Saturday, August 29, 2009
CheeseburgHer, CheeseburgHer, CheeseburgHer
I know I’ve said this before but I signed up for almost every party out there. For some I had certain expectations or perceptions and for others I had not one single clue. The CheezeburgHerParty describes itself as a group of blogger friends who decided to throw an impromptu hotel party involving cheeseburgers, bags on heads and fun at BlogHer in 2007, and a tradition was born. Now this party sounded like fun.
It seemed that I was already starting to get into the teacher, sleep mode of ready for bed by ten but I didn’t want to miss this party. I at least wanted to make an appearance. I’m so glad I did.
The party took place in the 2500-square-foot Presidential SuiteThe Suite which had a wonderful view. The large table was laden with McDonalds Cheeseburgers, Hamburgers, and French Fries. All the while a waiter was running around offering you more fries and burgers with cheese or sans cheese. What’s to drink? Wine of course, oh and Snapple, and Dr. Pepper too.
I donned my party hat and began to take some video. The hat actually reminded me of something I might have done as a child. Unlike other little boys and girls who had birthday parties with hats and noisemakers. We were poor and I wished I could have had one of those funny little hats. Back then I did my best to make hats from shopping bags with the help of scissors, tape, and crayons. None of my brothers or sisters co-operated.
Here I was walking around with a McDonald’s hat on my head and the word “Thriftymaven.com” written on it. OK so I’m not all that imaginative. I was overwhelmed by the number of women that were able to cram themselves into a room but as the room began to fill I began to feel uncomfortable. I’m just so claustrophobic.
I left before the party got really loud which is probably a good thing because it seems security was called and just before the bachelor party crashed the party. I did hear that it was so noisy that nearby guests were complaining. Who knew that bagheads were so cool?
No wonder McDonalds is still my kind of place!
Monday, August 24, 2009
BOWLHER One of My Hands Down Favorite Events At BlogHer
Can a girl admit she’s WRONG? I was wrong. Wrong with a capital W. When I was busy signing up for parties I decided not to sign up for BowlHer.
I do not bowl. Rather I have tried to bowl and as of yet I’ve not quite got a handle on why no points are awarded for consistent getting the ball to head straight for the gutter on the right hand side of the lane. I even have a patented move which involves me getting in the squat position with my legs open wide and rolling the ball down the lane. Even the shoes are ugly. I just couldn’t imagine myself enjoying a party at a bowling alley. Did I mention I was WRONG?
My original plan was to go to the BlogHer cocktail party then head on over to the Shutter Sisters Pajama Party and end the evening at the Cheezeburgher Party. My quick exit from the Shutter Sisters Party left a big gaping hole in my social activities. The BlogHer cocktail party turned out to be a wonderful formal send off for the weekend. They had an open bar and some nice horderves. The butlers in their formal outfits made sure that you were well taken care of. They had shrimp pot stickers, lamb chop, coconut chicken, stuffed mushrooms, and mini-beef Wellington.
BlogHer is formally over but it's not time to say goodbye. It's time to say good-bye to my fairy tale life at BlogHer. The clock it heading towards midnight but I hope I don't leave my glass slipper behind.
I decided to make a quick trip over to the BowlHer event and I discovered they had a list and were checking it twice. No problem. I admitted straight up that I had failed to register for the party. She looked down and said, “No problem. Come on in.” I was then handed a PINK feather boa and a crown.
This was another moment I would have just run out skipping and jumping for joy because I got a pink boa and I was so special I got a crown. Pink is my FAVORITE color so my happiness level is already flying at full-staff.
As we ascended the escalator to the second floor you could see people looking at us. Not in a weird crazy bag lady that one might do if you were the only one with a tiara and a feather boa. No this was more like a “Why can’t I have a feather boa and a crown?”
I heard a woman who was walking up the stairs ask one of the pink boa ladies “What’s with the crowns?” “We’re bloggers” she answered. Did she understand I wondered?
At the top of the stairs you noticed that it was decked out to be a big media type event that began with a walk on the red carpet. It appears that they were promoting Lifetime TV Channel and Project Runway. Someone came by with a camera just as I getting online and asked if we loved Project Runway. The squat, chunky young woman behind me chimed in “I’m simply addicted to that show. I just love, love, love it.” You might as well have been asking me if I loved chocolate.
Now’s the time I said to myself. I turned to the woman who had just come to life on cue and said, “I just love your boa. You have great taste.” She looked down at her boa and said, “Oh you too. I like yours too.”
I can’t let it drop here. I have to say something. Usually this is where I fall flat. I did the open now I need to keep the ball in the air.
“You know, originally I wasn’t going to come to this party. I’d signed up for almost every party that you could but I am such a crummy bowler I thought I’d be a fish out of water.”
Not the best come back line but it does open her to state that she’s either a very good bowler, a mediocre bowler, or a bowler more in line with me and perhaps a corpse. Even if she didn’t want to share that she could maybe comment on how she’d been to some party or all of the parties or how much she had been looking forward to this party. I’m hanging and hoping that she will respond.
I decide to make one last attempt at conversation. “I spoke to one of the people who is working with this event and she mentioned that it would be awful for me to miss out on all the great swag. She had even mentioned something about a zebra bowling bag. Isn’t that funny?”
I didn’t realize that I was waving a red cape before a bull. Her eyes narrowed and she said, “I hate all this commercialism. I hate how people are making it all about the swag. It’s not all about the swag. Blogging is about the art. It is about your ability to tell a story. It is not and should not be a commercial venture.”
Ah, OK. I decided to change the subject. “What do you blog about?” “I’m a Mommy Blogger. I blog for a news paper insert the name of a small Midwestern city, and I paid for this trip myself. Unlike some of the other people here who have sold their souls for the all-mighty dollar, I paid for this myself. I don’t let corporate America influence what I am saying. Every day I’m sharing deep and personal thoughts and feelings with people and even though I don’t have a lot of readers I’m beginning to see an upswing in my readership.”
Perhaps because I won a trip to Kraft Food I was a little put off by her statement. I sold my soul to Kraft Food? How is that exactly? Then in the very next thought I blurted out “Do you get paid to blog?” She told me she did but not as much as the sports blogger. He has more people following his blog. While I didn’t say it aloud was that being on a newspaper was also a sponsored blog. My blog is not sponsored but my trip was and I was a bit put off by her self-righteousness.
The woman behind her was also a mommy blogger for a newspaper so they began talking about how sports bloggers always have more readers. Then I heard the woman brag about how she didn’t even ask the newspaper to pay her expenses because that way she could be honest about her opinions of BlogHer. I suppose that was supposed to mean that she was above it all but no one had asked me to say ANYTHING.
I listened as she droned on about how she about her personal and innermost thoughts on her mommy blog. So essentially she sacrifices her family’s privacy for a paycheck. Is that selling out I wanted to ask her. I mean if it’s really all about the craft of writing like was saying then why not do it for FREE? Then I heard her talk about how some companies provide her with things to review but she lets them know that she will write what she truly feels about something and not be a corporate shill.
Again, why not say, my family’s story is not for sale? If swag and ANYONE who takes it is really unscrupulous like you say, then why are you standing in line in a boa and a tiara waiting to go to a party sponsored by a television show? Why not be working on your craft at home away from all this commercialism? Why must you expound upon how much better you are than others?
I believe some women who blog are all about the craft of writing. They are so good at what they do that the fame comes to them. They don’t generally lecture people about hypocritical loss leaders. They don’t have to say they are better than others because their barometer of success does not require putting others down to raise themselves up. I am certainly not at that level.
I was almost trying to turn off her diatribe against other bloggers, against the swag, and then I heard her say something about the stealing of swag. Swag stealing? I knew nothing about that? Pushing? Elbowing babies? A bruise in the shape of a hand? What in the heck was I dealing with? I had gone from rolling my eyes to wondering what the hell was wrong with people.
The line began to move. I watched as women began walking the red carpet, sometimes by themselves and sometimes in groups. They stopped for photos and I tried to get back in a festive party mood but I was mulling over all that I had just heard. I walked down the red carpet, took my photos and entered the bowling alley.
This was a bowling alley like I had never known before. It was HUGE with a bar, pool tables, and glow in the dark pins. I was stopped by one woman who asked if I wanted to send a video message to someone special. I said sure and I told them my husband. They wanted to know why he was the greatest man alive. I had exactly two minutes to think about what I was going to say and then it was lights, camera, action.
Then I walked to the back of the bar. For people like me this was a great place to observe and make a decision as to what I was going to do. I walked up to a table and there were women who were dealing with children with autism. We talked for about ten minutes. I told them about my nephew and about some former students and they told me about their organization. It was this conversation that brought me back to my own reality.
I went into teaching to make a difference. I look over the years and remember the families and former students who thanked me for the things I have done. Why in the world did I let that girl in line ruffle my feathers for even a moment? If being a blogger makes her feel as though she’s changing the world then let her have that. I didn’t care. I think what I did care about what her decision that others weren’t making the same contributions that she was. I knew that in less than 24 hours I would be going back to my little world and then shortly thereafter I’d be starting back to school.
I came out of the shadows of the back of the bowling alley and began to walk around. I tried to play pool. I sampled some products. I handed out some business cards. I had a great time and then I left because I didn’t want to miss the Cheezeburgher Party.
It’s funny that this was the one party that I thought I wouldn’t enjoy but turned out to be one I enjoyed a great deal.
