Monday, January 09, 2006

JIBs Are Just Instant Badges


Blogroll Me!



Yeah, yeah, everyone's been on the campaign trail for the past couple of weeks, reminding people to nominate Jewish/Israeli blogs and now reminding people to vote.

One of my blogging friends was kind enough to nominate me, warning me he would. I was most flattered. A year ago I was a novice at this thing called blogging, and suddenly I was in the running for a title of Best Personal Blog.

But I realized that's all it was -- a nomination for a title. I do not feel that I needed to post the JIBs nominee banner on my blog -- you want to read me, you'll read me. You don't want to read me, you won't. A banner won't make the difference. A campaign post won't make the difference.

If I haven't already left some kind of indelible mark on you out there with my words, with my attempt at humor, with my attempt at creativity, with my giving you a peek at my world, no JIB banner, nor even a winning title will do it.

Yes, I mosied over to the awards site today to vote. No, I absolutely did not vote for myself; I never intended to. Instead, I voted for the personal blogs that have moved me--with their attempts at humor, at creativity, giving us a precious peek at their world. They have managed to make an indelible mark on me with their words.

We are all winners without these banners or badges. We sit at our computers each day or every few days and post our lives onto the World Wide Web -- we find something genuine in ourselves to share. Blogging is really about giving, sharing, enlightening...and about responding, understanding, relating.

It's not about whether you've been nominated for an award, or whether you win one. Just think about countless actors, actresses, directors who've done stellar work but never even made the nominations for Academy Awards. Do you stop paying money to watch them perform in movies, or do you turn the TV channel when one of their early movies is on the air? No! Why? Because regardless that they're not award winners, they're still winners in your eyes.

That's all that counts.

14 comments:

cruisin-mom said...

It's so funny to me how these blog awards have become grist for the mill. (gee, hope I used that expression correctly) There have been more posts about this subject than I can count.

AbbaGav said...

I was just blogtrotting through the J-sphere and stumbled on your post. I don't post about the awards, but I do comment about them. I agree with your thinking. I want to focus and having readers more than on getting awards. At the same time, this process is a great way to bring new readers to blogs, and hopefully some of them will stick.

I hope your nomination, however it turns out, brings you a few chuckles and lots of readers.

Air Time said...

I think that the awards are fun, and brings new readers to the blogs.

Anonymous said...

I think the reverse frequently happens with the Oscars. Someone gets the Oscar, like Marisa Tomei -- and it hurts their career. So, maybe it's better not to win.

Anonymous said...

You're a winner in my book.

Isn't it the "Best New Artist" Grammy that has been a career killer?

rabbi neil fleischmann said...

I'm here and I read. And I'm glad you're there. This award thing has me confused.

torontopearl said...

Thank you, all, for your nice comments.

Rabbi Neil, I think you left a very similar comment on a post of mine months ago...when you just discovered my writing. So, I'm glad it still holds true.

cruisin-mom said...

Mirty...you are so right...there have been so many best new artists that have never been heard from again...maybe awards can be a spoiler of creative purity.

Anonymous said...

Yes, MIA said it right. blogs are not for competition, and this entire blog awards thing is wrong wrong wrong. people have gotten carried away and lost sight of what this was supposed to be all about. stop this awards nonsense. It's gotten out of hand.

Pearl, you already won long ago. In my book, you're tops.

DANNY

PsychoToddler said...

All of you people who are not voting for Pearl should vote for me.

KIDDING! I'm Kidding!

I hear you on this, Pearl. Last year I didn't get nominated and I didn't care. All of the sudden, it's like I need the stinkin badge for validation.

torontopearl said...

PsychoToddler, you don't have to win any badge. I volunteer to be the president of the PsychoToddler Fan Club. (Darn, there I go again, biting off more than I can chew!)I will now call a meeting...

All new members out there, sing with me: "We like you, PsychoToddler, oh yes we do, we like you PsychoToddler, oh we like you..." (some knockoff of a Bye, Bye Birdie song is our chosen theme song for this club.)

PsychoToddler said...

sob...sob...

I...I don't know what to say...

You like me...you REALLY LIKE ME...

torontopearl said...

Well, duh...! Any Cro-Magnon man who lives in Milwaukee, is a fairly decent medicine man, can make beautiful music...and tells me to my face that I don't have a Canadian accent is a friend of mine.

Stacey said...

I am with Mia. I do not like the whole idea of these awards. But then again, I am not of the "please like me, please pick me" mentality. (Can you tell I never joined a sorority in college?)

I do appreciate being nominated by the person who nominated me because I have great respect for him and his writing. But beyond that, I haven't voted for any or even checked out the website. Whatever.