Today, I am really upset with what’s going on the blog such as a bad behavior from some visitors, and since you arrived to this post, and you are reading, I want to have a little chat and talk from heart about criticizing bloggers who guest post for our blog because this is getting noisy and really annoying, so plz read this post with an open mind, it’s something I really want to share with you, and probably it will help you to understand the nature of our blog and community much better.
We All know that checking spelling and grammar before publishing a post is very important, this is how you will make all readers happy and welling to revisit your site over and over, and you know what? I think there is something missing here!
I bet that most of us don’t really know why someone should check spelling and grammar on his/her blog, but I will tell you the real reason depending on my personal opinion and how I think about it.
When you write with proper Language, you are actually saving the Language, and giving your business blog a pro touch which automatically increase your blog authority and respect, so this will help you a lot to gain more trust.
So, basically you should correct mistakes not because you are afraid to lose a reader, but it’s because you want to make sure that your readers can easily understand what your writing, you want to make sure they get the information they need from visiting your blog.
OK, pretty cool!
But you know what? I think different about blogging, maybe because I discovered that there is acceptable average for grammar and spelling mistakes that keeps you on the safe side, and you still be able to successfully deliver the message to you blog readers, your readers are not stupid, and for them it’s all about that little piece of information they need.
Yeah! that sounds crazy! but… this is the reality!
This is the real world as I see it, and you also can see it if you open you mind to me for a minute. I remember an awesome post written by my friend Andrew Rondeau @andrewrondeau , he talked about the Txt Spk and how Gr8 It’s! Andrew started his post reminding us how the language changed over the past couple of years, he said exactly this “Over the past couple of years or so, our language has changed”, that’s true, but readers must think about what they read!
When Andrew said “our Language” he was pointing to the English Language as his first Language, but English is not “our” Language! I mean it’s not the Language for all bloggers! it’s Andrew’s Language! if that makes more sense to you!
We all are from different backgrounds, for example, I am Egyptian, I speak Arabic Language, one of the most hardest Languages to learn, it’s also the most sensitive Language, in the world by the way -you can transfer more feelings if you talk in Arabic- maybe this is shocking because some people who I met recently was thinking I am American, but I am not, and I blog in English because it’s the #1 Language in the world today.
My Language made me feel lonely!
I believe this is the story of millions!
I remember when I first started blogging, I was networking and networking but there were no use, there were no body on the other side, there is no respond, I heard nothing but only my echo!
I couldn’t find any one on the same page, all people around me didn’t care, no body was listening. There is a lot of money problem in my country, I can not use PayPal, I can not validate my account and connect it with a bank account for example, this means I can not earn money from the internet freely! oh.. and the worst is that no body believed me that time, no matter what I have told to them, they just can not realize the internet market, they think it doesn’t exists because it’s a virtual world, they take the word “virtual” in a different meaning.
But because I was different, and I was thinking different than my people, I started my online journey, trying to find my own way!
I decided to blog for people who appreciate what I am saying!
Language Can NOT be gained with out understanding Culture
Something I believe in, and it’s really hard to change my mind about it.
The relation between Language must go hand in hand with Culture. Language is a living creature, it’s developing and expanding, growing all the time. You can not inject it in your mind, although you can gain it by practicing for years, but even that is not enough to make your an expert in a particular Language. Here comes the role of Culture in our lives, and to gain a language 100% you must learn the culture of this Language. This explain why I can not understand everything I read even in my own Language.
So, I think all the non-English bloggers/writers then will not make it!
Why?
Because they have to learn the Culture, and this is kind of hard (not impossible) because no one have time for this while trying to make a living.
But what about the Pro Bloggers and writers?
I know that almost every writer need a copywriter, I know that a lot of bloggers use others to write their best content, I know that a lot of pro bloggers hire ghost writers.
Try to learn something from Chris Brogan, and why he work with Julien Smith on writing books together, both are professionals, but Chris need Julien, and Julien need Chris.
It’s annoying the Reader?!