I do not bowl. Rather I have tried to bowl and as of yet I’ve not quite got a handle on why no points are awarded for consistent getting the ball to head straight for the gutter on the right hand side of the lane. I even have a patented move which involves me getting in the squat position with my legs open wide and rolling the ball down the lane. Even the shoes are ugly. I just couldn’t imagine myself enjoying a party at a bowling alley. Did I mention I was WRONG?
My original plan was to go to the BlogHer cocktail party then head on over to the Shutter Sisters Pajama Party and end the evening at the Cheezeburgher Party. My quick exit from the Shutter Sisters Party left a big gaping hole in my social activities. The BlogHer cocktail party turned out to be a wonderful formal send off for the weekend. They had an open bar and some nice horderves. The butlers in their formal outfits made sure that you were well taken care of. They had shrimp pot stickers, lamb chop, coconut chicken, stuffed mushrooms, and mini-beef Wellington.
BlogHer is formally over but it's not time to say goodbye. It's time to say good-bye to my fairy tale life at BlogHer. The clock it heading towards midnight but I hope I don't leave my glass slipper behind.
I decided to make a quick trip over to the BowlHer event and I discovered they had a list and were checking it twice. No problem. I admitted straight up that I had failed to register for the party. She looked down and said, “No problem. Come on in.” I was then handed a PINK feather boa and a crown.
This was another moment I would have just run out skipping and jumping for joy because I got a pink boa and I was so special I got a crown. Pink is my FAVORITE color so my happiness level is already flying at full-staff.
As we ascended the escalator to the second floor you could see people looking at us. Not in a weird crazy bag lady that one might do if you were the only one with a tiara and a feather boa. No this was more like a “Why can’t I have a feather boa and a crown?”
I heard a woman who was walking up the stairs ask one of the pink boa ladies “What’s with the crowns?” “We’re bloggers” she answered. Did she understand I wondered?
At the top of the stairs you noticed that it was decked out to be a big media type event that began with a walk on the red carpet. It appears that they were promoting Lifetime TV Channel and Project Runway. Someone came by with a camera just as I getting online and asked if we loved Project Runway. The squat, chunky young woman behind me chimed in “I’m simply addicted to that show. I just love, love, love it.” You might as well have been asking me if I loved chocolate.
Now’s the time I said to myself. I turned to the woman who had just come to life on cue and said, “I just love your boa. You have great taste.” She looked down at her boa and said, “Oh you too. I like yours too.”
I can’t let it drop here. I have to say something. Usually this is where I fall flat. I did the open now I need to keep the ball in the air.
“You know, originally I wasn’t going to come to this party. I’d signed up for almost every party that you could but I am such a crummy bowler I thought I’d be a fish out of water.”
Not the best come back line but it does open her to state that she’s either a very good bowler, a mediocre bowler, or a bowler more in line with me and perhaps a corpse. Even if she didn’t want to share that she could maybe comment on how she’d been to some party or all of the parties or how much she had been looking forward to this party. I’m hanging and hoping that she will respond.
I decide to make one last attempt at conversation. “I spoke to one of the people who is working with this event and she mentioned that it would be awful for me to miss out on all the great swag. She had even mentioned something about a zebra bowling bag. Isn’t that funny?”
I didn’t realize that I was waving a red cape before a bull. Her eyes narrowed and she said, “I hate all this commercialism. I hate how people are making it all about the swag. It’s not all about the swag. Blogging is about the art. It is about your ability to tell a story. It is not and should not be a commercial venture.”
Ah, OK. I decided to change the subject. “What do you blog about?” “I’m a Mommy Blogger. I blog for a news paper insert the name of a small Midwestern city, and I paid for this trip myself. Unlike some of the other people here who have sold their souls for the all-mighty dollar, I paid for this myself. I don’t let corporate America influence what I am saying. Every day I’m sharing deep and personal thoughts and feelings with people and even though I don’t have a lot of readers I’m beginning to see an upswing in my readership.”
Perhaps because I won a trip to Kraft Food I was a little put off by her statement. I sold my soul to Kraft Food? How is that exactly? Then in the very next thought I blurted out “Do you get paid to blog?” She told me she did but not as much as the sports blogger. He has more people following his blog. While I didn’t say it aloud was that being on a newspaper was also a sponsored blog. My blog is not sponsored but my trip was and I was a bit put off by her self-righteousness.
The woman behind her was also a mommy blogger for a newspaper so they began talking about how sports bloggers always have more readers. Then I heard the woman brag about how she didn’t even ask the newspaper to pay her expenses because that way she could be honest about her opinions of BlogHer. I suppose that was supposed to mean that she was above it all but no one had asked me to say ANYTHING.
I listened as she droned on about how she about her personal and innermost thoughts on her mommy blog. So essentially she sacrifices her family’s privacy for a paycheck. Is that selling out I wanted to ask her. I mean if it’s really all about the craft of writing like was saying then why not do it for FREE? Then I heard her talk about how some companies provide her with things to review but she lets them know that she will write what she truly feels about something and not be a corporate shill.
Again, why not say, my family’s story is not for sale? If swag and ANYONE who takes it is really unscrupulous like you say, then why are you standing in line in a boa and a tiara waiting to go to a party sponsored by a television show? Why not be working on your craft at home away from all this commercialism? Why must you expound upon how much better you are than others?
I believe some women who blog are all about the craft of writing. They are so good at what they do that the fame comes to them. They don’t generally lecture people about hypocritical loss leaders. They don’t have to say they are better than others because their barometer of success does not require putting others down to raise themselves up. I am certainly not at that level.
I was almost trying to turn off her diatribe against other bloggers, against the swag, and then I heard her say something about the stealing of swag. Swag stealing? I knew nothing about that? Pushing? Elbowing babies? A bruise in the shape of a hand? What in the heck was I dealing with? I had gone from rolling my eyes to wondering what the hell was wrong with people.
The line began to move. I watched as women began walking the red carpet, sometimes by themselves and sometimes in groups. They stopped for photos and I tried to get back in a festive party mood but I was mulling over all that I had just heard. I walked down the red carpet, took my photos and entered the bowling alley.
This was a bowling alley like I had never known before. It was HUGE with a bar, pool tables, and glow in the dark pins. I was stopped by one woman who asked if I wanted to send a video message to someone special. I said sure and I told them my husband. They wanted to know why he was the greatest man alive. I had exactly two minutes to think about what I was going to say and then it was lights, camera, action.
Then I walked to the back of the bar. For people like me this was a great place to observe and make a decision as to what I was going to do. I walked up to a table and there were women who were dealing with children with autism. We talked for about ten minutes. I told them about my nephew and about some former students and they told me about their organization. It was this conversation that brought me back to my own reality.
I went into teaching to make a difference. I look over the years and remember the families and former students who thanked me for the things I have done. Why in the world did I let that girl in line ruffle my feathers for even a moment? If being a blogger makes her feel as though she’s changing the world then let her have that. I didn’t care. I think what I did care about what her decision that others weren’t making the same contributions that she was. I knew that in less than 24 hours I would be going back to my little world and then shortly thereafter I’d be starting back to school.
I came out of the shadows of the back of the bowling alley and began to walk around. I tried to play pool. I sampled some products. I handed out some business cards. I had a great time and then I left because I didn’t want to miss the Cheezeburgher Party.
It’s funny that this was the one party that I thought I wouldn’t enjoy but turned out to be one I enjoyed a great deal.
South Of The Border Lunch At BlogHer
Lunch today was brought to us by the letter M for Mexican. Once again they offered me way too much food and once again it took everything inside me to try to keep from loading up on the food.
Why is it that I normally eat reasonable sized servings but throw me in a buffet line and I’m acting like I’m in the meal line on the Titanic and this is my last meal. I just want to throw food onto my plate almost in an attempt to reassure myself that I won’t be hungry later.
There were tamales, chicken fajita,refried beans, salad, and although it was difficult I even tried a bite of the tasty desserts like Tres Leches and Churros. Since I’m still trying to stay away from drinking so much caffeine I wish they had had some caffeine free diet Pepsi to drink. Then again, I might have been the only one there drinking it so I suppose that is selfish of me.
Once again this meal was supposed to be Birds of a Feather but I was a bird without a flock. Stick me in a big room with food and tables and I’m a mouse in a maze. I head for one of the tables and once again I’m joined by some other bloggers.
I ask each one their name and each one about their blog but no one asks for my name or the name of my blog. Are we all so lost in the tech world that we forget that conversation goes two ways? Am I expecting too much? I listen as they tell me about their blog, the opinion about BlogHer and I wonder if I should interject something like, “Oh and by the way, I’m the ThriftyMaven but you can just call me Cathy.”
After spending the day inside I was anxious get some fresh air. I hoped to be back in time to hear the Sponsored v. Unsponsored – Blogging for $$ Where Do You Stand? With that in mind I was off for a walk along the river in the bright sun shine.
Friday, August 21, 2009
The Microsoft Spa – Ah
The Microsoft Spa – Ah
I have been teaching Microsoft Office for the last seventeen years. I am even Microsoft Office Certified which means I took a test as to my competency and I passed it with flying colors. So when I first noticed the word Microsoft my head turned. Maybe I could get some information about the new version of Microsoft Office which I haven’t learned but I know I must teach soon. Then I noticed the word SPA. Who doesn’t love a spa? What do the two have in common I wanted to know.
