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Dear Mario,
I’m addressing you as Mario because that’s how you addressed the audience in your video today.
I don’t care about what happend in Toronto. I don’t think many do. It’s not a judgement call on you or will.i.am, it’s because we have bigger things to worry about today.
Most of us? We don’t have a job. The rest of us? We’re struggling with so much debt, we will probably be our grandparents age before we pay it off.
Then there’s the 40% of Americans who blog. Those folks blog, mostly, because they think there is money, fame, and more to be found by blogging. Those folks see you as an example of someone who has acheived these things.
The thing is: Everyone else sees you as an example too, but it’s not a good one.
Every time stuff like the Toronto incident happens, it makes the climb more difficult for millions of Americans who want to earn a living by blogging.
It chips away at the credibility we have built up since the 2004 blogging boom.
It gives the mainstream media, who wants us to fail, more ammunition to work with.
And it scares away potential advertising partners because they don’t like drama. And since we can’t live off Google Adsense, most of us anyway, we need to keep those advertisers around to help fund our projects and dreams.
So listen: If you want to “get real” with your audience, many of whom include those folks I talked about who want to make money blogging, don’t screw them over at the same time because you’re mad at someone. They work too hard and don’t deserve that, not from you, and not from anyone who represents bloggers to the general public.
Just someone concerned about those trying to make a living
Brandon Mendelson (@BJMendelson)