Who in the world will care about a spelling mistake if they got criticized? I personally don’t think it’s something that could drive me to kill myself, I spend a lot of time checking my posts before publishing it, but what I can say? there is no use till now! I really had enough because I still cannot make it, you know why? simply because I will never be able to create the perfect piece of content, I am not a native English speaker, so.. there is no way for me to reach perfection in my content, and I admit it, I have tons of mistakes and grammatical issues, but I still able to deliver the information my readers need to get, and this is the main gaol for me, I am not writing novels, and we didn’t create a place to read stories on this blog, we have created together a learning community, so instead of getting a “simple thank you”, some times you get a hell of complains in the comment section.
But what about the Writer?
- What about this person who is trying hard to achieve a goal in this life?
- What about that other person who is trying to make a living?
- And what about those people who is just trying to feed themselves?
- What about the rest of us?
Thank you so much, you have killed the joy and pleasure of our hard work!
Instead of Criticizing, why don’t you Teach us?
We like to learn, what do you like? criticize others?
Tell me one cool tip or advice, anything useful you have got for us, OK.. OK.. answer theses two questions, why you visit this blog? and why no body visit yours?
OK, I will answer you, we have a great community here, we build and appreciate relationships, we help each other, and we try to work together. You don’t communicate with anyone, when you talk you sound bad, no body likes you because your ways, and you will end commenting on your own blog and replying to yourself.
I remember a post made by my friend John Paul @JohnAguiar, he mentioned negativity and how it will find it’s way to your blog, all this just because someone didn’t like you or what you have wrote. I like his opinion on how to deal with negativity, it’s simple as ignoring it. John mentioned a special type of internet jerks, he call them the 500.000 Alexa bloggers lol, he also talked about Reasons You Should Not Be A Blogger on that post, it’s a good read.
And here is another recommended read by Darren Rowse @problogger tells you How to Stand Out in a Niche full of Jerks, it’s very useful post, and it will make you feel better especially if someone has just criticized you. haha
OK, you think what you have read so far is criticizing? I will show you now the real thing! I decided to entertain our readers today:)
I will show you a little of what I have from people like those, but as usual – no names- because if you don’t respect us, we respect ourselves.
I got this comment one month back, and I will publish it here for you as an example:
No offense, but I think this blog thinks too highly of itself. You have to register to post for free? I can post a guest post for free on other blogs without registering.
When I see FB affiliates, I thought you have an affiliate programs where people can refer other people to your blog and get money. But instead, you just post a bunch of affiliates links.
“Support us without paying extra money”? The person who invented that phrase is a genius. LMAO.
The owner(s) of this blog are probably scammers.
You know what I have told to that person?
First, I did my special research, and collected all information I need, I even know where he lives, I went to his blog, I can not see any sign for life there! he is totally newbie from the best kind!
I send him an email and I told him this:
This is not the right way to add a comment on a blog, I think you don’t know what you are doing, I will not publish this comment to protect you from yourself, I know that it will hurt you in the future, and if you think this will hurt our blog then you are mistaken.
I never got a reply!
I mean what’s wrong with you people?
You didn’t even care to think for a minute about us as humans, and you didn’t give a chance for us to grow. All people who contribute to this blog are trying their best to provide YOU with the piece of information you are looking for, they are trying their best to create a better place for you, and what they get?!
Where is your support? forgive me to say that but you are not a reader, I just can not think of you as a reader, you are not even a half reader, no matter what I do but I can not respect you anymore, allow me to call you a racist person, because this is how what your criticizing comment have told me about you!
The mistake you have done, do you realize it?
I have a doubt about this, you know why? OK, let me tell you, when you criticized a blogger who writes here, you criticized me, the blog, and whole community around it.
- You have criticized a person who is probably better than you are.
- You have criticized me because they are my guests!
- You have criticized the blog, the host, the place you are at.
- You have criticized the community, we have 16000 comments on this blog, this means you are actually no body!
This is our community!
So -who ever you are- if you don’t respect the bloggers who writes here, our banning field still empty, and it’s so deep and dark, there is a room for you indeed, and you will disappear for ever.