The Nice Side of Blogging

Chances are, if you're a blogger, or a reader, or if you sometimes look at Facebook, or Twitter, or Pinterest, you've seen some recent talk about bloggers having their work stolen by "scraper sites." These scraper sites steal blog content and repost it on their own sites, using the clicks they get to earn ad money. It's really stinky. I haven't dealt with it in several years (knock on keyboard), but many of my favorite blogs are having to change the way they publish their content through email and online reader systems.

Between content stealers, and seeing people leave mean comments on other blogs, and watching people take advantage of link parties, and being overwhelmed with the start of the school year and being sick this week and not feeling at all creative...I had to sit down last night and remember some of the awesome things about blogging.

It doesn't hurt that I get to try out neat stuff from companies I've always admired (hi, Martha Stewart), and I love having a spot to share my own creative projects. It's nice to get feedback from the five people who read this blog!

Something even cooler and more unexpected is that as a blogger, I get to make connections with people I otherwise might not have ever gotten to know! 

This happened most recently when Erin from His and Hers emailed me to let me know she was cleaning out some of her things and wondered if my girls might like some of her old American Girl and Barbie stuff. She knew they are both really into their girlie toys and offered to pop a box in the mail to Virginia.

Never one to turn down an opportunity to occupy my kids with something other than begging me for cartoons, I said yes. And what do you know, a box arrived on our front stoop not too long afterwards, and the girls were overjoyed.

I couldn't get over how sweet Erin was to think of us, out of all the people she might have given those fun books and activities to. 

This is where I have to pause and smile and remember that even though there are stinky people out there who steal blog posts and ideas and leave ugly comments...there are many more who visit blogs to be a source of encouragement, who think of others, who send boxes from other states because they know it will brighten the day of two little girls. 

So, thanks, Erin, for making me smile (and the girls too). And thanks to you, reader, for putting up with a non-crafty-homey-recipe post today. 

Sometimes it's good to remember the nice side of blogging.

What's your favorite thing about blogging or reading blogs?