Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Going Award Free


Once again I'm about to open a blogging can of worms. Remember back in June when I wrote about Guilt Free Blogging? I really worried about offending my readers and followers. And to be honest, I did lose a couple of followers after that post was published. Well, here I go again. Just call me a Rebel without a Cause.


I don't want to offend anyone, and I'm beyond flattered and honored when one of you considers me worthy of a blogging award. But the whole award thing has become a little overwhelming. Especially deciding who to pass the award on to. I feel guilty accepting awards if I don't "follow the rules" and pass them on. And I would feel guilty if I didn't post an award that someone so thoughtfully gave to me. So, I've decided to go Award Free. Apparently, I'm not alone in this sentiment as Award Free buttons are available at Penniwig's blog. As of today, I've added an Award Free button to my sidebar. Thanks to Mary at My New 30 for this link and passing on the idea of Award Free Blogging.

Once again, thank you for all the awards that you have so graciously given me. I truly am honored. But your comments are all the "awards" I need. I always look forward to reading them. And thank you for understanding.

How do you feel about awards? Do you love them? Do you accept them, but don't pass them on? Do you ignore them? Are you too busy to follow the rules that are attached to many of them? Would you/Have you considered going Award Free? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

17 comments:

mommakin said...

I (usually) accept them but don't pass them on. Which is sort of a cop out. We've talked about that before. I like your policy and may consider adopting it, I don't know.

I'm not doing so well with the 'guilt free' stuff, either. I'm on vacation (of sorts) but yesterday I spent over 2 hours reading and commenting. I'm hoping to cut it back to one today... I WANT to 'mark all as read' - but then something will look interesting or funny and I'm in...

Sick, I tells ya! Sick!

We're visiting relatives and I think they think I've gotten lazy or something - I'm always the first up - still am, but now instead of being visible, I stay in my room on the computer till I hear folks stirring downstairs...

Sue Jackson said...

I totally understand, Pam, and take no offense at all (even though I was part of the problem last week!).

I received my first two awards recently. While I was very flattered and grateful to be selected, when I finally got around to acknowledging them and passing them on last week, I was stunned by how much time it took! Between the graphics, selecting winners, and posting all those links, then going back to leave comments notifying of the awards, it took me well over an hour. My time and energy are just so limited. I may have to go this way in the future, too - we'll see.

No guilt! I get it.

Sue

P.S

Pam said...

Sue,

I can totally relate to what you've written here. I was so excited when I got my first award! And like you, after I did all the "stuff" to pass it on, I realized how long it took and it didn't seem like so much fun anymore. But it is SO flattering when someone feels you deserve an award. What an ego boost! But, then I started feeling as though I was spending too much time on blogging, hence my Guilt Free Blogging post, and I realized Awards were one thing I could let go. Especially since passing them on was causing me some angst. I really debated whether or not I should post about this or just do it quietly, but I thought that maybe there were others out there who felt the same way and might appreciate me starting the "discussion". I'm glad you didn't take offense!

Gamma Sharon said...

I am with you Pam... I do get excited when I get them, but as we speak I haven't got the draft finished on the Award you gave me last week. :( Hopefully today!

Miss Lady Grey said...

I totally agree with you. I have accepted awards in the past, but "changed the rules" and didn't always pass them along. Some people would say that I'm a bad blogger. But, I read your guilt free blog post awhile back, and decided that I blog for me...no one else. So, I shouldn't feel guilty about anything I blog about, or fail to blog about. Thanks for this post! I can totally relate. Awards are nice, but I don't like the rules that go along with them.

Kathy B! said...

This is a brilliant idea. I love receiving awards, but never play along properly and the feel GUILTY! For something that I started as a fun outlet to suddenly be fraught with guilt is simply unacceptable. I will be joining you!!

Clare said...

