can we inspire change in a broken system! You’re an intelligent blogger. We need more of such rants as these… I’m honored to make with your aquaintance :O)

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  9. My blog is “Because you can…” I titled it that because I want my blog to be about whatever I feel it should be about. I post other people’s blogs there if it is relevant to something I want to share. I blog poetry, music, my own thoughts, photographs. A person’s blog, unless they are purposely trying to make an SEO friendly blog or primarily want to fill a single niche’, should be what THEY want to post, what they want to feel, it is their space. I would never tell anyone without them asking what I think their blog should be composed of or how it should look. I like to see the person’s traits and know more about them from their blogging. And that includes mental health and spiritual issues if they wish to share.

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    1. Pavanneh, you couldn’t have said it any better. Except for the purpose of carving a particular niche a blog should be organic and represents it’s owners real thoughts. Thank you for visiting and commenting. I am following you right back to keep up with you. Regards.

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  10. Very much like your sentiments. I just write and whatever happens will happen. Somehow, and I’m not really sure how it takes place, people get to my blog. What really blows my mind is that they come from all over the world. It’s really quite magical.
    All the best in your writing and blogging
    Moshe

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  13. Wow! who has the right to judge another persons blog? We should be able to write about our thoughts, interests, likes and dislikes. I personally avoid blogs that are extremely negative or every other word is the “f” word and that is my choice. I love variety and follow certain blogs just for that reason. It’s nice to have a niche, however, I feel your style of writing can be your niche and not always a specific thing or idea. I agree with – my blog, my choice and your blog, your choice, If you don’t like it, don’t read it.

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  14. I think like some have said it is up to each individual person. I have a few blogs and that is because I one is for reviewing shows for young children so parents can see which ones have good things and some others not so much, one is about my chronic pain and I just feel I can help others and give them hope if I concentrate on that with it’s own blog, I have one about my faith, and one for just every day me when something strikes me funny, or upsets me for whatever reason. I say blog on in a way that makes you happy!

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    1. Wow! You are quite busy. I actually like the idea of specific blogging for specific issues, but then it is the bloggers choice and not a dictation of someone else. I am actually considering a book reviews and writing blog sometime in the year. Thank you for your word.

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      1. lol Yes it can be pretty busy work, however God gave me a brain that never shuts up so it can be helpful for me to write several different kinds of blogs. I also suffer severe chronic pain in several parts of my body ( back, neck, knees, feet thighs, and head) so I don’t sleep much and the blogging gives me something to do when my medicine isn’t working well. I would love to read your book reviews so please let me know if you decide to blog your reviews. You are no one has the right to dictate how another writes it would be boring if we did it all the same way. Thank you for response.

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      3. Thank you and as strange as it might sound eventually your body adjusts to being in pain and I have a very good pain specialists that helps me out a lot and listens to me which is important. I do my best to care for myself as it is important to keep on top of things. Thank you because that would be very interested in a blog like that and I think you would be very good at it. God bless you!

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  17. This is a great post. Your thoughts here are my thoughts. I have all my parts in me. One blog is already more than me. I have a second blog but it’s inactive because of lack of time. I think the experts are many times also wrong. That is one reason a point may be seen to be valid today and not tomorrow. Thank you for this post. Whatever I know is good for humanity and I can write on, I will write.

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  19. Thanks for sharing this interesting article Jacqueline. I am glad nobody tells me what to write. My blog is one of the most widely read blogs. I believe my success has to do with the type of articles I write, not one but on variety of topics, Ebola, Aids, Music! . Ebola blog has nothing to do with music, but they invite .readers. Thank you.

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  20. Often, as in this case, ‘advice’ is best not listened too. We are many complex things, feelings, thoughts, memories, aspirations, likigs, dislikings etc, why not celebrate that and make it all shine through whether in every day life or in our blog?
    Life’s essence is about the holistic, uniting and integrating all of us instead of separating our life and psyche further.
    I got a bit worried whether I’m losing the blogging plot when my posts started to be very different from the previous ones, but then I thought, darn who cares, it’s me!

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    1. Precisely! You’ve got to feel it, to be able to do it. What you are writing has to resonate with you and I totally agree about the essence of life being holistic, uniting and integrating. Thank you for stopping by and your supportive comments. My regards, Jacqueline.

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  22. Wow, are there blogger police now? Sorry, but if someone came to me and suggested a big difference in my blog in order for it to make more sense or be more pleasing to them I would nicely say “Thank you so much for your comment. Can you please unfollow me” and leave it at that. This makes me mad! I have mental health issues and the blogging community has been awesome as far as not breaking me down. A suggestion like this to a mentally ill person could cause them to retreat and not learn and grow from the positive tips/tools/posts/comments/reblogs/likes that it all brings. GGGGRRRRRR Who is the head of this blogging etiquette police? LOL Just kidding but really man that makes me upset. I hope nobody ever does that to me on a bad day. I will probably be so sad and not know how to handle it. But, I have learned here in blogosphere I do have a voice. Thanks Jacqueline for your rant. I agree with you totally!

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  23. Reblogged this on Annette's place and commented:
    A must read on someone’s advice to a blogger. I agree with the author of this post. Please remember your advice is not suppose to be something that is labeled “blogging etiquette” or anything like that. You should not tell a person anything about the contents of her/his posts. I am so upset for the person that was given the “advice” this is my rant!!! GGGGRRRRR let us all live and learn in our own way and time….let us all heal in our own way and own time…..encourage each blogger you see….That is how we all should be.

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  25. I’m with you on this one! Your blog should be what you want to write, I much prefer the more rambling ones. I post on lots of different subjects as the mood takes me. To me blogging etiquette its more about good manners, when it’s ok to share and responding to comments. In all walks of life you have people who wish to impose their way of doing things, I try to always ignore them!

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  26. I was “advised” that mixing my writing ,with truth, poetry, bits of music , etc was too much. The diversity that i saw was a confusing shambles and followers would never know what to expect. A writer should have a writing reviewing blog seperate from the rest.I was new, i still am really, i took it to heart and stopped trying for a while, then I thought she could be right but I have never toed the line that way so why be someone I am not. There is more than one way to skin a Rabbit … or peel an apple if your a vegetarian. 😇

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  27. I agree with you. A person’s blog should be whatever they want it to be. If someone doesn’t like it, then they should just keep going to find something more to their interests. I like a variety of things to read on blogs, and would get bored reading the same thing over and over about one subject.

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  28. You’re so right! Blogging is about being creative… and about expression and the freedom of that expression. It’s also about enjoyment… so who are the finger pointers and their T&C’s to want to tell us how we should go about managing our blogs? Keep encouraging your friend and tell that expert where to put their T&C’s!! 😉

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  30. I’m so with you on this Jackie! Your blog is your blog and it can be about whatever you want it to be about! Just because you seem to have a theme doesn’t mean you can’t deviate from it…a life is made up of diversity and you can share or not share whatever you choose or your blog! I did not know there were Blog Police!!! Well pull me over because I’ll violate the rules and post whatever I darn please! Now step off…

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  31. Frank talk…sis. Seriously variety is my style too. And i totally agree with you on the fact that managing one blog is already a lot of work…people should be free to blog about what they want in their own style. After all it’s their space.

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