Comments on: Stepping On Someones Head To Grab Another’s Ankles: Climbing The Social Networking Ladder.

By: Bejewell

Bejewell — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:27:38 +0000

A while ago, one of the “big bloggers” wrote a post about something she was going through, and it was really sad and difficult, and she asked people to write her and tell her about their own experiences, etc. Basically, it was a plea for others to tell her that everything was going to be okay. And I totally felt her pain.

I really NEVER leave comments on the “big” sites (except the Bloggess, that one I just can’t resist), much less send emails, because I know I’ll just get lost in the din, and what’s the point? But in this case I wanted to reach out, and tell her I was going through the same thing, and say how much I related to her, and wished her the best.

She never responded.

And I was utterly hurt. I mean, I know she’s in the “big time” and I’m so… well, NOT… but it took a lot for me to write that email, to admit that I was going through it too, and this lady ASKED people to respond, and I DID — she can’t take 30 seconds to say, thanks, I’m so glad you relate, I appreciate you reading, SOMETHING? Rude, much?

And then I started thinking about it, and realized that this woman had NEVER responded to a single thing I’d ever sent her. Tweets, Facebook status comments, whatever. I hadn’t sent much, but what little I had sent had been completely ignored. I guess I just wasn’t cool enough to sit at that table in the cafeteria.

So I unfriended her, and blocked her on Twitter, and mentally gave her the finger.

And I’ve felt much better ever since. Because I’m not IN a cafeteria. I’m in my life, and blogging is just a part of that, and that woman is NOTHING to me. She really isn’t. I’m SO MUCH COOLER than she is, it’s ridiculous. At least, I am in my own mind, and that’s the only place that matters — right?

So there you have it.

The end.

By: Jett

Jett — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:40:25 +0000

LOVED this post. Loved it.

By: Tiaras & Tantrums

Tiaras & Tantrums — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:31:04 +0000

I keep hearing rumblings of ‘trouble & drama’ and I always miss it! Or I think my brain just avoids all that nonsense!
I always try to respond back to a comment on blogger or twitter – BUT I am at home with 3 little kids, I blog or twitter in, around, between, with kids on my lap, on my head, inside my shirt – it’s not easy and a lot of the times on the fly and very quickly!

I really don’t get the drama – I never did – even in high school – and I was a cheerleader and in homecoming court AND I was friends with EVERYONE!! And I am still that way!

By: Haley-O

Haley-O — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 05:18:25 +0000

Everyone needs to start understanding that the so-called “big bloggers” aren’t going to do ANYTHING to help other “little” bloggers get ahead. There are NO coattails to ride on unless you have something really big to give. I’ve come to accept this. If I see a tweet that interests me, I @ back — no matter who the writer is. I’m often annoyed when I don’t hear back from a “big blogger” because I WOULD NEVER. One of the things I promised myself when I started blogging in 2006 was that I would never exclude people, that I would be the “nice” blogger with a foremost goal of INCLUSIVENESS. I think the current climate of the momosphere — represented in this terrible tweet — is really sad. I give up and am about to unfollow those “big bloggers” who don’t give the little people the time of day. I ALWAYS @ people back. If I don’t, it’s because it’s unnecessary, or because I email or comment on their blog instead. ANOTHER great, honest post. Bravo! (Funny, this all has been on my mind lately!)

By: Nikki

Nikki — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:04:23 +0000

I am painfully shy when it comes to interacting with most people, and would probably cry my eyes out if someone accused me of leaving a comment somewhere just to “get ahead.” But I’m relatively new to the whole blog thing, I don’t yet understand the high school politics involved in blogging and making connections, and I think I kind of prefer it that way. I didn’t play popularity games in high school and I’m certainly not up to it 15 years later. I use my blog mostly to expel random crap from my head and to work on being a better writer overall. As for twitter, I just signed up and I need a freaken manual to explain the @, #, and all the symbols.

By: VDog

VDog — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:18:58 +0000

I loved meeting you but I wish we could have hung out more!

As for twitter, I just have ADD, so yannow. And what Maggie said.

I also try not to @ someone back more than 2 or 3 times b/c then it’s like, uh, maybe we should just be IMming each other. LOL

By: Lynda

Lynda — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:08:28 +0000

I signed up for Twitter around the same time as a lot of my blog pals, dropped it for a while, went back to it. I have under 100 followers/following and I like it that way. I see some people have over 1000 following. I just don’t understand it.

I really like your post. It’s so true. I have wondered about it myself.

By: patty

patty — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:50:12 +0000

As I read this, at first I thought “Why worry about what people you’ve never met think or do or don’t do or post on twitter?”

And then I remembered OH YEAH, I recently got dropped simultaneously by two bloggers I thought liked me.

And it bothered me.

So I stopped thinking I was above it all and realized yeah, you’ve got a great point.

There’s a person behind the screen name. And we allllll have feelings. And the social climbing thing? Bugs. Me.

By: sarah

sarah — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:47:56 +0000

this is a great post. After BlogHer, I’m officially over the “we’re so cool” crowd. I did that in high school. I actually unfollowed a lot of people recently who can’t be bothered to respond to me when I tweet something in response to them. When people start to think it’s about social climbing rather than just a genuine interest in communication, they’re not someone I want to communicate with anyway.

By: Genevieve

Genevieve — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:08:33 +0000

Edit: Just because you look down your nose at someone — doesn’t mean they’re looking up to you.