As a blogger who doesn’t use blog software (yes, it can be done!) I get a lot of grief from blogerati who feel my site doesn’t conform to prevailing standards. My readers, the ones who seem to care more about content than gimmicks, don’t seem to care.

I’ve written a more detailed defense of why bells-and-whistles aren’t as important as content, along with my liberal definition of what a blog, is here.

Blogging is the ultimate capital market place. Blogging can also be the ultimate socialistic center. Blogging is what you make of it.

Pierre Cutler

Oh and blog awards. Yawn.

Rob

Very cliquish…there are popular kids, then everyone else.

That the fraternity mentality makes their behavior acceptable – cheating off of one another’s papers, (quote/link/trackback) making fun of those they see as “beneath them.”

That if an “important” blogger doesn’t acknowledge you, you’re nobody.

That you have to “dress” (blog design) like everyone else.

The childish in-fighting of the in-crowd.

The “prom” atmosphere of awards. If you’re not nominated (have a date) you are somehow inferior.

Here’s mine:

1. the massive growth of comment spam
2. ditto splogs
3. the term “blogosphere” and “blogroll”
4. manic posting: 20 posts in a week and then nothing for months …
5. information overload (aka: rss feeds)
6. Technorati – what a mess
7. spelling – their, they’re, there
8. linkbaiting gone too far
9. as #29 said – too linear, lots of good posts get missed
10. top 10 lists just to get dugg :-)

The obsession with the economy of links. The drive by the blogger to maximise adsense earnings and not write well. Blogging is the Television of Writing.

Original Blogging? Does it exist? Thats why i created my website.

Abuse of what blogging can actually do for business and people in general.

Though there really isn’t anything wrong with blogging. Everyone has to take into account that people have been doing this since the internet started but it really hasn’t caught fire until the past year. The folks here that said anyone “CAN” call themselves bloggers are right and that can empower alot of people to do things they want. But that also brings the geniuses that “ABUSE” that and jack it up for everyone.

Get excited, blogging is here to stay whether there is a problem or not. Because folks are making money….alot right Darren!?

I only have about 20 blogs in my regular feeds and only a few that I would consider gems. So much garbage around.

I don’t like the advertising leaflet equivalent of blogs linking to other peoples content for the purpose of generating clicks.

I also don’t like that I can’t reveal my best ideas about my job on my blog either, but thats really not the blogosphere’s fault.

2. The words “blog”, “blogging”, “blogger”, and especially “blogosphere.” Oh, and “podcast.”

3. The cavalier attitude many weblog writers have toward correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and voice.

4. The anti-commercial attitude that advertising, weblog networks, or business sense are going to ruin the “pure” nature of weblogs. We already had the “commercialism is bad” discussion 15 years ago when the ban on commercial Internet use was lifted. It’s over. You lost.

5. The over-commercial attitude of many “pro” bloggers who are shoveling together sites on “hot” topics with useless, spammy content in the hopes of making a quick buck.

6. Exclusionism. The attitude that I’ve seen from multiple quarters that “x isn’t a true weblog:” Livejournals aren’t weblogs, Business sites aren’t weblogs, multi-author sites aren’t weblogs, and so on. If it’s displayed in reverse chronological order, it’s a weblog. Live with it.

7. Bloggers’ ignorance about the real world. Most people don’t know what a blog is, and don’t care. Most people aren’t in the “blogosphere.” Some people don’t even have computers, and that doesn’t mean they don’t matter.

8. Weblog awards.

9. Comment spam.

10. Writer’s block–the fact that I write more in Darren’s comments than on my own sites.