Wednesday 14 December 2011

Citizen Blogger? I think not!

Morning all.

I've been reading about the European Beer Bloggers Conference next year in Leeds. Whilst I may well go this time I keep seeing a phrase that annoys me.

Citizen Blogger.

For some reason this really irks me. I couldn't really tell you why but it does and I'm going to try!

Movember started in 1984
Indeed for me the phrase 'Citizen Blogger' conjures images of 1984*, a booming, echo-y, God-like voice calling you 'citizen' instead of your name.

Now, I know I'm sounding a bit curmudgeonly and that but frankly this moan isn't much better than the 'calling craft beer, craft beer' argument but why not just say 'bloggers', where did the citizen come from? Is blogger not an amateur enough title for us?

Now before you all jump down my through for being thick, I realise that 'citizen blogger' is meant to tell us apart from the 'professionals' amongst us but why not brand the professionals instead. How about 'professional computer moaner'? 'paid moaner'? or 'Pete Brown Wannabe'?**

Don't brand me! I'm not one of the herd!

*I want to re-read this now
**before you say it, yes I'm well aware Pete does not get paid for his blog, I am merely using him as an example of a successful writer.




mooooooooo!!!!!!

5 comments:

Unknown said...

+1.

Is it because 'citizen bloggers' are AWESOME! and have an over-inflated sense of self-worth?

Sid Boggle said...

Big Boggle Is Watching You

The Beer Nut said...

I think it's more than just separating the professional writers from the hobbyists. It's to separate the industry blogs which are purely advertising -- the BrewDog one being a prime example -- from blogs written from an independent standpoint.

Though I think there's a limit to the extent that people, like yourself, who are directly employed in the industry can be considered citizen beer bloggers. Relief, eh?

rabidbarfly said...

SimonJ - No, I AM AWESOME!
Sid - Big Blogger not work?
TBN - Good first point. Not sure about the 2nd. It really depends I think, just how independent people like me try and make their blogs. If all their blogs just went on about their business the whole time then they're not really independent....sorry 'citizen' *vommits*

Bob said...

Me too! They could have come up with a better phrase...