Thursday 17 September 2009

No Guest-Bloggers Allowed

Ahem... contrary to the heading, today's post is from my first-ever guest blogger, Damaria. This is her take on sites that don't allow guest bloggers...

I recently asked a blogger if she would host me as a guest-blogger on her site, as part of my online promotion of Kwanda, the community makeover show. She flatly told me “NO.”

No, she didn’t object to me personally. My content is really harmless, and we’d never “met” on the blogosphere, so I’ve never had the occasion to offend her.

The reason was that she had been let down by bloggers too make times. They’d come on her site, make promises, and then disappear from the face of the earth. So she decided she would no longer host guest-bloggers.

Practically speaking, I couldn’t argue with her position. It is her site, and she can do whatever she likes, and if she doesn’t want to have guest bloggers, that’s cool.

But I also felt sad for her, because she must have been disappointed many times to come to that decision. And if you have been on the Internet/blogosphere long enough, you know what I’m talking about: good content sites shut down seemingly overnight, because the hosting fees are climbing higher due to increased traffic, and the site consumes so much time to update and maintain, and the owner is not getting advertising revenue to keep the site going.

Or a blogger gets tired; wonders if he/she still has something to say. Decides he/she doesn’t, and shuts down a popular blog.

Or my very favourite, which happens a lot among writing blogs: the blogger is inundated with client work. Most of us writers just hang out at our blogs to make friends, have fun and have a platform to occasionally vent to people who truly understand what you’re going through. So when you have to slice up your 24/7 to your priorities, sometimes, paying work trumps blogging. Because blogging is just a fun activity [unless you do it for the money etc].

So I wondered if I would I ever be so tired of being disappointed by bloggers [for the above reasons] that I would decide not to have guest-bloggers anymore. Would blogging be just as rewarding for me?

And what about you? Are you comfortable having guest-bloggers on your blog? Why/not?

10 comments:

Glugster said...

I have no problem with guest bloggers. Had two already.

So, when are you guest blogging on my blog?

Janine / Being Brazen said...

Ive never had a guest blogger before...nor has anyone asked to guest blog on my blog...

I guess if someone reallu wanted to guest blog on my blog I would not be able to say no :)

I dont think I would let someone guest blog constantly though, for the obvious reason that my blog is my personal blog.
The occassional guest blogger might be cool though.

po said...

Never had a guest or been one, my blog is just for fun, but if someone wanted to be a guest I would def not mind.

Cam said...

I'm with Brazen and Po

I'm easy

Unknown said...

Firstly I am not sure that anyone would WANT to be a guest blogger on my blog. I don't think my blog is of such a nature that it lends itself to guest blogging.

Secondly, I am satisfied with people only reading and commenting.

I think most diary/journal/general musings/mad rantings are very personal and whereas posts may be of a general nature, they are made unique by the specific blogger's individuality and personality.

phillygirl said...

Personally, I can't see the point of a guest blogger. Sure, I like some community blogs with multiple people blogging, but if I'm reading a specific person's blog, it's to read them and not some other person they've let loose on their site for a day. I've honestly never felt compelled to find a guest blogger's blog and start reading them instead either.

I very much doubt I would ever allow a guest blogger on my blog. My blog is mine. There is plenty enough space on the internet that we don't need to share.

(clearly I'm the odd opinion here so far ;) hee hee)

Nανєєη said...

I named my blog "My thoughts" ..but still wouldn't mind having a guest blogger. Cos its all creative writing stuff going on there

But if someone keeps his/her blog as a personal journal then i guess having a guest blogger might ruin the fun ..it would be like someone writing in someone else's personal diary.

Tamara said...

Hehehe... Feels weird commenting on my own blog ;-)

Obviously, I don't mind having a guest blogger just for a change. But I think I'd only let bloggers I trust and whose writing I enjoy guest blog, and only if they asked me. I won't go out looking for gueat bloggers.

Thanks, Damaria, for getting the discussion going on this point.

Damaria Senne said...

You're welcome. Thanks for having me.

Markoel said...

If you would like to guest blog, have a look at http://fanagalolingo.co.za and guest blog about SA