Turns out that Microsoft had decided to pamper the bloggers of Blogher with professional makeovers, back rubs, and manicures. After a wonderful experience at the Suave counter I visited the Spa for a makeover.
I no sooner sat in the chair when a photographer came up. She took my name and my card and told me she was taking photos for some paper that included London in it’s name. I swear I couldn’t hear her even though I asked her twice. She took a series of photos as the makeup artist worked her magic.
While I sat in the chair, I had the overwhelming urge to say “I’m ready for my close-up Mr. DeMille.” Sadly I knew that my remark would fall flat as they have probably never watched the movie Sunset Boulevard. It was appropriate though. While I was never a movie star, in society I was hitting the age where many would consider me to be a has been. The bloom was not only off the rose and the bloom itself was just a memory.
When do we stop looking in the rearview mirror at the mistakes and missteps that we have made? Do people who say that they lived their life with no regrets truly have nothing they would have done differently? When I sing “My Way” with Frank Sinatra on the car radio am I really telling the truth? Isn’t it true that our way is often decided upon by factors like serendipity? Can’t I still wish I’d had a pony?
After I had my makeover I stopped over to talk to the lady who was in charge who wanted to know what I thought of my experience. I told her how much I enjoyed it and bragged about my certifications. I told her how much I enjoyed my time at the spa and what my opinions were about the new Windows Live. I like it except for the fact you can’t upload more than one photo at a time. Other than that I LOVE Photo Gallery and Movie Maker to edit and organize your photos and movies, and then post them online. You can blog, manage your calendar and I can see what's new with my friends all in one place. That's because you can add your favorite sites, like Facebook, Yelp, or Twitter to Windows Live, and your friends will get your updates in their “What’s New” feed. That means you don’t have to e-mail or IM all your friends to let them know what you’re up to.
What I love is that I have access to all the files I've uploaded no matter where I am AND my friends and family, and even co-workers can have access to the files I want to share with them and they
When we were finished she handed me one of my very favorite gifts of the weekend, a Microsoft Office Small Business version. I could have hugged her. It’s just what I needed for my laptop which I use for my school work.
I looked at my schedule to see what I missed. For a woman who only missed four classes during my whole college career I was feeling a bit embarrassed for having missed so many of the break-out sessions. Still I felt I was accomplishing some of what I hoped to accomplish. I was meeting people in the PR field and trying to get my name out there. I was also stretching my wings and trying new things. Now off to lunch I say.
I have been teaching Microsoft Office for the last seventeen years. I am even Microsoft Office Certified which means I took a test as to my competency and I passed it with flying colors. So when I first noticed the word Microsoft my head turned. Maybe I could get some information about the new version of Microsoft Office which I haven’t learned but I know I must teach soon. Then I noticed the word SPA. Who doesn’t love a spa? What do the two have in common I wanted to know.
Turns out that Microsoft had decided to pamper the bloggers of Blogher with professional makeovers, back rubs, and manicures. After a wonderful experience at the Suave counter I visited the Spa for a makeover.
I no sooner sat in the chair when a photographer came up. She took my name and my card and told me she was taking photos for some paper that included London in it’s name. I swear I couldn’t hear her even though I asked her twice. She took a series of photos as the makeup artist worked her magic.
While I sat in the chair, I had the overwhelming urge to say “I’m ready for my close-up Mr. DeMille.” Sadly I knew that my remark would fall flat as they have probably never watched the movie Sunset Boulevard. It was appropriate though. While I was never a movie star, in society I was hitting the age where many would consider me to be a has been. The bloom was not only off the rose and the bloom itself was just a memory.
When do we stop looking in the rearview mirror at the mistakes and missteps that we have made? Do people who say that they lived their life with no regrets truly have nothing they would have done differently? When I sing “My Way” with Frank Sinatra on the car radio am I really telling the truth? Isn’t it true that our way is often decided upon by factors like serendipity? Can’t I still wish I’d had a pony?
After I had my makeover I stopped over to talk to the lady who was in charge who wanted to know what I thought of my experience. I told her how much I enjoyed it and bragged about my certifications. I told her how much I enjoyed my time at the spa and what my opinions were about the new Windows Live. I like it except for the fact you can’t upload more than one photo at a time. Other than that I LOVE Photo Gallery and Movie Maker to edit and organize your photos and movies, and then post them online. You can blog, manage your calendar and I can see what's new with my friends all in one place. That's because you can add your favorite sites, like Facebook, Yelp, or Twitter to Windows Live, and your friends will get your updates in their “What’s New” feed. That means you don’t have to e-mail or IM all your friends to let them know what you’re up to.
What I love is that I have access to all the files I've uploaded no matter where I am AND my friends and family, and even co-workers can have access to the files I want to share with them and they
When we were finished she handed me one of my very favorite gifts of the weekend, a Microsoft Office Small Business version. I could have hugged her. It’s just what I needed for my laptop which I use for my school work.
I looked at my schedule to see what I missed. For a woman who only missed four classes during my whole college career I was feeling a bit embarrassed for having missed so many of the break-out sessions. Still I felt I was accomplishing some of what I hoped to accomplish. I was meeting people in the PR field and trying to get my name out there. I was also stretching my wings and trying new things. Now off to lunch I say.
The Shutter Sisters Pajama Party
I was so excited about this party. When I was growing up my mother NEVER let us go to a sleep over or have one at our house. For my mother, child molesters and mass murders lurked behind every door. Growing up I never sat up all night listening to ghost stories, talking about boys, or doing my nails while spreading gossip with other teenage girls.
Not too long ago I heard about adult women having slumber parties and they sounded fun. So much more to dish about and you don’t have to worry about your mom coming in to tell you to hush up and go to sleep. My problem is of course that I haven’t really made any close friends here in Georgia.
I have only myself to blame. I cannot always expect someone else to make the first move. It seems I have lots of acquaintances. They all like me but it just seems that I’m afraid to impose on their free time. I thought this might be a great opportunity to make new friends. I even bought a new nightgown with Tinkerbell all over it. Call me Kitschy.
When it came time to show up to the party I changed into my PJs and looked at myself in the mirror. What was I doing? Sure it said PJ party but at that moment I was more certain than ever that everyone would be wearing those Lounge Pants sets. I would stick out like a sore thumb. I changed back into the outfit I’d been wearing earlier and headed upstairs to the Shutter Sisters PJ Party.
They were friendly enough, even offered me wine but almost immediately I realized I was totally out of my element. These women were photographers. The talented kind. You know the kind of people who NEVER have photos that chop off the top of people’s heads or forget to leave the lens cover on. I felt much like I would have felt if I had walked into a room filled with artists of any media. I feel awed by their talent, so awed that I’m speechless. When I look around it seems like many of the people there know each other and I almost want to run for the door as embarrassed as if I’d walked into the wrong apartment.
I look at their work quietly and then I leave.
Not too long ago I heard about adult women having slumber parties and they sounded fun. So much more to dish about and you don’t have to worry about your mom coming in to tell you to hush up and go to sleep. My problem is of course that I haven’t really made any close friends here in Georgia.
I have only myself to blame. I cannot always expect someone else to make the first move. It seems I have lots of acquaintances. They all like me but it just seems that I’m afraid to impose on their free time. I thought this might be a great opportunity to make new friends. I even bought a new nightgown with Tinkerbell all over it. Call me Kitschy.
When it came time to show up to the party I changed into my PJs and looked at myself in the mirror. What was I doing? Sure it said PJ party but at that moment I was more certain than ever that everyone would be wearing those Lounge Pants sets. I would stick out like a sore thumb. I changed back into the outfit I’d been wearing earlier and headed upstairs to the Shutter Sisters PJ Party.
They were friendly enough, even offered me wine but almost immediately I realized I was totally out of my element. These women were photographers. The talented kind. You know the kind of people who NEVER have photos that chop off the top of people’s heads or forget to leave the lens cover on. I felt much like I would have felt if I had walked into a room filled with artists of any media. I feel awed by their talent, so awed that I’m speechless. When I look around it seems like many of the people there know each other and I almost want to run for the door as embarrassed as if I’d walked into the wrong apartment.
I look at their work quietly and then I leave.
More Proof That I Am Not The Center Of The Universe
Actually I have never imagined myself to be the center of any universe except my own little world and even there the title might be up for discussion. While I signed up for almost every party I saw some parties did not have me on their guest list. Who could blame them though? I was not a mover or a shaker or for that matter the beautiful ingénue. I’m not even a gamer nor do I play one on TV.
Just like I had no clue whatsoever about the Nikon Party, which by the way had they invited me I’d have twittered #Nikonlovesteachers or #IheartNikon. Another party I knew absolutely nothing about was a private party sponsored by Nintendo. From what I understand, everyone who attended received a Nintendo DSi. Is that cool or what? I also heard that these lucky bloggers were taken by horse-drawn carriages up to the Hancock Tower. Once there they were whisked away to the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the Hancock Tower. There they enjoyed hors d’vours and wine. They were then seated and enjoyed a four-course dinner and an open bar.
Tell me the truth. Can you not see how being treated this way, like media superstars doesn’t go to a girl’s head? I guess I just didn’t understand the power of the blog. Oh sure I remember my English teacher telling me about the power of the pen but if this is any indication about the shift of marketing then I’m really further behind the curve than I realized.
