Little Miss Attila
In this odd little society of people online who blog, there has emerged a certain pecking order based on assorted factors. Who gets the most hits. Who gets the most links. Who goes to the most weekend-long parties… er, seminar/get-togethers. Bonus points if you conduct a session while attending said seminar/get-togethers. Especially if you don’t tip you hand about the hangover presently being nursed. Should I ever conduct such a session (snortyeahright), I will insist it be scheduled to begin at 7:30 AM sharp. Just to see if anyone shows up. But I digress.
Anyway, the aforementioned are the select few. They are the high-flyers, the ones from whom currying favor is pursued with greater passion and tenacity than good curry by lovers of Indian food. Their posts are deemed to be diamonds, occasionally veering from mineral to animal by being praised as pearls of great price. They receive a daily harvest of mad props and link love by simply breathing, let alone blogging. Some of this comes from their fellow residents of the blogosphere penthouses. The rest emanate from those dreaming of an invitation to come upstairs and see their etchings.
The low totem pole denizens strive, mightily, to reach the level of those whose attention they desperately seek as part of their campaign to become one of the chosen ones. They e-mail, tweet, text and send screaming herds of turtles to the big boys and girls, begging them to please take a look at their latest writing. Once in a while, a great great while, they get a response. “Look – a mention! A link! I AM somebody!” For fifteen minutes or so, until the next thirty-seven dozen requests go unanswered. I believe the technical term is “utterly ignored.”
The high-flyers sign publishing deals. The rest of us give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to our credit cards so we can afford to publish things ourselves. The high-flyers enjoy mentions, and make appearances, on radio and television talk shows. The rest of us receive notice on sites not our own by leaving comments on each others blog posts, with a link to ours in our screen name. As mentioned before, the high-flyers conduct seminars, for which people fly in from around the country. The rest of us listen to country. At least in secret, when no one’s looking.
Rather reminiscent of how we blog.
Instead of posting photos of ourselves drinking… um, standing alongside other bloggers at power summits, we send snapshots of kittens, bunnies, and where available little baby seals. We talk to each other, faithfully answer tweets plus e-mails, and wonder if it’s too soon to ask for another round of people hitting the tip jar. We compose our posts, be they brief observations or in-depth musings, and sent them on their merry way, always thankful for the readers we have, yet always wishing we, too, soared with the eagles instead of scuffling alongside our fellow crows.
Let’s face it. We’re not the Kool Kidz.
So what to do?
It’d be quite easy, and anything but unjustified, to rail against this online caste society. However, far better to take care of each other; to highlight those among us deserving a far brighter spotlight than the occasional flicker of acknowledgment presently being flicked their way from the high-flyer’s lofty perch. It’s a necessity, really. No one else is volunteering for the job. The big boys and girls have amply demonstrated they’re not about lifting up others. We crows need to do it ourselves.
And so, with reluctant pride — reluctant solely for its necessity — I present…
League Of Extraordinarily Unlinked Bloggers
The League of Extraordinarily Unlinked Bloggers serves to highlight the seldom, if ever, fellow bloggers among us deserving a far greater audience share. It’s not one of those obnoxious Top 20 or 25 Whatever On Twitter lists, giving those so heralded the opportunity for yet another public tongue bath. Rather, it is the online equivalent of the still small voice, the one that whispers “hey — over here.” There’s no pecking order; no venue for lording over others by dint of inclusion. The League is a fellowship dedicated to the common good. There’s no “first” here, just “one of.”
With the above duly noted, here’s one of the League:
Joy McCann — Better known online as Little Miss Attila. Joy is, simply put, an amazing writer, the kind who provides ample evidence of this coming from her being an amazing person. Her blogging is intelligent and heartfelt, mixing sharp political insight with a heart for Christ and mentions of her past that, as painful as they often are to read due to what she’s been through, must be far worse for her to recall. The pearl-wearing scourge of the Internet is indeed a genuine pearl of great price, one who should be mandatory reading for all. Mandatory linking, too. Yet she is far less heralded than ought to be. Most regrettable.
Therefore, until such time as she receives the consistent high praise and accompanying high volume of links from the high-flyers she deserves, Little Miss Attila is part of…
League Of Extraordinarily Unlinked Bloggers
At least your fellow league members love ya, Joy.
Another “one of” coming up shortly.
[...] League Of Extraordinarily Unlinked Bloggers [...]
Can I join? I’m up for the ‘most ignored blogger EVAR!!!!1! award’, but I’m not sure that that would help my image.
