You just might be a blogger

At SOBCon this past weekend, amongst 110 of my closest friends, David Armano implored us to "stop calling yourselves bloggers." Dawud Miracle echoed David's points in an article entitled Stop Calling Yourself A Blogger.

And I agree...to a certain extent. As I mentioned in my comment on Dawud's article, "It’s all about choice and connection points. I’m a blogger when I want to be among other bloggers. I won’t deny it if someone asks me if I’m a blogger but if people don’t know what a blogger is, why say that when you can say “Online publisher,” “Entreprenuer,” “Whatever.”"

OK, so that's all well and good, but now, I'm thinking...What does it mean to be a blogger, and why the heck would you want to be one? After SOBCon, I know the answer. With apologies to Jeff Foxworthy, what follows is 4 ways to know if ...

You just might be a blogger

1. You love Passionate Community - What are you working on? Do you need help? If you do, post something on your blog and ask for it. Chances are someone in your community of bloggers will find you someone to help you and will help you passionately, no strings attached. I know this is true based on all the fine folks that helped me edit and promote my book. If you love passionate community, you just might be a blogger!
   
2. You love to help people - As I said in my first point, bloggers are willing to help people unconditionally. If you love to help people achieve their dreams, you just might be a blogger!
   
3. You love to learn as much as you do to share - Blogging is still not mainstream. Many do not blog, and many tools come out every day, some of which help you, and some of which are just plain F-U-N. Still, if you love to learn new things, play with new technology, and think about things in new ways, you just might be a blogger!
4. You love sharing memes - If you think that you've got more and better reasons than I do to be a blogger, and you can't WAIT to leave a comment to improve this post, or you want to share it with the people on your blog, you just might be a blogger!

Go ahead and tell us...what do YOU think? I know you can do better, so leave me a comment, track back to this post, and remember, you just might be a blogger!

Flickr photo credit to P.Retuta


Technorati Tags: bloggers, publishing, entrepreneur

Comments

[Lucia Mancuso]

Alright - so I'm a blogger too... but I'm also a lot of other things. being a blogger is only part of who I am, so yes.. I am a blogger.

Damn - after all this conversation about am I or ain't I - I can't believe anyone isn't quoting the famous "I'm a lover, not a fighter."

Had to say it - it's being eating at me.

[Douglas Karr]

I think you've nailed it. As I said on Dawud's site... anyone can paint, but not many people call themselves painters. I'm a blogger... and I love it!

I'm bummed that I wasn't up the street at SOBCon! We had a software release so I couldn't get out of town.

:(

[Phil Gerbyshak]

Hey Lucia:
I am what I am, and that's what I am.

Seriously, I think you can be a lover AND a fighter. And I think that's okay by me :)

GREAT meeting you at SOBCon. Can't wait to see you again, hopefully soon!

Doug:
You are on the money my friend!

You were MISSED man! Hope to meet you in person soon!

[EM]

When you take a notebook to the grocery store just in case the clerk says something funny... you might be a blogger!

[Dawud Miracle]

If you love people, you just might be a blogger.

Blogging, for me, is about the people I get to interact and have conversation with; people I likely would not have met any other way...just like you, Phil.

So personally, I don't care what you call me - as long as it's nice. I do care, however, what I call myself to others.

And Lucia, I was thinking of Walt Whitman, "Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes."

[Thomas Clifford]

I've struggled with the word "blogger" for nine months...since I started *cough* blogging.

If language helps define "who we are" and shape our "story" then calling ourselves something that most people do not understand possibly adds to weakening our story.

So here's my "Golden Rule:" I'm a blogger amongst other bloggers. I'm a ( ) amongst other ( ).

Conversations are easier and not wrapped around "baggage."

Thanks for post, Phil.

[EM Sky]

To Strengthen the Story

Hey, Thomas. It only "weakens" our story if we give other people the right to judge our story in the first place, eh? I defy anyone on the planet to weaken "my story." Can't happen.

And anyway, the reaction depends on the person. Whenever I run across someone who does (or "is") something I've never heard of, I really perk up. "Oooooh, what's that???" So to my ear, it makes a person's story more interesting. But it's still not my story to judge.

[Karen]

Most days, I'm a blogger and proud of it. There are some days I call myself a Web Content Writer. :)

It's the same difference betweeen a stay-at-home mom and a Domestic Engineer. Either way, the job is good!

[David Armano]

Now, Now...

Remember, I said there are times when it makes sense to use the label. But everything you mentioned above goes beyond being a blogger. It sounds like a relationship builder.

Guess what? Some bloggers don't build relationships. But they're still bloggers.

[Phil Gerbyshak]

Great conversation here. Thanks to everyone who has contributed thus far. I think you're all right. It's up to YOU, so choose what works for YOU.

[YUS]

I'm a blogger.....and I love it!