Just like I had no clue whatsoever about the Nikon Party, which by the way had they invited me I’d have twittered #Nikonlovesteachers or #IheartNikon. Another party I knew absolutely nothing about was a private party sponsored by Nintendo. From what I understand, everyone who attended received a Nintendo DSi. Is that cool or what? I also heard that these lucky bloggers were taken by horse-drawn carriages up to the Hancock Tower. Once there they were whisked away to the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the Hancock Tower. There they enjoyed hors d’vours and wine. They were then seated and enjoyed a four-course dinner and an open bar.
Tell me the truth. Can you not see how being treated this way, like media superstars doesn’t go to a girl’s head? I guess I just didn’t understand the power of the blog. Oh sure I remember my English teacher telling me about the power of the pen but if this is any indication about the shift of marketing then I’m really further behind the curve than I realized.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Room of Your Own 2: Sponsored v. Unsponsored- Blogging for $$$
We're in the Erie room which is a little bit hard to find. It's tucked behind the state rooms on the second level. About 8 minutes until kick-off!
Speakers introduce themselves. "This might be the most controversial topic at BlogHer." Opened it up for audience questions.
Audience member: Why can't we all just get along?
(laughter)
GeekMommy- Well, first let's see a show of hands. How many of you think compensation has a place in blogging? How many of you think that compensation does not have a place in blogging?
Audience member- Amy- You'll find it ironic that I'm a marketer by day and a blogger by night, but I do not feel that there is no place for paid reviews and contests in blogging.
GeekMommy- Everybody has an opinion.
Amy- If you're putting a contest on your blog that is sponsored then you should announce that it's sponsored. Otherwise it's an ad and it's not fair to put it out there like it's your personal opnion.
Audience member - Janice 5minformom- I feel that it's obvious to my readers. It should be common sense. If I'm giving away a product then obviously I didn't go out and buy the product myself. I mean I love my readers but not that much.
(laughter)
(ushering in of late comers)
Haley - lovedbyfamilyandthensome.com - I don't have a large following but I have
had nasty comments over sponsorship. I always tell sponsors that I give my true opnion. I won't bash them but I will reply back and tell them that I cannot reveiw the product. I don't take pay but I take the free items.
GeekMommy- If they did, would you take it?
Haley- I wouldn't give a false opnion, I just wouldn't say anything. But I'm on the line about that because if someone pays me then I'd have to say something nice. But I feel like it wouldn't be true to my readers.
GeekMommy- I want to express my views before we get to far. I am a proponent of paying bloggers. And the reason I believe that it is okay is because I'm asking you to take time away from your families. As far as reviews go, if you only give positive reveiws, then no one has a reason to recruit you. I've written a post on how we don't have a webguide on how to run contests and giveaways. It's one thing to write passionately, but if you're writing on behalf of a company, then it's okay for them to buy your time.
Ann-Marie Nichols (AMN) - Some of the business people are slimy and you feel slimy for considering them. But there are people who review things online and get paid. If you don't think it's worth it then don't do it.
GeekMommy- to audience -Please don't feel like you can't exress your opnion.
Audience member - I've been blogging for 3 years, and I've never been offered a review. And the rest of the infertility group probably feels the same, because you know we don't have any money. But the thing I've been noticed is that in the news business, they don't follow any ethical guidelines. So why is the FTC going after us?
AMN- Because we're women and we're moms so we must be idiots.
AMN- And our readers must be idiots too. So they're "susceptible" to the marketing.
GeekMommy
- We're doing this. It's the 21st century. There's a certain level
where if you're under 25, you ignore the advertisements. You don't see
the flashy things. They've tracked the eye movements. Reviews are the
future of marketing. If a mommy tells me about a sponge that works, it
means far more to me than if a model holds it up on TV and says it's
fabulous. We are the future of marketing. We get to decide where we're
going with this.
Audience member- I recently agreed to review
something, I don't do it often, but they actually sent me the content
of what I was supposed to do. (gasps) And I said basically "F... you" I
don't understand this because I want to hear about what is good and bad.
AMN-
You hear about people getting sued. They can sue you over anything they
want. They might not win but it's a hassle and you spend money. Errance
policies are $5000 a year.
Audience member (Jennifer Tagger -thesmartmom)- Not always. I know about some insurance that's cheaper.
Resourceful Mother - Become an LLC and it will help protect your house and our money.
AMN - Talk to an attorney.
Recourceful
Mom- If you're a site that is reviewing products and you review
everything. If you're only looking for positive reveiws then there is
no reason for negative reviews. But I think it's important to put it
out there that not everything is for everyone. I always say at the
bottom that something might not be for a certain group.
GeekMommy- There's a difference between a recommendation and a review. Good point!
Audience
member- I wanted to address one thing that you said about how they're
picking on us because we're women and we're stupid. I think it
undercuts it.
AMN- I believe that.
Audience member- It's not true. The government is severly going after doctors, drug companies and device companies.
GeekyMommy- They're protecting the public when they can't help themselves.
Allie (Fussypants) - We don't have a lobby. We don't have well-paid attorneys to say, "back off the mommybloggers."
GeekyMommy- Can I please ask that no matter how you feel about this, please go and have your voice heard in the FTC debate.
Audience
member- The second part of my comment, was that I started my blog as a
writing excercise. I have reviewed things of my own volition and asked
if I want a thank you note from the company. I felt like I didn't know
what to say.
GeekMommy- You don't need to retract your opinion just because someone said thank you.
Allie (Fussyoants) - I know this isn't a political panel, but I'm very concerned about the FTC overreaching.
GeekMommy-
I should write about how to reach them. When it comes right down to
them, I really do believe that we're a government of the people and not
about the people.
Audience member- I think it's important to
offer feedback with constructive criticism in it. I would never even
think to write and all-positive review. I'm overwhelmed with how many
reviews out there are crap. And I think we should get paid for thorough
reviews.
Audience member- I think some people are just about
getting free stuff. I have no problem saying that "They gave this to
me." I'd write a normal post about it. I spoke with someone yesterday
and she was saying that you're not going to need to worry about all of
this. People are making a bigger deal than it is. Do you see that?
(general uproar)
GeekMommy-
The FTC is trying to decide if they think it's ethical for bloggers to
accept payment. We're ten years into blogging, but not 10 yrs into
dealing with companies.
Audience members- Adam- It's not so much
the concern for you, but it's the concern for the companies. They're
worried that the companies will stop sending out blanks.
GeekMommy- The lawyers hate social media.
Audience
member- For the bloggers that are scared to take stuff. I work with
traditional media and they get stuff all the time. I can guarantee that
magazines don't put all of the stuff out there. They pick the ones that
they have best contact with. Obviously we don't want negative reviews,
but it's a chance to see if people would like stuff better.
GeekMommy- Tell the company that they can interact in the comments with readers.
AMN- I'd like to see that too. They're scared to do that.
Audience
member- If mom bloggers are being targeted now, then who will be
targeted next? Am I going to be next? Should I start writing reviews.
GeekMommy- If someone sends you something unsolicited you are under no obligation to review it.
Audience
member- I can tell you that I've had reviews done about my company
since it started and I would never expect someone to review it for
nothing. I'm a review blogger also, and by the same token, I'm going to
accept the product. I'm not blogging for applesauce. I'm giving my own
opinion. I'll say "this worked" or "there are reasons why this might
not be for you." I'm expecting constructive criticism as well as the
general accolades.
GeekMommy- You're right. You don't have to
charge money. You need to be able to say that you wanted to review
them. You aren't betraying all womankind for doing a review with or
without pay.
AMN- And you have the right to change over time too.
I don't have as much time as I used to. And I'm burnt out on things I
did five years ago. It's a learning process.
Audience member - I think the real issue is that there are fees behind the contests and giveaways. Like for instance, we don't know how much 5minformom was given for the item.
Janice- 5minformom- I have a requested fee so that I can pay my staff. But it is requested, and if a company is too poor to pay it then we'll still do the giveaway. But because I have a staff to pay and we are offering a service to the company, then I give them the opportunity to pay.
GeekMommy- Don't ever feel pressured to do what someone else tells you to do with your blog. You can take a PR break. You know what's best for your blog.
Audience member- In the beginning days we were sent a lot of stuff that we didn't like. If we get something that we don't like then what should we do. If I start writing negative about Frigidair would Whirlpool look at me in five years and say, "We're never working with them again?"
Audience member- PR person- We look to engage moms because we want to know what you truly think. We want to know why you don't like it. In the long run, we're looking to understand better what you want.
Audience member- ok but telling you is one thing and putting it on the world wide web is another thing. Do you really want me to tell everybody?
Audience member- To be fair, you don't get black listed or not contacted. But if you keep saying that the product sucks over and over, then the company might send it to someone else.
GeekMommy- Constructive criticism is important.
Audience member - PR for Intel - We want to learn, and it's the new thing. I don't represent the whole corporate America. A lot of the worries expressed here about being sued and never being contacted again, you don't have to worry about this. Our policy is that we don't pay for reviews. It's important to us that you disclose to your readers that we sponsored you because we care about how people perceive the company.
GeekMommy- It bothers me that you say that your policy is not to pay bloggers.
Intel- I want to know how I can help you within the confines of our policies. The real issue is tansparency.
AMN- Next year, if everyone in this room says "We don't do unpaid reviews, how likely is Intel to change the policies?"
Intel - I think there needs to be room for change. Right now we don't pay the media.