I’m going to make T-shirts that say, “At Least Jesus Likes My Blog.”
Dude. It’s EVAH, not EVAR. Some proofreader you are!
(j/k)
I probably should throw a LOEUB shirt on the CafePress or Zazzle store.
[...] am, apparently, first in a series on “The League of Extraordinarily Unlinked Bloggers.” Such kind [...]
Madam,
May I/we appropriate your graphic and display it on my/our blog(s)? I and a few friends, former seedlings on the forest floor, have sprouted and yearn to hunker in some spindly ray of sunshine. Alas, we seem to have had the bad luck of rooting deep amongst Northern California Redwoods and will have to reach a bit for the sunny spots, ere we are consumed by deer, snails, and other living things.
Being unlinked and unnoticed is at once an education and an embittering experience; I have tried all kinds of mantras, potions, curses, methodologies, and elixirs to no avail.
Hell, I have even followed the questionable regimen of that charlatan, John Stacy McCain, in the vain hope of gettign a million hits. What a crap sandwich that was! I linked that guy, fawned over him, and otherwise behaved obsequiously in an effort to get him to breathe even a syllable about The War Planner.Crap.
I did not nor will I hit the tip jar, however.
However, as one garners from my tone, I am entering the green phase of my relationship with “T.O.M.” and — by following one of his rules — have decided to pick a fight with him. Hey, nothing else works.
Oh, seriously, only one thing fell out of this: I stumbled on and thoroughly enjoy Little Miss Attila. well, two, I guess. Your blog (unlinked or otherwise) looks like a keeper.
Sincerely,
William, The War Planner
..er..um..Mr Wilson..if I correct the gender error and inform that you have been linked (and your post will be commented on) could I get a mention when this subject comes up again..or in an update..or something?
Thanks!
“Madam”? You didn’t SEE my mug shot?!! Sheesh.
Anyway, because I’m a magnanimous soul (all right, I heard that snickering out there) I’ll take a look when I can.
How does one apply for membership?
Beg.
Actually, all you have to do is ask and I’ll take a look. If I like your stuff (for whatever that’s worth), you’re in. Might be a while before I post about it, though. Day job plus real life stuff plus tendinitis keeps me from writing as much as I’d like.
Okay, I’m begging.
Yeah, I understand about taking a while before posting. During the past year, my blogging has slacked off due to my being much busier career-wise.
Hey, I’ll vouch for Mike LaRoche there. Good stuff.
(Did I mention I once accidentally pshopped Glenn Reynolds, thinking he was a far-left ‘tard I’d crossed in Knoxville? Talk about a n00b error. The leftard was known as the “South Knoxville Bubba”, and I found a pic with the two of ‘em standing together, hugging like goobers: one looking like a recently-nearly-dead dwarf, and the other looking like, well, a Bubba. It could’ve happened to anyone~!)
That’s a good recommendation.
Hey, thanks serr8d.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jerry Wilson, tkquincy. tkquincy said: League Of Extraordinarily Unlinked Bloggers « Goldfish and Clowns …: In this odd little society of people online… http://bit.ly/anoOFB [...]
The War Planner is a righteous dude. He runs a tight ship and daily stands guard over liberty.
If I may further appeal to your magnanimity, I’m kinda tight with Dan Collins of POWIP. Might you consider my blog for inclusion in “The League”?
..best money I ever spent! (Seriously, nice of you to say! I owe you big time.)
Jerry, please let me return the compliment “No Sheeples” offered. Take a look at her sight as well. Artful, funny, and extremely entertaining. How good is she? Well, I recently had Ed Morrissey’s noontime internet show hidden behind the proxy server at work (those bastards) and I now spend my lunch catching up on great sites — Carol’s is my favorite.
~TWP
I never ask anyone for a damned thing, myself.
If ‘Loner’ hadn’t already been taken when I shopped around for a decent nom-de-blog, I would have snagged that; it would’ve fitted to me perfectly.
I know ‘Loner’. He also uses a perfect comment closer: ‘Git a rope!’. Being a liberal, he gets away with it.
If I may be so bold , I would vouch for “The War Planner” as well as “No Sheeples Here” as both are blogs are read daily. They are part of a pretty solid community of bloggers that you should check out.
~WMUR
@What Makes Us Right,
I adore your boldness, sir. Thank you for the kind words you expressed for The War Planner and the humble but tenacious No Sheeples Here.