Thursday, December 18, 2008

Rude and mean

Giving each other awards for the most beautiful, the most creative blogs seems to be an act of kindness. It was invented out of enthusiasm and the pleasure of participation. But why not just read and comment? It may be an educative intention. People will make nicer blogs in order to be honored with a medal. We are so used to medals that we don't think twice about motivation. The greatest motivation for blogging is blogging. It is a new kind of communication, it has been replacing the rural garden fence. Soap operas on TV are another garden fence, you see the same faces every day, a limited number of them, so you can remember the details, and you learn a limited number of new facts every day. Just as it is in village life. The chat in the shop. I can't chat in the supermarket. And I wouldn't. I found a new democratic peer-to-peer communication with nice people who love similar crafts as I do. Now, what happens if someone starts giving awards? She/(rather not)he has founded a jury. Or started being a jury. I'm on top, I can judge other people. Of course, this is a good intention! Being praised is a great feeling, you know you have done something good. We all need that, and we are ready to admire the work of others. That's alright. Well, this can be done in the comments. It's nice, it's rewarding, it's peer-to-peer. It's enough.
  • Creating awards can raise the feeling: "She's got one, but not me. Why not me?"
  • It gives a blog something of kid's play. But many of us are professional artists, we should have a blog with a more or less serious appearance.
  • whereas in our blogs we can define ourselves, we get a label through this award which defines us.
  • praises slow down. Critis increase the speed. This will be explained.
I'm spreading comments, mostly praising, sometimes critical, but if I do, I hope to inspire, nothing else. There are no critical awards. This is impossible. You can give a positive award or a negative one. "Worst Blog Award" -- could you think of that? Everyone must be shocked by this idea. But there's nothing in between. Awards are extremes. Scientists found out that praises sometimes decrease the level of performance. Some snooker players make their worst mistakes within the minute after being successful in a very difficult task. Probably they say to themselves: "Well done" -- and bang. Mistake in an easy task. We need critical remarks. I want them. And this is why I created this award. I'm rude and mean. I'm not giving it to anyone. You have to steal it and put it on your blog if you want to. Is it protected by copyright? Nope.

28 comments:

bikerted said...

I can never single out people to give awards to so generally accept them with thanks(avoids hurt feelings) but advise that I don't pass them on.

Guzzisue said...

realised that I was on Bikerteds computer and he had left himself logged in !

Paula Hewitt said...

I agree completely.

Eva said...

oops, I was hoping that also bikerted would comment on this subject.

Melody Johnson said...

Eva you are a great thinker! I love this non-award idea. Also I think that people give out awards to get themselves noticed or their blogs visited. I dislike the awards because it usually requires me to nominate some other ones at the same time. Too much trouble.
I'd much rather have the comments than an award.

gerfiles said...

Gute Idee. Ich finde dieses Preisverleihungskarussell befremdlich - und mit dem, was wirklich neu + gut ist am Bloggen tatsächlich nicht recht vereinbar... Danke auch für die gestrige Anmerkung zu meinem Quilt...

jude said...

terrific!

Judy said...

WOW: did I ever open a can of worms!! LOL
I'm going to steal your award, and then perhaps I won't have to make any further awards! LOL

Deb G said...

I followed a link from Spirit Cloth. Just wanted to say I agree! Awards tend to add some kind of popularity contest to blogging....

Rayna said...

I am in hysterics - d'accord!! I'm stealing this beautifully designed, clever award and putting it on my blog.

Yes, people mean well - but it does get to be too much. LOL, thanks for the laugh and the tongue-in-cheek, professionally designed NON-award thingie (truc in French - I don't how to translate it any other way - you won't find this word in the dictionary, either).
R.

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

I agree, I would much rather have comments than awards.

Eva said...

Comment from my husband, when I proudly told him that most feedbacks to the NAA were positive: "At last you have learnt to express yourself diplomatically!"

ArtSparker said...

In other naughtiness news, I have trouble with memes in the sense that they are an order to stop doing what you would normally do, and do what I tell you to do. Do I have issues around authority? Absolutely.

With both of these forced conviviality tools, there is something which is also innocent... an element of being in kindergarten and exchanging valentines.

