Tip Tuesday | Tougher Topics | My Take on Big Blogs
Hello my peeps on this terrific Tuesday! Another tougher topics post. I have thought about this subject a lot. I have had a lot of hesitation in writing it. But I have some strong opinions about it and I feel very strongly to share. People who have followed me for a while will likely not be surprised by what I say. Again, these are my personal opinions, you are entitled to a difference in that opinion. So let’s talk BIG BLOGS!!
I think the first thing we should do is define a big blog. So a big blog is a blog that has... wait how many followers do you need before you can call yourself a big blog? Is it a 1000, 3000, 5000, 10,000? Oh that’s right, there is no number. You know why... because someone in whatever fandom you are in has arbitrarily set up a number and/or other criteria by which they define a “big blog”. And that number changes from person to person and fandom to fandom. What is big in one might be medium in another. I hang around a lot of fandoms and there is no one size fits all. For example, there is the Marvel/MCU fandom, within that fandom there are fandoms for each character and each ship and each celebrity. Some are bigger and more popular than others.
So here is my definition of a “big blog”: an exclusionary term based on arbitrary criteria seeking to separate and divide a fandom and a means by which to condemn or justify bad behavior from all sides.
In case you haven’t figured out, I don’t like the term “big blog”. I don’t like it the way I don’t like the term “influencer”. It creates divide where there doesn’t need to be any. If you haven’t noticed, Tumblr doesn’t make follower counts public information. The only way you know is if someone shares their number. I am not saying to stop sharing milestones. Share your accomplishments. But be wary of those who share to make others feel small.
So what do I mean by “bad behavior”? I mean those things you wouldn’t do or say if the person were face to face with you. It’s making others feel less than because they aren’t in the same position as you. It’s using your blog to be selfish, mean-spirited, and close minded rather than kind and welcoming. It is working to keep your fandom small and divided. If you have all this “influence” as a “big blog” why not use it to lift people up?
So to end on a positive note, here is how I am defining “big blog” from now on.
1. A “big blog” uses their platform to encourage and welcome members of the fandom.
2. A “big blog” is inclusive, kind, non-judgmental, and sets an example for positive behavior within the fandom.
3. A “big blog” is a friend, a fan, and above all a decent human being and treats others with the same dignity and respect in a manner in which they wish to be treated.
And at the end of the day, we must all remember, behind these urls are real life people. And real life people are fallible. They make mistakes and missteps. But there is a difference between mistakes and general course of business. We should be kind to one another because we should be kind to ourselves.
