Can I jump in on the TVQ for today? LOL. blog bashing

[strangejen]

I don't know if you guys have noticed the two or three anon blogs that totally slam on the scrapbooking industry . . . Part of me thinks "damn, these people are MEAN," and part of me thinks "well, it's nice that people are actually expressing some truths that everyone is afraid to say in a message board." And I don't think the absolute meanness is called for, but there ARE all sorts of things in the "scrapbooking industry" that are off and DO need to be talked about.

And that got me thinking about digital. Do we have that kind of back-biting and I just haven't noticed it? Is it because we're so new and not established and not "huge" like CK and Ki and stuff, that that's why we're not all fighting and hate each other? Does it help that we all have more of a chance to get on a CT because all the designers have teams and we actually WANT to help people get on a team? Is it the lack of "glory" that we don't have to fight over? And I guess not as much cash being handed out as prizes that we're not fighting over? Maybe it's just me, but I really think that the digi-world on the whole is friendly and supportive and we see each other as a team, regardless of how long we've been scrapping or how many CTs we're on.

Deep thoughts for the day.

jen

[Sulis]

No, I haven't come across these blogs - I'd be interested in reading.

[strangejen]

google "scrapbook critic" and you'll find the horrid one. (don't want to link it, LOL.)

jen

[Sulis]

Wow - that blog is certainly getting a lot of readers! Have you seen how many comments for each posting - 300, 400! I find it quite disturbing how vitriolic many of the comments are. It is sad that women can become so nasty about other scrappers and what is supposed to be a hobby. It just smacks of plain old jealousy to me. It is perfectly reasonable not to like another scrapper's style or be awed by every page you see in a magazine, but it doesn't need to get personal. Makes me quite sad to read this and I sincerley hope our little 'digi world' never goes down that road.

[strangejen]

I know, I hope so, too. I mean, there are the occasional jealousies over sales and random popularity or how many CTs someone is on . . . but we're not calling people horrible names or trying to make everyone hate them.

Maybe I'm naive to think we can all be friends and all get along . . . but I'm going to hang on to it anyway. :D

jen

[hawaiianbrat96]

Holy! I cannot believe the flippant, arrogant, and sarcastic nature some people are. I visited the one blog, but then I did some research, and there are actual articles on very prominant places that people frequent often that are just cheeky - if not a bit worse!

I hope the digital scrapbooking community will never get the same treatment. But honestly, I don't think it ever will.

Considering we can handle things in real time and get it to people in the timely manner over email and the Internet, things can be fixed a bit faster. If we get "flops" in sales, it gets pulled a heck of a lot more quickly than it would just sitting on shelves.

Being digital, I think designers and owners can handle flops a lot better than shops and shelves. Reason being, again, the Internet. It takes a lot to design digital products as it is. But at least it is digital. If it is indeed considered a flop, or not something that was really worth while, we can pull it , redesign and vamp it and re-release it! When you do the shop gig, well you have to go through the designing process, the printing process, and all that costs a lot more than us using our computers alone.

In the end, digital isn't just the better way to go, it will probably end up being the way to go. I suppose it is like looking at using VHS vs. DVD. In the end, one will sell more than the other and the digital scrapbooking industry is catching up!

[Anita Richards]

yeah i saw some of those blogs a while back and some of it was just plain ole downright dirty mean-spirited nastiness - some of the worst stuff in people seems to be happening in "that part" of the scrapbooking world and i too hope that digi never gets the same way.

[mamakimberly]

OH MY!!!

that was some seriously VICIOUS stuff on those blogs.

I think the #1 issue for those snarky girls is ***JEALOUSY***.

[strangejen]

you know what just occured to me, though . . . when SS digital #7 (are we on 7, or just 6?) comes out . . . with their call for the 20 hottest digital scrappers . . . I wonder if making or not making that will upset some people.

[daisyrose]

Hmm, interesting reading. I think being anon on the internet brings out the ugly in a lot of people (not just scrapbookers). I would like to think that the digi community will never be that way, it doesn't seem that way now. A little competitive maybe, but not mean spirited. As for the CT thing, I think there's plenty of "glory" in it for a digi-scrapper - we toot like maniacs when we get on! :) It's just not the rabid cat-fight to get there! I know I'm genuinely happy everytime someone makes a new CT or designs their first paper! There was a bit of some clique feeling groups at the peas, but I don't feel that on any other site, especially not this one.

Digital Top 20 - that should be fun, I love seeing names I recognize from the boards! There might be a little bit of hurt feelings,nobody likes rejection, witness the big contest over at digiscrappingbiz - a few people felt bruised, but overall nobody could argue that the finalists and winner didn't deserve it - the talent was just overwhelming!

Contests are fun and a good challenge, but I don't know anyone who would say they are *the* reason they scrap - so at the end of the day, if you have a layout that YOU love then you've acomplished plenty! :D

[jenn7]

I haven't seen any such blogs, but I'd be interested to take a look at them. I never even knew such a blog existed until an online friend posted recently about being bashed in one. (she's a paper scrapper)

[Lauren Grier]

holy...just wow. I was just reading through the comments with my mouth wide open. What a waste of time and energy.