As an adult, I want to meet on equal ground though, and prefer the expanding social network of blogging to the popularity contest.

Gerrie said...

I found you thru my friend Rayna and I love this award. I am stealing it!!

Terry Grant said...

I'm taking it too. I reacted rather rudely to a recent award, so I appreciate your more civilized response!

Unknown said...

I like your non-award idea. People on Flickr have been doing this too--the huge badges and flashing graphics of Flickr "awards" gets to be a bit much too.

Needle, Thimble and Thread said...

well said!

Am having difficulty trying to steal your award though. All that appears when I go to the post is a white square?

magpie said...

being new to the blog world i was puzzled by all that clutter in the sidebars of some blogs...awards?

i blog for the sake of blogging. i'm having a great deal of fun discovering myself as the list of posts grows and the comments trickle in. in the immortal words of popeye, i yam what i yam. love it or leave it.

magpie

Unknown said...

Ms. Eva,

I am blithely stealing this award, posting it on my blog and daring someone to follow the link back to you to give you yet another award!

I have a similar feeling. I've tried to be a nice Southern Belle when I've been given them, and struggled with the who, what and where to pass along.

My idea was to go ahead and put up every award that was out there on my blog. People would see it and not bother me!

I ended up taking some of them down because they were just too stupid for a person who's been to college to associate with!

Thanks for the opportunity for legitimate plagiarism!

Blessings,
D

Unknown said...

So well said! Thank you for posting! And I am so technology challenged, I don't know how to take the non-award!

But I love blogs and blogging!

Cindy B.
Happy Valley, Oregon

Cathi said...

I love this post -- you have put into words so well what the problem is with those awards. When I began blogging I received and, not wanting to be rude to those who had given the awards to me, passed them on but wasn't comfortable with the whole idea. I have since declined to take any.

I hate the thought of blogging turning into some kind of popularity contest. I'd much rather have comments than awards.
I'm taking the non-award.

Greenmare said...

Very well put!

McIrish Annie said...

I'm with you! the awards have gotten out of hand. I think they originally started with good intentions but now they are just everywhere and frankly mean nothing to me. As another commenter said, it's a way to increase blog traffic.

I have developed some wonderful relationships with many women through my blog and I cherish them. My mom used to meet with the other moms on the block for coffee every morning but now with women working, we miss out on this "neighborly Chat". That is how I view my blog. A place to talk about my craft and things that are important to me.

I "visit" my friends every day and have "friends" that visit me. It adds to my life. That's all I need

sewkalico said...

Ein tolle Idee!! I love it. I have never gotten around to putting awards up. They make me feel awkward and I think they're a bit cliquey. But I may (or not) steal this LOL

Unknown said...

Ha-ha! Fantastic, I love it! I'm stealing it right now and replacing my Scribler Award with this one instead.
Very much enjoying your artwork - the vibrant colors remind me a bit of Hundertwasser or Klee, but they are nevertheless yours.

Cheers!
Son

Anonymous said...

Well said! I figure that if every award has to passed on to five or more there will be a shortage of blogs to award them to very shortly!
Personally I am happy with the knowledge that someone has been to have a look, a comment is a bonus!
I have just found your blog again after losing it on my favourites list, and really must be more careful with it in the future.
Judy B

Mihaela said...

I agree completely!

Unknown said...

I think awarding poeple with further 'love' through an award is an additional mark of your appreciation for their work and kindness and support they have shown. I would never leave a negative comment on anyones blog - neither would I undermine the fact that they were the recipient of an award - you have decided that you wouldn't receive or give a blog award but this does not give you the right to undermine any recipient or giver of an award. It is the only way we can show an added appreciation of someones support or to show we appreciate their talent.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion - but please do not try and enforce your opinion on someone else - if they are happy to receive and give accolades in any shape or form - so be it.

A both a giver and receiver of a couple of awards - which I truley appreciated - you do not know how receiving an award can boost someone - for whatever reason - recovering from an illness, being self concious and self critical, bullied in a previous era or undermined in other parts of their life.

Live and let live - each to their own!

Paula