Susan - One of the things, the companies are just figuiring this out as companies. Part of the problem is that PR is over there and Advertising is over here. The change needs to come there. I think there's room for all of these types of sponsorship because you have to keep your readers. Give the companies a break as they learn this whole new system.
GeekMommy- this conversation won't end when we walk out of the room.
audience member- journalist - what i can say is this. If you're accepting products, don't worry about that. It's very common for reviewers to accept products. Journalists might buy products for review or request them. I think the FTC thing is a sign of respect. They see you as a big voice and see how it could get shady. I think the overall intent is to say that you're an influential group. Draw the line at taking money for writing an ad.
GeekMommy - Having an opinion is important.
Audience member- Tiger Woods plays gold as a labor of love. But the Nike shirt he wears was not a product they gave him to take home. They paid for it.
Audience member - What about these women out there who couldn't afford to come to BlogHer? They might need that money to put food on the table. They might be happy to have the applesauce and diapers.
AMN- True. $100 can make a big difference in a week for some people.
GeekMommy- And unemployment is 10% at this time. Some people would be more than happy to receive what they can get.
Audience member- Back to the FTC thing. They don't have the capacity to police it all.
(general uproar)
Audience member- I mean that I'm concerned people will start attacking each other. It's a bit scary that people will start looking around and saying "You're not doing this right."
BlogHer Business '09 Presentations ›
Submitted by CityStreams (view blog) on Tue, 07/21/2009 - 2:28am
Posted In BlogHer '09 Live-Blogging
Comments (11)
Comments
Holy Misinformation. Wow.
I'm a little concerned about some of the misinformation about the FTC proposal that seems to be out there as a result of this panel, and the generally one-sided perspective on things which missed an opportunity to offer genuine guidance to bloggers seeking it.
But the thing I've been noticed is that in the news business, they
don't follow any ethical guidelines. So why is the FTC going after us?
AMN- Because we're women and we're moms so we must be idiots.
AMN- And our readers must be idiots too. So they're "susceptible" to the marketing.
First of all, journalists do in fact have guidelines and I find it a little odd to hear no one refute the accusation here. Recently one of the NYT columnists was forced to return his payment for a keynote speech to a corporation. Magazines keep editorial and advertising separate. And while bloggers don't have that luxury, surely we could put our heads together and try and figure out some ways to work this out.
Also, the FTC is not actually "after" moms or mommy bloggers or women in general. If you'll read the document (it's about 86 pages), you'll see the issue is deceptive marketing practices on the part of the marketers who are using blogs (among other things) to promote unsubstantiated claims, or to disseminate testimonials that sound like consumer reviews but are actually paid. That's where bloggers need to watch out.
That said, most of the document deals with things like weight loss claims and hair loss remedies and affiliate programs. Not free apple sauce.
Audience member- Tiger Woods plays gold as a labor of love. But the
Nike shirt he wears was not a product they gave him to take home. They
paid for it.
According to the FTC, celebrities are different because there is a general assumption (ie, no we're NOT stupid) that they were paid to do that TV spot. There is not an assumption that someone who googles a product and ends up at a mommy blog is equally on the payroll.
Here's the reality: Once you accept money from a marketer you are on the payroll and it seems reasonable that you are held accountable to the same standards as their ad agencies and production companies.
GeekMommy- It bothers me that you [Intel] say that your policy is not to pay bloggers.
Actually Intel has a wonderful reputation as supporting bloggers. They did a big conversational marketing program last year with the Federated Media authors, including my own site, and they're currently sponsoring the "Bucket List" posts at mightygirl.net
That is not at all the same as paying for reviews.
This isn't about whether moms have the right to make a living or not. Of course we do! But this discussion should be about whether it's okay to be dishonest (if not to outright deceptive) because you think it will get you a better refrigrerator down the road.
I'm sorry there was a missed opportunity to provide some common sense guidelines for those who wish to monetize their blogs.
It would be nice to hear discussions about disclosure policies, indemnity agreements with sponsors, and ways to maintain reader trust even as we all hope to make a living.
Mom-101
Cool Mom Picks.com
Submitted by Mom101 on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 09:30
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Misinformation is right, but not in the way
you think
Liz:
This is the first chance I've had to read this live-blog of the event - and sadly, it kind of points out the limitations of live-blogging.
It is *very* difficult to actually transcribe a live event accurately - so as a result, you get summaries, paraphrases, text without context (either emotional or verbal) and in general? Some misinformation.
I'm actually not a fan of live-blogging for those very reasons. You're judging our session based on a second-hand report transcribed by someone else, but you weren't there to actually witness the event.
Just reading over this, I find a few errors that substantially change the meaning of what was said. To whit: above it says "I've written a post on how we don't have a webguide on how to run contests and giveaways." What I actually said (and wrote about) was "I've written a post on how we don't have a web guy to run our contests and giveaways for us." -- those are two very different concepts.
There was much discussion on how journalists from larger publications do adhere to a strict ethical code, but that a) from one audience member's experience as a former journalist for smaller, less recognized publications, those ethics were seldom enforced, and b) that in certain circles (the example that sticks out was Beauty & Fashion magazines) it is in fact common practice to accept items "for review" that show up time and again in the "suggested for Season X" sections of the magazine rather than being disclosed.
If you had been at the session - you would've known that Anne-Marie's comments were said tonally with much sarcasm. You also would've known that I am a huge proponent of the FTC adopting guidelines - but that I think they need to focus on more than just "Mom Bloggers" but the field of bloggers in general. I also gave considerably more information on what the FTC is and does and why we need it.
There's a reason that we have live conference sessions rather than just passing out pamphlets or blogging, and that's for the interaction - to judge a session based on one written account of it is probably not the best manner of deciding whether or not it was the source of the "misinformation" you believe is being given out.
There is an old adage in the legal field that however many witnesses you have to an event, that's how many variations you will have on what actually happened, and somewhere in there lies the actual event. Additionally, there's a reason that court reporters use transcription machines and have considerable training in accurate recording... Live blogging gives you a sense of what it was like to be there, including mishearing things you might as an audience member or even speaker - but to use it to decide whether a session was giving out valid information or not is probably not your best course of action.
Lucretia (aka GeekMommy) Raising a child in a digital world, still a dig
ital girl
Submitted by GeekMommy on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 12:05
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Thanks Lucretia
Am very happy to hear the clarification. You're right, I can only go on the live blog and the perspectives from others in the room who are commenting here and elsewhere. It's almost like it was two different sessions! Would love to hear the audio/video if there was any done.
Mom-101
Cool Mom Picks.com
Submitted by Mom101 on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 12:17
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Journalist Ethics
I want to echo Liz' comments about traditional media. If you visit any of the major news organizations' websites, you'll find an ethics policy. They often aren't even allowed to have a sponsored meal or beverage without a conflict. The difference is that members of traditional media are paid to write those reviews by their companies.
I don't believe in paid reviews. I think it's nearly impossible to get any sort of impartial opinion if you're paying someone. Who's going to say they hate a product if they're getting paid? I believe that there are two solutions. The first is that we find ways to monetize our blogs through more formal advertising opportunities and I think this is feasible as companies start looking to shift their advertising from traditional media to blogs. The second is to call a spade a spade. If you only want to say the good things, stop calling it a review and start calling it a recommendation.
I'm interested to see how this all pans out. I don't believe that most people visit blogs to get real reviews on topics. They visit for the giveaways. I suspect that companies are going to start getting wise to this over time and make a shift in how they handle blogging campaigns.
Christy
Submitted by MoreThanMommy on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 09:50
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Sponsored panel liveblog
I was the "Susan" who spoke, and the paraphrase of my comment shows one of the dangers of liveblogging events. My comment was far broader than is represented here, and I am certain included mention of the importance of disclosure and integrity on both sides, bloggers and marketers.
I'm also baffled at the continued confusion of what is going on regarding the FTC guidelines. These guidelines take absolutely no position on whether bloggers should be compensated, either directly or with free product.
However, if they are compensated, the FTC plans to apply its guidelines on commercial endorsements, which as Mom 101 points out, were created to protect consumers from deceptive advertising practices.
That's ALL bloggers, not just moms.
I don't mean to oversimplify, but a really good start for any blogger is to disclose your policies on your blog. Whatever they happen to be.
Submitted by Susan Getgood on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 09:59
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I was the only one who raised my hand
When asked if it was okay or not to accept money for a post, I was the only one in the room who raised my hand AGAINST. I was quoted in the live blog as saying "You'll find it ironic that I'm a marketer by day and a blogger by
night, but I do not feel that there is no place for paid reviews and
contests in blogging."
This is a tiny portion of what I had to say. I was astonished that anyone would think it is OK for bloggers to accept payment for posts or giveaways WITHOUT DISCLOSING that they've been compensated. A paid post or giveaway is ADVERTISING and should be treated as such.
One of the reasons brands have courted mommybloggers is our reputation for honesty and authenticity. If we can be bought, we lose our credibility. If we lose our credibility, I'm confident we'll lose our readers too.
I wrote about this controversy in more detail on my blog and I'm speaking with Chicago's CBS News anchor Dorothy Tucker about my position later today.
www.marketingmommy.net
Submitted by Marketingmommy on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 10:08
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I Was There, Too
@MarketingMommy I was in this session as well and honestly wasn't paying attention to hear the question and raise my hand. I staunchly believe in disclosure as I'm sure the vast majority of that room does as well. So, I don't want people to assume that everyone in that room believes they can get paid for posts without disclosing because that's just not true.
