You Are The Biggest Liar In Social Media
Did I ever tell you about the time I got arrested at a blogging convention for punching twenty seven different people?
Blame it on my bad temper. I saw a group of people wearing shirts that said “I am A Really Big Deal on The Internet” and went mad with jealousy. Yep, I was struck blind by both their wit and biting sarcasm.
But what really set me off was the person who referred themselves as being the most humble blogger they knew and the smartest. They climbed on top of a trashcan and lectured the rest of us on how to become aterrificblogger like themselves and I just lost it.
It is embarrassing, but I couldn’t take it. They were standing on trash inside this trashcan and the smell didn’t even make them blink. It was amazing and I just knew that someone that could stand in trash could cover themselves in shit and never be bothered by the stench that came with it.
This is a skill that I longed to master for years. Really, can you imagine how much value there is in mastering the secret message behind the story of the emperor who wore no clothes.
Jack Is Old And Cranky
Jack is old and cranky and tired of the bullshit that some people peddle, but not so tired that I need to speak in the third person about myself. I am tired of continuing to stumble onto posts where some know-it-all tries to convince everyone else they know more about blogging and social media than anyone else.
It is not because those people don’t exist it is because those that do don’t spend their time fertilizing the blogosphere with self righteous garbage about how the blogosphere would be better and people would be more successful if they would only blog like the self proclaimed master does.
This kind of crap irks me because it is not true. There is no single, uniform path to internet success and unless I see your books I am unlike to believe all that you say.
It is not because I am smarter than anyone else but because I have been around long enough to have seen a few things and learn a few tricks. Anyone can say anything online and some of the people that hang out here with us are bald faced liars who claim success they haven’t seen.
I could pepper this blog with ads from companies you have all heard of and many of you would assume that means I am generating quite a bit of income from those ads. But their appearance here doesn’t mean that is true.
What You See and What You Know
You don’t know what arrangements we have or don’t have. You don’t know if our financial arrangements are based upon CPMs, Cost-Per-Lead, Cost-Per-Acquisition, Flat rate sponsorship or some other hybrid model.
Hell, you don’t know if I have arranged to run these ads for free in the hopes that others will be impressed by what they see.
If you don’t check references you don’t know if the testimonials you see on sites are real and even then you probably won’t know many of the details. You can’t accept everything at face value nor should you always assume that people are lying. Not everyone does.
But that doesn’t negate our responsibility to question what we read. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask ourselves if what we are reading makes sense or if something feels hinky.
When you get that funny feeling that something isn’t right you shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions. You don’t have to phrase it in a way that sounds like you are accusing the writer of stretching the truth. It is almost always better not to start conversations by making people defensive and or by insulting them.
Related Commentary/Links
Yeah, I know, I seem to have a bunch of posts that relate to this, but I have 9,500 others you can choose from if you don’t like these. I even threw in a few others just because…
- Bloggers Are Narcissists
- Jesus Hates Tim Tebow & 17 Other Reasons Why Your Blog is a Failure
- How 3,000 Sycophants Made One Man A Better Blogger
- How 3,000 Sycophants Made One Man A Better Blogger Part 2
- The Best Way To Blog Is…Your Way
- The Biggest Challenge Most Bloggers Face
Or maybe I should just ask Can You Write a Funny Post? I wonder how many people will comment. This could be interesting.
And with that Jack is ready to leave the building. Just remember blogging is about having fun and I am having a ball. How about you?
kevin August 4, 2014 at 1:26 pm
Hi Jack,
I am totally new to blogging and online marketing, this past week I have visited a lot of different sites and I totally agree with what you say. In some blogs I have seen some total nonsense like you could actually tell that they are full of crap with everything they say but then theres also some interesting ones that you can actually relate to. Love your blog, it looks very clean with valuable content,,, much success 🙂
Sahm Ataine King September 28, 2012 at 1:48 am
But we need know-it-alls, don’t we? See me out: without someone peddling some system that I might just be gullible enough to try, who else can I blame for my lack of internet success? I contend that know-it-all and self righteous bloggers play an important role on the net and for those of us who know we are, too, incredible bloggers simply in need of the not-so-gentle nudgings of they who know better than we. Having someone else to blame satisfies my delusion of perfection tainted by another’s interference, as well.
You’re right, of course; we’re always much too willing to follow another over a cliff simply because the claimed that their way is best.
Well stated, sir.
Jack September 28, 2012 at 10:38 pm
Those know-it-alls sometimes offer real value in what they share and sometimes in what they do. They might not want to be the example how not to act, but that is how it goes.
Write as you will and as you want and your blog will shine. Damn, now I sound like one of them.