[HeidiD]

Yeah, Jenn! I didn't know those blogs were around either until I noticed that my personal blog was being linked to by one of them . . . someone in the comments thought that I was giving out TMI (too much information?), but all I was doing was expressing my frustration with my SIL's situation. If you don't like it, don't read it, right? Show some maturity, people! Really. :P

It really bothered me for a while to read their comments about my personal blog, because I hadn't realized that *those* kind of people would be reading my blog, but then I realized, it's my blog, right? Who cares what they think? I do it for me, and if I got what I needed out of it, then to you-know-where with them and their computers. :)

[diannerigdon]

I just don't see the point in focusing on this kind of negativity and I refuse to go see the traffic accident they call a blog (having been there once before). I really have better things to do. Honestly, while I have seen a fair amount of drama in our little digi world, I am so proud of the digi community as a whole for being such a stand up crowd. As to whether or not these other people are discussing "truth", I don't know, but it's been my experience in the digital community that when something needs saying, we can usually find a much more constructive way to express ourselves. Digi RAWKS!

[Vera Lim]

Some people just have too much time... sigh...

[Genevieve]

I haven't read that blog, but I do have to say that one of the things I liked so much about the digital community (having come from paper), was how little distance there is between customer and designer. Because we're all right here, posting on all the same boards, right? :) I think that CK and other big mags kind of make a huge distance between their scrapping "celebs" and their readers (knowingly or unknowingly--it just happens), just by virtue of print...if that makes any sense. And the whole HOF thing...I know people who have repeatedly gone out for that and not made it, and these are TALENTED scrappers (and sometimes I would even look at those who DID make it and think, "How did she make it over my friend?"). And I think over time that can generate bitterness... Not fun stuff.

I've never felt like any of that existed in the digi world, and I like that. :) CTs are much less pressure, and there are lots of them popping up everywhere, so everyone has a better chance of getting recognized that way if they would like. Plus, thanks to galleries and comments, you get peer recognition that way almost as often as you post a LO. :) Much more encouraging and fun.

Just my 2 cents. :)

[limabean]

Well Jen, unfortunately a handfull of people have a lot of anger obviously. You see this in blogs right in our own community as we chatted about yesterday. Isn't it a shame when people need to talk about other Designers negatively? And how quicly it can have a negative effect on someone elses rep. Then you gotta love the people who moderate the comments and block out others who come to their defense. I've read things in blogs about physical harm as well! Jeez, makes you wonder about the people we think of as our role models. I've heard of so much bashing, in fact I've seen it and been there. But like I've been told there are people known for this and you gotta just let it roll off your back! It all amounts to immaturity, anger problems and the need for prozack, I swear! These blogs you speak about are no different!

[ethansmom]

of course curiosity got the best of me, went to go have a look-see.
The blog is gone? It has 1 post that says "Nothing to see here"
hmmm.... interesting.

Carrie

[Joni]

you know what just occured to me, though . . . when SS digital #7 (are we on 7, or just 6?) comes out . . . with their call for the 20 hottest digital scrappers . . . I wonder if making or not making that will upset some people.


yep you hit the nail on the head Jen ~ I really do think people will be hurt/upset etc. That is why I'm not even gonna play :D

[strangejen]

The blog is gone?

yeah, the author pulled it because she realized it had gotten out of hand, AND there were people trying to get lawyers to MAKE them pull it.

Women are weird. I seriously doubt men would sit around on the internet trying to destroy each other just because some were successful in a hobby they enjoyed. (Then again, most men on the internet are looking for . . . ha ha ha. just kidding.)

jen

[Jeannie]

The whole thing is a catastrophe.

I am sure it was the intention of the creator to have somewhere to go and voice their less than sugar coated opinion on different topics. I agree it got way out of hand.

I am always going to be a mixed media/hybrid scrapper. That said I came into digital because of the warm genuine people I met when I was trying to fix a photograph. I have nothing but good things to say about this community as a whole; its a whole other entitiy that I hope never changes.

[AmyTeets]

2peas has a blog like this too...well not associated..but the bashing yes.

[lisarose]

good that its gone! I stumbled onto that blog a few weeks ago and couldnt believe how they just picked everything and everyone to pieces! Nasty, jealous people.

I came across the 2 peas one at the same time and thats no better. These people need to focus their energies on scrapping.. maybe if they did that, they could all be as good as the people they are insanely jealous of :)

[Shawna Clingerman]

okay lol! well looks like i missed all the "fun" lol i just googled my butt off only to see that it turns out it's gone! LOL!

You know, I don't know about everyone but I think in generally we are all out to just support eachother. I'm totally not going to feel slighted when the "20 best digiscrappers" are chosen, it all just makes me feel excited for how digiscrapping is growing and how we are ALL involved.

I think the competitiveness is sad, but man, yes I do notice that paper scrapping boards (esp. over at the pod) can totally get out of hand!

Honestly - me thinks it is sort of silly
:p

[SteinwaysMom/DebraTope]

Some people just have too much time... sigh...

Seriously!

[thequeenofquirk]

well, apparently i missed the party as well...but i will say that i have seen the viciousness rear its ugly head in our digi community as well. it's really sad, but it's unavoidable, unfortunately. :( sigh....