If I remember correctly, the question was also worded in an odd way which may have been confusing to a lot in the room. I know a lot of pro-disclosure people in that room, including myself.
Founder of the Mom Bloggers Club | Editor of The Mom Salon | Blogger at Mothering.com
Submitted by JenniferJames on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 18:03
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You weren't alone actually
From the front of the room? There were about a half-dozen or more who raised their hands against. :)
Lucretia (aka GeekMommy) Raising a child in a digital world, still a digital girl
Submitted by GeekMommy on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 12:09
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I knew the sarcasm wasn't going to translate
It's Anne-Marie Nichols (AMN) here. First, I didn't mean to say that the FTC was picking on mom bloggers. My point about mom bloggers being picked on was by the mainstream media, not the FTC.
I am upset that journalists continue to pick on bloggers who are moms and women as the example of bad bloggers who don't disclose freebies/payment without really checking out the details and saying that one mom blogger (or a handful of them) represents all mom or female bloggers. It's lazy and doesn't give an accurate picture.
I would like to challenge AdWeek, Newsweek, the New York Times, et al, to look at tech bloggers (both male and female), sports equipment bloggers, gaming bloggers, food bloggers, etc., etc. and see what they're doing as far as taking free or sample products, disclosure, etc.
But they don't, in my opinion, because it's easy to pick on moms with an attitude of, "Oh look at the cute little mommies and what they're doing in their spare time when they're not wiping baby bottoms." It's dismissive especially when many of these women had professional careers before they "off-tracked" and stayed home to raise kids.
I hear the same attitude expressed by traditional media every time they do a Mommy Wars (SAHM vs. outside the home working moms) story and it ticks me off because traditional media considers moms "cute" (which is basically saying stupid) and not to be taken seriously as thinking human beings with considerable economic, social, and political power.
As far as the session went, I believe everyone agreed that FULL DISCLOSURE and having a clear policy page on your blog is a must. I'd like to see it done on all blogs, no matter what their subject matter, as well as traditional media sites. Why traditional media? It's because my regional paper, The Denver Post, and many of the food and women's magazines I read seem to feature many of the same products I'm being pitched to by PR people, publishers, and companies. Coincidence? I think not.
Submitted by mamarant on Wed, 07/29/2009 - 16:46
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Readers are Smart but They Don't Make the
Same Assumptions
This comment bothered me:
Audience member - Janice 5minformom- I feel that it's obvious to my readers. It should be common sense. If I'm giving away a product then obviously I didn't go out and buy the product myself. I mean I love my readers but not that much.
It may be obvious to some of you who have review sites, do a lot of giveaways and/or are contacted by a lot of companies sponsoring these situations. But it isn't that way for all bloggers. Not every blogger who does a review or giveaway is given the item by a company for free. I know I’ve read those bloggers and sometimes I enter their contests.
I blog about green living, saving money, and decorating. I write reviews of items on my blog. Some are items I’ve won in a contest. Some are items I’ve purchased myself or received as a gift from a person I know (not a company.) And yes, sometimes I review items that a company hasn’t given me. I think it’s important that I tell my readers where I get the products I write about. I also think that it’s important to list the pros and cons of each item I review so my readers can judge for themselves if the item will work for them. Basically, I try to conduct and write the types of reviews I personally find helpful and read.
We can't always asume that our readers will know when you're given an item for free or are a paid company spokesperson because in essance that's what paid reviews are. If a blogger is being paid for their endorsement or even for running a giveaway I want to know, because if the company is paying the blogger then they may be telling the blogger what they should say about their product. I want to know that up front that I have to take what they say about something with a grain of salt.
Condo Blues Green living and money saving tips http://condo-blues.blogspot.com/
Submitted by Condo Blues on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 17:04
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Readers are not always "readers"
I tend to forget myself that not all readers to my blogs are dedicated readers. About half come from google search, and of course there are links from other blogs. If you do a giveaway it's often linked on dedicated giveaway sites. so you bring up a really good point that not all blog readers operate with the same level of understanding about the blog.
Mom-101
Cool Mom Picks.com
Submitted by Mom101 on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 17:20
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GeekMommy - Having an opinion is important.
Audience member- Tiger Woods plays gold as a labor of love. But the Nike shirt he wears was not a product they gave him to take home. They paid for it.
Audience member - What about these women out there who couldn't afford to come to BlogHer? They might need that money to put food on the table. They might be happy to have the applesauce and diapers.
AMN- True. $100 can make a big difference in a week for some people.
GeekMommy- And unemployment is 10% at this time. Some people would be more than happy to receive what they can get.
Audience member- Back to the FTC thing. They don't have the capacity to police it all.
(general uproar)
Audience member- I mean that I'm concerned people will start attacking each other. It's a bit scary that people will start looking around and saying "You're not doing this right."
Speakers introduce themselves. "This might be the most controversial topic at BlogHer." Opened it up for audience questions.
Audience member: Why can't we all just get along?
(laughter)
GeekMommy- Well, first let's see a show of hands. How many of you think compensation has a place in blogging? How many of you think that compensation does not have a place in blogging?
Audience member- Amy- You'll find it ironic that I'm a marketer by day and a blogger by night, but I do not feel that there is no place for paid reviews and contests in blogging.
GeekMommy- Everybody has an opinion.
Amy- If you're putting a contest on your blog that is sponsored then you should announce that it's sponsored. Otherwise it's an ad and it's not fair to put it out there like it's your personal opnion.
Audience member - Janice 5minformom- I feel that it's obvious to my readers. It should be common sense. If I'm giving away a product then obviously I didn't go out and buy the product myself. I mean I love my readers but not that much.
(laughter)
(ushering in of late comers)
Haley - lovedbyfamilyandthensome.com - I don't have a large following but I have
had nasty comments over sponsorship. I always tell sponsors that I give my true opnion. I won't bash them but I will reply back and tell them that I cannot reveiw the product. I don't take pay but I take the free items.
GeekMommy- If they did, would you take it?
Haley- I wouldn't give a false opnion, I just wouldn't say anything. But I'm on the line about that because if someone pays me then I'd have to say something nice. But I feel like it wouldn't be true to my readers.
GeekMommy- I want to express my views before we get to far. I am a proponent of paying bloggers. And the reason I believe that it is okay is because I'm asking you to take time away from your families. As far as reviews go, if you only give positive reveiws, then no one has a reason to recruit you. I've written a post on how we don't have a webguide on how to run contests and giveaways. It's one thing to write passionately, but if you're writing on behalf of a company, then it's okay for them to buy your time.
Ann-Marie Nichols (AMN) - Some of the business people are slimy and you feel slimy for considering them. But there are people who review things online and get paid. If you don't think it's worth it then don't do it.
GeekMommy- to audience -Please don't feel like you can't exress your opnion.
Audience member - I've been blogging for 3 years, and I've never been offered a review. And the rest of the infertility group probably feels the same, because you know we don't have any money. But the thing I've been noticed is that in the news business, they don't follow any ethical guidelines. So why is the FTC going after us?
AMN- Because we're women and we're moms so we must be idiots.
AMN- And our readers must be idiots too. So they're "susceptible" to the marketing.
GeekMommy
- We're doing this. It's the 21st century. There's a certain level
where if you're under 25, you ignore the advertisements. You don't see
the flashy things. They've tracked the eye movements. Reviews are the
future of marketing. If a mommy tells me about a sponge that works, it
means far more to me than if a model holds it up on TV and says it's
fabulous. We are the future of marketing. We get to decide where we're
going with this.
Audience member- I recently agreed to review
something, I don't do it often, but they actually sent me the content
of what I was supposed to do. (gasps) And I said basically "F... you" I
don't understand this because I want to hear about what is good and bad.
AMN-
You hear about people getting sued. They can sue you over anything they
want. They might not win but it's a hassle and you spend money. Errance
policies are $5000 a year.
Audience member (Jennifer Tagger -thesmartmom)- Not always. I know about some insurance that's cheaper.
Resourceful Mother - Become an LLC and it will help protect your house and our money.
AMN - Talk to an attorney.
Recourceful
Mom- If you're a site that is reviewing products and you review
everything. If you're only looking for positive reveiws then there is
no reason for negative reviews. But I think it's important to put it
out there that not everything is for everyone. I always say at the
bottom that something might not be for a certain group.
GeekMommy- There's a difference between a recommendation and a review. Good point!
Audience
member- I wanted to address one thing that you said about how they're
picking on us because we're women and we're stupid. I think it
undercuts it.
AMN- I believe that.
Audience member- It's not true. The government is severly going after doctors, drug companies and device companies.
GeekyMommy- They're protecting the public when they can't help themselves.
Allie (Fussypants) - We don't have a lobby. We don't have well-paid attorneys to say, "back off the mommybloggers."
GeekyMommy- Can I please ask that no matter how you feel about this, please go and have your voice heard in the FTC debate.
Audience
member- The second part of my comment, was that I started my blog as a
writing excercise. I have reviewed things of my own volition and asked
if I want a thank you note from the company. I felt like I didn't know
what to say.
GeekMommy- You don't need to retract your opinion just because someone said thank you.
Allie (Fussyoants) - I know this isn't a political panel, but I'm very concerned about the FTC overreaching.
GeekMommy-
I should write about how to reach them. When it comes right down to
them, I really do believe that we're a government of the people and not
about the people.
