Anyway, I enjoy your blog. I stumbled upon it through Daddy Scratches, one of my favorites.

I do object to the increasing industrialization of blogging, and yearn for the days that it was an armature sport. But I know those days are (temporarily) gone. And I can’t blame people for trying to diversify and find income elsewhere.

And anyway, as is often said – if I don’t like the PR pushing blogs I don’t read them. But as the commercialization of blogs becomes almost the focus of many of the wider communities (the BMB network for example), I feel increasingly disenfranchised from them.

I also think the scope of blogs to grow in influence is limited. I think their peak time was in 2008 and they have been tailing off ever since. This British mummy thing has been a bit of a revival, but it too will tail off eventually.

I know that this reply hasn’t really addressed <emany of your points. But it’s late so it will have to do :)
Dan´s last blog ..Hey ho, lets go! Lee and Dan’s Midnight Movie Club

Especially as one who has turned her hand to some PR, social media, training and the dreaded “consultancy” to diversify and survive.

I think that overall as I said in my earlier comments, blogging is here to stay and so is the PR interest in it.

Perhaps what is needed on the part of PRs who are seeking to find ‘influencers’ is more diligent research as to whether their target blogger is going to be open to their suggestions/requests.

I also think that there’s some misunderstanding among bloggers as to what’s advertising, what’s PR and what’s sales! PR is not a direct sales tool and should fit in with a wider marketing strategy. Brands ‘engaging’ with bloggers are most interested in building communities around their products and the word of mouth that can generate.

Anyway, I’ve gone on a bit but I just read this and it reminded me of the discussion here:

I thought it was interesting:

http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2009/12/16/doing-less-with-less-what-are-you-willing-to-give-up-from-journalism/#ixzz0Zy4kizQE

Especially this highlighted quote:

You want ethically impeccable writers? Then don’t expect them to have to hustle for a living. Don’t blame them for getting bought, let alone for the potential appearance of having previously been bought, when you’re too cheap to buy them yourself. … We are in tough Times. But stop pretending. The Times has lowered its standards. Lower standards are cheaper than high standards.

I suppose the point I’m making is that your assertion that the ‘media types’ have a vested interest’ in emphasising (or even possibly exaggerating?) the influence of blogs is an entirely reasonable one to make but if you think about it, it’s also a reason that blogging and its influence will continue to grow as more ‘media types’ as you call them turn their attention to blogging – through economic necessity.
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Besides, it would get incredibly stressy trying to be as funny/touching/angry/entertaining etc. as fellow bloggers – because it seems that although many people claim to be writing ‘for themselves’ there does seem to be a competitive edge out there.

Oh, and check out Bridgetown in Western Australia. Beautiful, not hot and on the mainland!

And there will be premium bloggers who start doing it professionally too – just like Whit over there in my own blog roll. But the premium blogs won’t be trusted as impartial, certainly not by me at any rate.

I’m very interested in the point you make about PR’s possibly hyping the influence of blogs in order to keep their clients happy.
Dan´s last blog ..Sunday Morning Uketube