Hey Pam, as you know I deleted my original blog this and that a while back and came back with thelilacgrove a month later with a whole new attitude. No feeling like I have to blog every day, thinking about what blog posts I can write about and also I havent been nominated for an award since I changed blogs. I noticed that you unfollowed me and I think that is fine. Do you know I had 200 blogs that I followed and last week I wittled it down to 84. It was a tough thing to do because some of the blogs that I unfollowed only had a handful of readers and I knew that some of them would take it personally. Oops I am totally blogging in your comment section. Talk to you later honey

Unknown said...

Pam, I think I could easily give up the awards, they are not what I live for. What does one say? While I love that you follow me, and appreciate me, please do not give me an award? I might give it a try, because I feel like I'm not as good as I once was with posting about them, and then re-giving. I'm afraid that my followers grow tired of them too.
I've just been so busy since the vacation return I've had little time to even blog!!

Gwendolyn B. said...

Pam: I'm all for keeping blogging fun. Like many others, I was thrilled to get my first few awards and remain flattered every time I receive another. But I realize that I never blogged about the last few I received and now I don't remember who gave them to me! Obviously, some people have more time to spend than I, and what time I do have, I want to spend blogging about the books themselves. Now that I know how much work is invovled in accepting and passing on awards, I just might follow your lead. Besides, it's a really pretty button!

Andrea said...

I'm not well-known enough to have received any fun awards, so I'll take your word for it and support you in going Award Free! As for me, to even pretend I'd need to be it would be kind of silly! ;) I'm all for Guilt-Free Blogging, though!

Liz Mays said...

I accept them but I can't stand the thought of picking and choosing so I don't pass them on. And, I'm awful about even getting them posted. I feel like it's a pat on the back to myself which I don't enjoy doing.

FranticMommy said...

I;m with ya on this one sista. I LOVE awards (like the one you just gave me) but I feel horribly guilty for "not following the rules" that go with it. I honestly can't spare the time to forward, cut, paste, add links (read my 59 minutes and 59 seconds post. The only reason I'm finding the time to type this post right now is pure fluke).So I don't follow the rules. Sorry everybody. Awards and chain letters usually END at me.

Ashley said...

I LOVE awards but it gets to be a little like a chain letter. It would be better if you had to choose ONE blog to pass it onto!

Ronnica said...

I don't usually do awards. I rarely read posts in my reader that are awards post, unless, of course I get one. I did pass on the award you gave me in today's post because it honors commenters, and that's something objective (I gave it to my top 6 commenters in July). I WANT to honor my commenters with link backs, as they're important for sharing the bloggy love! I looked back, and other than today's I haven't done any since January, and only then because I received like 5 awards all at once, so I felt I needed to respond. So, no, I won't go awards free, but I also don't ever feel obligated to pass on an award.

Cat said...

I accept them, but I don't pass them on. And I don't feel guilty about it. Blogging is supposed to be fun, not filled with guilt and obligation. I lose followers all the time because I don't play by the rules. I don't have time to comment on every blog out there, I am a temporary single mom with a child who has special needs. Writing is my outlet. If people get all fickle about me not reading them and commenting everyday, well, I am sorry.

There will probably be a time I will go award free too, and take them off. Although, there are a few I like that original and not pass-alongs, like the ones from networks for being featured and stuff.

All and all, I am behind you 100%!!

MissKris said...

I used to post them but it became too much clutter on my sidebar. I try to keep my sidebar as clear as I can because I find too much stuff there very distracting if I'm visiting a blog, especially the ones that have ads inserted between each blog post. In fact, I quit reading one just for that reason -- I'll give you a link to it if you ask, just so you can see what I mean, HA! If someone awards me one, I post it and thank them for it and leave it at that. That's the least I can do, be courteous about it. It's also about all the time I have for it, too, my life is so crammed full and my computer time so limited.

Maria said...

I have a backlog of about ten awards and I'm feeling awful about it. There's so little time available to me, by the time I post and visit the blogs I follow. I'm thinking of going award free too. Thank you for sharing that. Have a great SITS day.

 

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