Audience member- I think it's important to
offer feedback with constructive criticism in it. I would never even
think to write and all-positive review. I'm overwhelmed with how many
reviews out there are crap. And I think we should get paid for thorough
reviews.
Audience member- I think some people are just about
getting free stuff. I have no problem saying that "They gave this to
me." I'd write a normal post about it. I spoke with someone yesterday
and she was saying that you're not going to need to worry about all of
this. People are making a bigger deal than it is. Do you see that?
(general uproar)
GeekMommy-
The FTC is trying to decide if they think it's ethical for bloggers to
accept payment. We're ten years into blogging, but not 10 yrs into
dealing with companies.
Audience members- Adam- It's not so much
the concern for you, but it's the concern for the companies. They're
worried that the companies will stop sending out blanks.
GeekMommy- The lawyers hate social media.
Audience
member- For the bloggers that are scared to take stuff. I work with
traditional media and they get stuff all the time. I can guarantee that
magazines don't put all of the stuff out there. They pick the ones that
they have best contact with. Obviously we don't want negative reviews,
but it's a chance to see if people would like stuff better.
GeekMommy- Tell the company that they can interact in the comments with readers.
AMN- I'd like to see that too. They're scared to do that.
Audience
member- If mom bloggers are being targeted now, then who will be
targeted next? Am I going to be next? Should I start writing reviews.
GeekMommy- If someone sends you something unsolicited you are under no obligation to review it.
Audience
member- I can tell you that I've had reviews done about my company
since it started and I would never expect someone to review it for
nothing. I'm a review blogger also, and by the same token, I'm going to
accept the product. I'm not blogging for applesauce. I'm giving my own
opinion. I'll say "this worked" or "there are reasons why this might
not be for you." I'm expecting constructive criticism as well as the
general accolades.
GeekMommy- You're right. You don't have to
charge money. You need to be able to say that you wanted to review
them. You aren't betraying all womankind for doing a review with or
without pay.
AMN- And you have the right to change over time too.
I don't have as much time as I used to. And I'm burnt out on things I
did five years ago. It's a learning process.
Audience member - I think the real issue is that there are fees behind the contests and giveaways. Like for instance, we don't know how much 5minformom was given for the item.
Janice- 5minformom- I have a requested fee so that I can pay my staff. But it is requested, and if a company is too poor to pay it then we'll still do the giveaway. But because I have a staff to pay and we are offering a service to the company, then I give them the opportunity to pay.
GeekMommy- Don't ever feel pressured to do what someone else tells you to do with your blog. You can take a PR break. You know what's best for your blog.
Audience member- In the beginning days we were sent a lot of stuff that we didn't like. If we get something that we don't like then what should we do. If I start writing negative about Frigidair would Whirlpool look at me in five years and say, "We're never working with them again?"
Audience member- PR person- We look to engage moms because we want to know what you truly think. We want to know why you don't like it. In the long run, we're looking to understand better what you want.
Audience member- ok but telling you is one thing and putting it on the world wide web is another thing. Do you really want me to tell everybody?
Audience member- To be fair, you don't get black listed or not contacted. But if you keep saying that the product sucks over and over, then the company might send it to someone else.
GeekMommy- Constructive criticism is important.
Audience member - PR for Intel - We want to learn, and it's the new thing. I don't represent the whole corporate America. A lot of the worries expressed here about being sued and never being contacted again, you don't have to worry about this. Our policy is that we don't pay for reviews. It's important to us that you disclose to your readers that we sponsored you because we care about how people perceive the company.
GeekMommy- It bothers me that you say that your policy is not to pay bloggers.
Intel- I want to know how I can help you within the confines of our policies. The real issue is tansparency.
AMN- Next year, if everyone in this room says "We don't do unpaid reviews, how likely is Intel to change the policies?"
Intel - I think there needs to be room for change. Right now we don't pay the media.
Susan - One of the things, the companies are just figuiring this out as companies. Part of the problem is that PR is over there and Advertising is over here. The change needs to come there. I think there's room for all of these types of sponsorship because you have to keep your readers. Give the companies a break as they learn this whole new system.
GeekMommy- this conversation won't end when we walk out of the room.
audience member- journalist - what i can say is this. If you're accepting products, don't worry about that. It's very common for reviewers to accept products. Journalists might buy products for review or request them. I think the FTC thing is a sign of respect. They see you as a big voice and see how it could get shady. I think the overall intent is to say that you're an influential group. Draw the line at taking money for writing an ad.
GeekMommy - Having an opinion is important.
Audience member- Tiger Woods plays gold as a labor of love. But the Nike shirt he wears was not a product they gave him to take home. They paid for it.
Audience member - What about these women out there who couldn't afford to come to BlogHer? They might need that money to put food on the table. They might be happy to have the applesauce and diapers.
AMN- True. $100 can make a big difference in a week for some people.
GeekMommy- And unemployment is 10% at this time. Some people would be more than happy to receive what they can get.
Audience member- Back to the FTC thing. They don't have the capacity to police it all.
(general uproar)
Audience member- I mean that I'm concerned people will start attacking each other. It's a bit scary that people will start looking around and saying "You're not doing this right."
BlogHer Business '09 Presentations ›
Submitted by CityStreams (view blog) on Tue, 07/21/2009 - 2:28am
Posted In BlogHer '09 Live-Blogging
Comments (11)
Comments
Holy Misinformation. Wow.
I'm a little concerned about some of the misinformation about the FTC proposal that seems to be out there as a result of this panel, and the generally one-sided perspective on things which missed an opportunity to offer genuine guidance to bloggers seeking it.
But the thing I've been noticed is that in the news business, they
don't follow any ethical guidelines. So why is the FTC going after us?
AMN- Because we're women and we're moms so we must be idiots.
AMN- And our readers must be idiots too. So they're "susceptible" to the marketing.
First of all, journalists do in fact have guidelines and I find it a little odd to hear no one refute the accusation here. Recently one of the NYT columnists was forced to return his payment for a keynote speech to a corporation. Magazines keep editorial and advertising separate. And while bloggers don't have that luxury, surely we could put our heads together and try and figure out some ways to work this out.
Also, the FTC is not actually "after" moms or mommy bloggers or women in general. If you'll read the document (it's about 86 pages), you'll see the issue is deceptive marketing practices on the part of the marketers who are using blogs (among other things) to promote unsubstantiated claims, or to disseminate testimonials that sound like consumer reviews but are actually paid. That's where bloggers need to watch out.
That said, most of the document deals with things like weight loss claims and hair loss remedies and affiliate programs. Not free apple sauce.
Audience member- Tiger Woods plays gold as a labor of love. But the
Nike shirt he wears was not a product they gave him to take home. They
paid for it.
According to the FTC, celebrities are different because there is a general assumption (ie, no we're NOT stupid) that they were paid to do that TV spot. There is not an assumption that someone who googles a product and ends up at a mommy blog is equally on the payroll.
Here's the reality: Once you accept money from a marketer you are on the payroll and it seems reasonable that you are held accountable to the same standards as their ad agencies and production companies.
GeekMommy- It bothers me that you [Intel] say that your policy is not to pay bloggers.
Actually Intel has a wonderful reputation as supporting bloggers. They did a big conversational marketing program last year with the Federated Media authors, including my own site, and they're currently sponsoring the "Bucket List" posts at mightygirl.net
That is not at all the same as paying for reviews.
This isn't about whether moms have the right to make a living or not. Of course we do! But this discussion should be about whether it's okay to be dishonest (if not to outright deceptive) because you think it will get you a better refrigrerator down the road.
I'm sorry there was a missed opportunity to provide some common sense guidelines for those who wish to monetize their blogs.
It would be nice to hear discussions about disclosure policies, indemnity agreements with sponsors, and ways to maintain reader trust even as we all hope to make a living.
Mom-101
Cool Mom Picks.com
Submitted by Mom101 on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 09:30
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Misinformation is right, but not in the way
you think
Liz:
This is the first chance I've had to read this live-blog of the event - and sadly, it kind of points out the limitations of live-blogging.
It is *very* difficult to actually transcribe a live event accurately - so as a result, you get summaries, paraphrases, text without context (either emotional or verbal) and in general? Some misinformation.
I'm actually not a fan of live-blogging for those very reasons. You're judging our session based on a second-hand report transcribed by someone else, but you weren't there to actually witness the event.
Just reading over this, I find a few errors that substantially change the meaning of what was said. To whit: above it says "I've written a post on how we don't have a webguide on how to run contests and giveaways." What I actually said (and wrote about) was "I've written a post on how we don't have a web guy to run our contests and giveaways for us." -- those are two very different concepts.
There was much discussion on how journalists from larger publications do adhere to a strict ethical code, but that a) from one audience member's experience as a former journalist for smaller, less recognized publications, those ethics were seldom enforced, and b) that in certain circles (the example that sticks out was Beauty & Fashion magazines) it is in fact common practice to accept items "for review" that show up time and again in the "suggested for Season X" sections of the magazine rather than being disclosed.
If you had been at the session - you would've known that Anne-Marie's comments were said tonally with much sarcasm. You also would've known that I am a huge proponent of the FTC adopting guidelines - but that I think they need to focus on more than just "Mom Bloggers" but the field of bloggers in general. I also gave considerably more information on what the FTC is and does and why we need it.
There's a reason that we have live conference sessions rather than just passing out pamphlets or blogging, and that's for the interaction - to judge a session based on one written account of it is probably not the best manner of deciding whether or not it was the source of the "misinformation" you believe is being given out.
