*Sigh*, I’ve been sitting here wondering if I should write this post. I mean, is this really a road I want to go down?! But then I thought, what the hell, of course it is! I mean, I’m all about gossip and if something involves high school and cliques, well even better!
So recently Erica asked for her readers to provide their feedback on the site – this very site that you’re reading this on right now. She shared those results in her recent blog post and I have to say I wasn’t that surprised to read about one aspect of the feedback she received. Once again – the ‘clique’ word was thrown around. Seriously, I’ve heard it all before, but this time it got personal, because in the comments many people decided to blatantly call out the bloggers who tweet. To be exact – here’s what was said in one of the comments;
‘To say that the vibe of the YMC is cliquey is an understatement. The sad truth is that even the people that "work" for you only tweet and rt mostly within the group as well, and it gets old really fast.’
Then there was this
‘BTW.... twitter and your tweets from your tweeps are not helping. If they have 'yummymummy' or their 'yummymummy' handle in their profile etc. they are representing your site & brand. I followed some for a bit and actually think that might be where alot of your 'highschool' is coming from - quite frankly I stopped following most. You guys don't RT or 'tweet' with a diverse group of mummies...... just yourselves & a small clique.’
Um, ouch! I have to say, I take this personally, and I take it personally because I am one of the bloggers who tweets – a lot – so I can only assume that I am being lumped into this group of people that are being referred to. You know – the YMC 'clique' if you will.
I started on twitter just about 2 years ago. I had never blogged, I rarely even wrote, and I learned to navigate the twitter world all on my own, without anyone holding my hand. As the months passed I found new and fun and interesting people to follow. I sat back and watched, and when I got tired of that I jumped into the conversations and started to follow people that I really connected with. I have met many of the people in real life that I never would have met if it weren’t for twitter, and now count them as some of my very best friends. These are people who offer to watch my kids when I am sick, or bring coffee over when my husband is out of town. These are real friends that I am very lucky to have made. And they are my friends because not only have I taken the time to get to know them personally, but they have taken the time to get to know me.
You think I’m clique-y?! For real? Because I talk to the people who are my friends on twitter?! Please. Let me make it perfectly clear that if someone talks to me on twitter, I talk back. Always. For the love of God I have over 38000 tweets – I talk a lot! And while I do blog for Yummy Mummy Club I am my very own person on twitter – whether you think I am here to solely represent YMC or not. And I will not stop talking to my friends because you think I am being ‘exclusionary’.
You know what’s ‘clique-y’ and ‘highschool’?! When people bash you for your achievements. Trust me – I have been on the receiving end of many an insult because people didn’t think that I deserved any of the ‘perks’ or ‘benefits’ that I have received through my blogging. Not fun, but I’m a big girl and I can deal with it.
Listen, this isn’t a democracy here, this is a blogocracy. And maybe the reason I don’t follow you or I don’t tweet with you is because I don’t want to. Or maybe I don’t have anything in common with you so I don’t follow you back. But to say that we don’t rt other posts is bullshit, because the last time I checked I don’t work for you. And like I said – I don’t rt out of obligation, I rt because I think that the post is worth reading. Or I do it to support a friend.
My advice to you if you’re feeling a little ‘left out of the club’ on twitter or on the site – speak up! We, like you, are busy moms, with busy lives who really enjoy meeting new people. But don’t punish us because we like to socialize with those that have made the effort to get to know us. Instead, try talking to us, or try coming out to one of the many free events that the site puts on, I bet you’ll be surprised at what happens.
Scene and Heard
Confessions From A Pop Culture Mummy
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