Stephi September 27, 2012 at 12:19 am
You mean to tell me that everything you read on the interwebs is not true! @.@
And I totally do blogging wrong. I’m a rebel like that. I post boring, long, personal brain dumps that if I was to go back & read them after hitting ‘publish’ I’d be completely embarrassed & disown myself.
But truly I blog to see what my brain has to unload, as well as to create a log for my children to use later in life to have me committed.
I also leave comments way late at night and when I should otherwise be sleeping and totally lose my train of thought, but feel compelled to leave the comment anyways, since I went through the trouble of filling out the information in order to leave a comment.
Oh, and people who are self-proclaimed experts at anything, because they can talk over, spam incessantly, or otherwise completely annoy other people to get attention are the most annoying type.
jetts31 September 25, 2012 at 9:43 pm
Amen. I’ve been doing this blogging thing for a little while now and have come to learn their is no secret elixir of success. I have also come to learn that some people online will say or do just about anything to be noticed (I think I knew that before but my idealistic side wanted not to believe it).
I know whether or not success, fame, or riches come my way, I am still going to write.
(I hope you throat punched them)
Jack September 26, 2012 at 11:22 pm
Hi Jimmy,
My apologies for the delayed response. I ran out of time before Yom Kippur started and am finally back online now.
There really isn’t any secret elixir. Most of us end up doing this because we love it and for no other reason. Love of blogging and or writing is how you last and how you get the most out of this.
P.S. I really wanted to, but… 😉
Carolyn September 24, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Hey, I thought it was an Oscar the Grouch fan club meeting. How was I to know it was a real trash can?
Kind of like the rest of the Internet, we need to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Jack September 24, 2012 at 4:37 pm
Carolyn,
You are so far off of the characters I am talking about. There are some who have become insufferable and I make a point not to visit their blogs.
Hajra September 24, 2012 at 12:54 pm
Some bloggers are, some aren’t. But those who aren’t haven’t fun with the writing or even with the reading and the commenting then they should really re-think why they are doing this for. Even if they run a super smart business-y blog.
Because we all have our day jobs to feel a little crappy about (except for Bill Dorman, he just loves insurance) , so why make blogging the same…
Jack September 24, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Yeah, that Dorman guy loves his insurance, now doesn’t he. He actually gets giddy when he starts talking about Term life insurance. 😉
Really, if you aren’t having fun than I can’t help but wonder what you are doing here. Not my place to tell people to get out, but…
Gina September 24, 2012 at 8:10 am
You are not old. I can’t speak to the cranky, however!
Jack September 24, 2012 at 5:13 pm
Age is relative and I suppose compared to others who hang around I am a mere babe in the woods.
Bill Dorman September 24, 2012 at 7:17 am
Yes, I saw you coming through the door with that look in your eye so I turned my shirt inside out and walked to the back of the room. Especially since we were on the top floor and I didn’t want to be defenestrated……….
It takes all types, I’ve been duped before but I’ve been hanging around long enough to know what smells right or not.
I’m having fun; sometimes I don’t know if I’m headed in the right direction but I am definitely having fun.
Jack September 24, 2012 at 5:26 pm
Hey Bill,
You just used one of my favorite words and that is cool. I hope you have found time to use it outside of here because that would be cool. Barkley defenstrated a guy a few years back, next time you see Chuck you can ask him about it.
I am sure you have long since begun to smell the BS some of our “friends” are pushing out.
Jayme Soulati September 24, 2012 at 7:11 am
Dude. I really enjoyed the storytelling up front…and, I do love it when you get on your soap box; because you’re really cute when you do.
Jack September 24, 2012 at 5:27 pm
Hang around and I’ll tell another tale or two.
Alma September 24, 2012 at 6:48 am
I have some knowledge of bloggers posting pictures that are not theirs, having fake giveaways and not being truthful overall. But I have a choice who to follow and what to believe. Some might like reading something that is picture perfect because it makes them feel better. A lie here or there is normal to a degree, but those who blatantly do it to get more traffic or followers is not my cup of tea.
Jack September 24, 2012 at 8:39 pm
Hi Alma,
Some people think that because we can’t see their faces and they can’t see ours it is ok to try to stretch the truth. The lack of interaction makes it seem less real and that makes it easier to obfuscate the truth or so it seems to me.
Not a smart or wise move because those things catch up with us, but some still do it.
Stan Faryna September 24, 2012 at 4:15 am
You give a right strong punch, Jack. I’ll be wearing this shiner for a week. Or more. [grin]
Jack September 24, 2012 at 8:48 pm
Hi Stan,
Hours on the heavy bag help. 😉