There is an old adage in the legal field that however many witnesses you have to an event, that's how many variations you will have on what actually happened, and somewhere in there lies the actual event. Additionally, there's a reason that court reporters use transcription machines and have considerable training in accurate recording... Live blogging gives you a sense of what it was like to be there, including mishearing things you might as an audience member or even speaker - but to use it to decide whether a session was giving out valid information or not is probably not your best course of action.
Lucretia (aka GeekMommy) Raising a child in a digital world, still a dig
ital girl
Submitted by GeekMommy on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 12:05
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Thanks Lucretia
Am very happy to hear the clarification. You're right, I can only go on the live blog and the perspectives from others in the room who are commenting here and elsewhere. It's almost like it was two different sessions! Would love to hear the audio/video if there was any done.
Mom-101
Cool Mom Picks.com
Submitted by Mom101 on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 12:17
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Journalist Ethics
I want to echo Liz' comments about traditional media. If you visit any of the major news organizations' websites, you'll find an ethics policy. They often aren't even allowed to have a sponsored meal or beverage without a conflict. The difference is that members of traditional media are paid to write those reviews by their companies.
I don't believe in paid reviews. I think it's nearly impossible to get any sort of impartial opinion if you're paying someone. Who's going to say they hate a product if they're getting paid? I believe that there are two solutions. The first is that we find ways to monetize our blogs through more formal advertising opportunities and I think this is feasible as companies start looking to shift their advertising from traditional media to blogs. The second is to call a spade a spade. If you only want to say the good things, stop calling it a review and start calling it a recommendation.
I'm interested to see how this all pans out. I don't believe that most people visit blogs to get real reviews on topics. They visit for the giveaways. I suspect that companies are going to start getting wise to this over time and make a shift in how they handle blogging campaigns.
Christy
Submitted by MoreThanMommy on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 09:50
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Sponsored panel liveblog
I was the "Susan" who spoke, and the paraphrase of my comment shows one of the dangers of liveblogging events. My comment was far broader than is represented here, and I am certain included mention of the importance of disclosure and integrity on both sides, bloggers and marketers.
I'm also baffled at the continued confusion of what is going on regarding the FTC guidelines. These guidelines take absolutely no position on whether bloggers should be compensated, either directly or with free product.
However, if they are compensated, the FTC plans to apply its guidelines on commercial endorsements, which as Mom 101 points out, were created to protect consumers from deceptive advertising practices.
That's ALL bloggers, not just moms.
I don't mean to oversimplify, but a really good start for any blogger is to disclose your policies on your blog. Whatever they happen to be.
Submitted by Susan Getgood on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 09:59
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I was the only one who raised my hand
When asked if it was okay or not to accept money for a post, I was the only one in the room who raised my hand AGAINST. I was quoted in the live blog as saying "You'll find it ironic that I'm a marketer by day and a blogger by
night, but I do not feel that there is no place for paid reviews and
contests in blogging."
This is a tiny portion of what I had to say. I was astonished that anyone would think it is OK for bloggers to accept payment for posts or giveaways WITHOUT DISCLOSING that they've been compensated. A paid post or giveaway is ADVERTISING and should be treated as such.
One of the reasons brands have courted mommybloggers is our reputation for honesty and authenticity. If we can be bought, we lose our credibility. If we lose our credibility, I'm confident we'll lose our readers too.
I wrote about this controversy in more detail on my blog and I'm speaking with Chicago's CBS News anchor Dorothy Tucker about my position later today.
www.marketingmommy.net
Submitted by Marketingmommy on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 10:08
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I Was There, Too
@MarketingMommy I was in this session as well and honestly wasn't paying attention to hear the question and raise my hand. I staunchly believe in disclosure as I'm sure the vast majority of that room does as well. So, I don't want people to assume that everyone in that room believes they can get paid for posts without disclosing because that's just not true.
If I remember correctly, the question was also worded in an odd way which may have been confusing to a lot in the room. I know a lot of pro-disclosure people in that room, including myself.
Founder of the Mom Bloggers Club | Editor of The Mom Salon | Blogger at Mothering.com
Submitted by JenniferJames on Tue, 07/28/2009 - 18:03
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You weren't alone actually
From the front of the room? There were about a half-dozen or more who raised their hands against. :)
Lucretia (aka GeekMommy) Raising a child in a digital world, still a digital girl
Submitted by GeekMommy on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 12:09
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I knew the sarcasm wasn't going to translate
It's Anne-Marie Nichols (AMN) here. First, I didn't mean to say that the FTC was picking on mom bloggers. My point about mom bloggers being picked on was by the mainstream media, not the FTC.
I am upset that journalists continue to pick on bloggers who are moms and women as the example of bad bloggers who don't disclose freebies/payment without really checking out the details and saying that one mom blogger (or a handful of them) represents all mom or female bloggers. It's lazy and doesn't give an accurate picture.
I would like to challenge AdWeek, Newsweek, the New York Times, et al, to look at tech bloggers (both male and female), sports equipment bloggers, gaming bloggers, food bloggers, etc., etc. and see what they're doing as far as taking free or sample products, disclosure, etc.
But they don't, in my opinion, because it's easy to pick on moms with an attitude of, "Oh look at the cute little mommies and what they're doing in their spare time when they're not wiping baby bottoms." It's dismissive especially when many of these women had professional careers before they "off-tracked" and stayed home to raise kids.
I hear the same attitude expressed by traditional media every time they do a Mommy Wars (SAHM vs. outside the home working moms) story and it ticks me off because traditional media considers moms "cute" (which is basically saying stupid) and not to be taken seriously as thinking human beings with considerable economic, social, and political power.
As far as the session went, I believe everyone agreed that FULL DISCLOSURE and having a clear policy page on your blog is a must. I'd like to see it done on all blogs, no matter what their subject matter, as well as traditional media sites. Why traditional media? It's because my regional paper, The Denver Post, and many of the food and women's magazines I read seem to feature many of the same products I'm being pitched to by PR people, publishers, and companies. Coincidence? I think not.
Submitted by mamarant on Wed, 07/29/2009 - 16:46
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Readers are Smart but They Don't Make the
Same Assumptions
This comment bothered me:
Audience member - Janice 5minformom- I feel that it's obvious to my readers. It should be common sense. If I'm giving away a product then obviously I didn't go out and buy the product myself. I mean I love my readers but not that much.
It may be obvious to some of you who have review sites, do a lot of giveaways and/or are contacted by a lot of companies sponsoring these situations. But it isn't that way for all bloggers. Not every blogger who does a review or giveaway is given the item by a company for free. I know I’ve read those bloggers and sometimes I enter their contests.
I blog about green living, saving money, and decorating. I write reviews of items on my blog. Some are items I’ve won in a contest. Some are items I’ve purchased myself or received as a gift from a person I know (not a company.) And yes, sometimes I review items that a company hasn’t given me. I think it’s important that I tell my readers where I get the products I write about. I also think that it’s important to list the pros and cons of each item I review so my readers can judge for themselves if the item will work for them. Basically, I try to conduct and write the types of reviews I personally find helpful and read.
We can't always asume that our readers will know when you're given an item for free or are a paid company spokesperson because in essance that's what paid reviews are. If a blogger is being paid for their endorsement or even for running a giveaway I want to know, because if the company is paying the blogger then they may be telling the blogger what they should say about their product. I want to know that up front that I have to take what they say about something with a grain of salt.
Condo Blues Green living and money saving tips http://condo-blues.blogspot.com/
Submitted by Condo Blues on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 17:04
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Readers are not always "readers"
I tend to forget myself that not all readers to my blogs are dedicated readers. About half come from google search, and of course there are links from other blogs. If you do a giveaway it's often linked on dedicated giveaway sites. so you bring up a really good point that not all blog readers operate with the same level of understanding about the blog.
Mom-101
Cool Mom Picks.com
Submitted by Mom101 on Tue, 08/11/2009 - 17:20
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Latest BlogHer News
BlogHer Announces Venue for Sixth Annual Conference – Five-Time Sold Out Event Heading to New York in 2010
BlogHer on blogging ethics on AdAge Video
BlogHer Finds Women Online Twice As Likely To Use Blogs Over Social Networking Sites As Trusted Source of Information, 2009 Women and Social Media Study released
MediaBistro covers BlogHer's white paper on Best Practices for Marketing to Women Online [PDF]
Boomtown's exclusive on BlogHer's Series C funding
The Most Influential Women in Web 2.0 include BlogHer Co-founders Elisa Camahort Page, Jory Des Jardins and Lisa Stone
BlogHer on cracking the code of publishing editorial content and advertising onlinemoney for writing an ad.
GeekMommy - Having an opinion is important.
Audience member- Tiger Woods plays gold as a labor of love. But the Nike shirt he wears was not a product they gave him to take home. They paid for it.
Audience member - What about these women out there who couldn't afford to come to BlogHer? They might need that money to put food on the table. They might be happy to have the applesauce and diapers.
AMN- True. $100 can make a big difference in a week for some people.
GeekMommy- And unemployment is 10% at this time. Some people would be more than happy to receive what they can get.
Audience member- Back to the FTC thing. They don't have the capacity to police it all.
(general uproar)
Audience member- I mean that I'm concerned people will start attacking each other. It's a bit scary that people will start looking around and saying "You're not doing this right."
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