[...] PR Blackout? (tastelikecrazy.com) [...]

[...] PR Blackout? (tastelikecrazy.com) [...]

I love what I have chosen to do. I run a successful business from home, take care of my family, and have a mildly successful blog. I delete more pr pitches than I respond to because most of them think I’m their pwn personal promotions dep’t. I am not as widely known or a “important” (*ahem*) as some of my peers simply because I have kept my blog at a level that is comfortable for me. So it doesn’t feel like work, per se.

So no need to have an official blackout.

But to those of you who spend 24/7 on your computers, hell, TAKE A MONTH!!
Jill Notkin´s last blog ..I don’t know what I’m wearing at BlogHer and that’s ok.

I say the mom bloggers are being whiny. Quit complaining. If you don’t want to do reviews – don’t do them. (thats simple- isn’t it)

If you only want to blog about your families- do it. If you lost followers because of it – so be it. If you don’t GREAT.

You have no one to blame for the state of your blog other than yourself. You can say no to any review at any time.

And a week? Really? Will your ads come down then too? Or will mombloggers still be profiting (albeit small) at that time while they take their stand.

Just my two cents.. as an avid blog visitor.

I do reviews but not a ton – I take what I think I’d actually use and what I would buy on my own if I had the cash. If I did NO giveways and/or reviews here, I think I would be OK with that but I like trying out stuff and letting people know what I think about it. [I'm an over sharer ]

On my work blogs, I write about alcohol and video games and get tons and tons of pitches and press releases and [if I'm lucky] “product samples” heh

And, you’re right, I’m not part of the forums but believe me when I say that I get that this idea was meant to be a good thing and I think that it IS a good thing if someone feels that overwhelmed.

It stems from all the mom blogger review sites who are overwhelmed and they needed to form an alliance of support to say its OK to say NO for ONE WEEK. I am a part of the MomDot community and feel badly for Trisha because she really has the best of intentions and unless you are a part of the forums there where we talk all day long about the ins and outs of blogging, then you really wouldnt get it…it has a huge back story

anyway–good post! I think you at least were fair!
Clarissa Nassar´s last blog ..In Honor of my Mentor Trisha Haas

I don’t think that I took it out of context at all. I read your post twice and then read it for a third time while I was writing this to make sure that I didn’t take it out of context.

And I didn’t [or tried not to] imply that you were saying “quit PR or down with PR”. I said that you were calling for people to be PR free for a week and that would be no good for me since I have a PR friend and my job with b5media requires me to talk with Public Relations people.

Also, I think that there is still an opportunity for discussion [that's what we're doing right now] and I know that I meant nothing personal toward you with regards to what I wrote. Your idea is a good one for people who feel like that is their only recourse. And, I’m sure those same people are encouraged to know that others feel as they do.

As far as the ad issue goes, my comment/question about taking down ads was simply a question that I had while I was reading your piece.

This is going to sound 100% canned but I completely mean it: The wonderful thing about our community of women bloggers [and some men] is that we all have opinions and we can all disagree but we have a common goal – to tell a story. Sometimes that story doesn’t appeal to everyone but that’s life and it would be a very boring place, indeed if we all agreed, all of the time.

I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment with your views here.

Just a week…a bloggy vacation. No one said quit PR or down with PR…we utilize PR to our advantage quite often. It has somehow turned from that real discussion with a blog burnout and obligation issue to down with PR.

Many bloggers are sincerely burned out and are afraid to turn down PR or simply take SO MANY opps they forget where they are going, or atleast how they got there. Our goal is to just bring some of that back, a bit of personal, for one week.

We never mentioned taking down ads or not accepting paid ads, but rather to take a review/giveaway break on POSTING and get personal for those that feel overwhelmed..

you most certainly will NOT be categorized if you dont participate..its just simply not for you because you balance. But for those that dont, it may help them see the light.

trisha
trisha´s last blog ..Wow, are PR or Bloggers more Whiny?

I like @resourcefulmom’s “brownout” idea a bit more. I think every blogger needs to decide what’s right for her; find the right balance. Many get caught up in the cycle of freebies, the allure of the attention of marketers, free trips on which they’re pampered like a rock star. I’ve been there. What’s not to like?

If this is a bit of a wake-up call that causes bloggers to take a more thoughtful approach to reviews, great.

I do find it odd that this is coming out so close to BlogHer, where attendees are invited to party after party with free food, alcohol and swag courtesy of the PR firms people are claiming take too much of their time. Is that why we “need” to wait until August? Because really, if it’s that much of an issue, I advise people to stay away from the parties and donate the 15 pounds of t-shirts, flash drives and product samples they’ll receive to charity.
kim/hormone-colored days´s last blog ..10 Commandments of BlogHer Success