Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Thank You for Your Kindness

I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who took the time to nominate this blog for the annual homeschool blog awards hosted at The Homeschool Post.  Thank you, also, to everyone who took the time to cast a vote for The Homeschool Apologist.   I appreciate the compliment and the vote of support.   

Now, please stop.

Four years ago, I wrote about my inner curmudgeon on a post appropriately titled “Crank.”   In that post, I shared the fact that deep down inside, I’m really a very cranky person.  I’ve reposted the article here if you have the time (or desire) for a good laugh at my expense.  Four years later, a lot has changed, but not my inner crankiness.  I share this with you in order to tell you that I really, really, loathe, dislike, despise, abhor, don’t like the annual homeschool blog awards.  I dislike most blog awards programs.  I’m not going to go into the reasons why.   I haven’t written about it over the years simply because I’ve tried to accept the kindness extended to me by the people who took the time to nominate and vote for my blogs in their various incarnations.  What has ended up happening over the years is that the folks who run the HSBA announced the nominees, and I immediately wrote them to request that my blog be removed from their contest.  I will give them credit where credit is due: they’ve always honored my request.

This year it got out of hand.  The Homeschool Apologist wasn’t just nominated in one category, but three.  This madness must end!   Please, whoever you are, stop nominating this blog for awards.  Instead, leave a comment!  Comments are far better than the emptiness that commonly follows posts.  Heck, even being told that my writing reminds someone of their uncle’s smelly socks is better than silence.    I will say that I appreciate the person who nominated The Homeschool Apologist for Best Group/Family Blog.   Together, Linda and I are not large enough to be a group, but she’s definitely family.   And for the record, Linda agreed with me.  She beat me to the punch Monday morning, requesting our blog to be removed from the voting rolls before I could.

For those of you who are interested in the annual homeschool blog awards, pretend you’re in Chicago.  Vote early and vote often!   And good luck to the remaining nominees.

11 comments:

  1. Excellent. I just wrote about my own blog awards fiasco, too. Not pretty. Working hard just to get accolades from peers can be an ugly business.

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  2. Oh I love this post. The awards do seem to bring out shameless campaigning in homeschool bloggers, when they should really be teaching their children. I have two blogs - both nominated - and it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable.

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  3. Sherry and Mary…BINGO!

    Dearest Boss…I love you, too! :o)

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  4. Well, I totally agree about comments being better. I'd take a few thoughtful comments over a dozen votes any day!

    However, I think it's kinda nice that people nominated me, so no way am I going to turn my nose up at the honor. I know I don't stand a chance, but it's lovely to be remembered in the nominating phase, when there is actually some thinking going on. During voting in most of these things, it's really about who can drive the most traffic day after day, but this particular one is at least only one vote per person (allegedly), so it doesn't encourage vote-mongering in the same way. So that's something, I guess.

    I don't think the voting phase really means all that much, since the bigger blogs are just going to win on name recognition. I'm ok with that. Still happy somebody thought of me. :0)

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  5. comments ARE the best. Thanks for all of yours over the years!

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  6. For Arby, it's about being a crank and a curmudgeon. For me it's a bit different. But he's right. We are in 100% agreement about withdrawing our blog from the awards.

    I don't like what the blog awards do to me. They turn an ordinarily contented, self-assured woman into a crazy, insecure woman who suddenly needs the nominations and votes of others to make me feel like I'm okay.

    Our withdrawal from the awards is, for me, about doing what's good for my emotional and spiritual self. Nothing more. Nothing less.

    So, like Arby, I SOOO much appreciate our faithful readers...some of whom clearly like our blog enough to nominate us! Thank you!! We love you too...whoever you are!

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  7. I agree with the Boss.......

    And I can't even get one nomination (thank goodness, then I'd have to write constantly or even meaningful blogs)

    and no.....I didn't nominate you. To be honest I don't have the time to even bother with that.....

    now, if you were to do the find the candy wreath contest again, we may have a winner

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  8. It's not ALL about being a crank and a curmudgeon. I certainly agree with, "I don't like what the blog awards do to me. They turn an ordinarily contented, self-assured woman into a crazy, insecure woman who suddenly needs the nominations and votes of others to make me feel like I'm okay." Except for the "woman" part. There's a pressure to perform during the voting period that absolutely kills creativity for me.

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  9. Michelle, Scrooge is one of my all-time favorite literary characters. I'd love the opportunity to play that role on stage!

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  10. Hahaha- I like that you're a rebel. I somehow got nominated for a category and was so excited that I shamelessly emailed my friends and asked them to vote if they wanted to. I also told my readers, but other than that I am not stumping for votes. Who has time? I don't stand a chance to win, but it is fun being nominated.

    I read your blog often and will make a point to comment more!

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