Saying It Social

Irresponsible Blogger Syndrome: Do You Have It?

What is Irresponsible Blogger Syndrome?

Irresponsible Blogger is a common Syndrome which can afflict bloggers of any shape and size, regardless of expert status and subject matter. No blogger is safe from Irresponsible Blogger Syndrome without taking the proper precautions. The Syndrome is not contagious unless you emulate an afflicted blogger. While Irresponsible Blogger is not contagious it can cause severe reactions in others; often inducing backlash, reader unsubscription, and blacklisting.  There is nothing more frustrating than stumbling upon a blog post written by one suffering from Irresponsible Blogger Syndrome. Irresponsible Blogger manifests itself in a variety of ways such that the afflicted blogger authors blog posts that are incorrect, outdated, and have questions and comments that go unanswered.

What Causes Irresponsible Blogger?

Irresponsible Blogger has many known causes. The primary cause of Irresponsible Blogger is the lack of obtaining proper blogger education prior to engaging in blogging. Another cause is the lack of care for one’s own audience and the general public.  A third notable cause of Irresponsible Blogger Syndrome is blogging solely to benefit Search Engine Optimization (SEO). There are many other minor causes such as lack of time and lack of tools.

What Are The Symptoms?

1. Inaccurate Information – Objective bloggers have a responsibility to get the facts right.

2. Sources Not Cited – Unless you are reporting the findings of your own study, all facts must be supported by sources which are properly given credit.

3. Abandonment – Typing the last word and hitting “Publish” does not constitute the end of the blogging process.

How is Irresponsible Blogger Diagnosed?

It is entirely possible that you are suffering from Irresponsible Blogger without even knowing it. Many cases of Irresponsible Blogger go undiagnosed.  This syndrome is most often diagnosed by others; researchers, blog readers, and commenters.

When researchers go hunting the web for information, they may read many blogs about their target topic. When many blogs and articles are written about a particular topic, it is not hard to spot one that has inconsistent information; often “facts” that have been assumed rather than researched. A responsible blogger will gather her own research prior to writing an objective blog post.

While a blog post may appear legitimate due to a peppering of facts and figures throughout, this information will not be seen as reliable unless it is backed by sources. Unless a blogger states that they are reporting on the findings of their own study, facts and figures don’t have much credibility without knowing how and by whom they were established.

Irresponsible Blogger Syndrome is most easily diagnosed when a blogger neglects her readers by not following up to comments and questions. If there are comments and questions that are never addressed by the author, that blogger suffers from Irresponsible Blogger Syndrome.

Besides question and comment negligence, one suffering from Irresponsible Blogger Syndrome also fails to update their content. When blogging on a topic, more often than not, the information will become out-dated. Bloggers who never return to their old posts to bring their information current are often diagnosed with Irresponsible Blogger Syndrome.

How is it Treated?

Irresponsible Blogger Syndrome is very serious but fortunately, extremely treatable. The most effective treatment is to revisit and modify one’s blogging strategy. Instead of writing a blog post in haste just to get some text out there, bloggers can plan posts a week ahead of time and use the days leading up to publishing day for research and data source collection. New tools can be introduced into one’s routine to notify those afflicted with Irresponsible Blogger Syndrome of when they need to return to their blog posts and follow up and update their information. Once diagnosed with Irresponsible Blogger Syndrome, one may consider taking a course or reading some guides on responsible blogging practices.

How is Irresponsible Blogger Prevented?

The proper preventative methods can ensure you never come down with Irresponsible Blogger Syndrome. Before you begin blogging, there are plenty of resources, guides, and courses available that will help ensure you begin blogging as a responsible blogger; a blogger who is more likely to have subscribers, recommendations, and active engagement than one who begins blogging already afflicted.

Unless a blog post is strictly subjective, it is essential to gather all pertinent facts prior to writing. Blogs have become an important source of information. A blogger owes it to their potential readers to make sure they are providing accurate information. While a blog post should not be the only source during a fact-finding mission, it is likely to be considered when drawing conclusions on a topic. Because blogs are highly likely to appear in search engine results, anyone is liable to stumble upon your post while conducting searches on the web. Therefore, you must make sure that you are consistently providing valuable information that can be trusted as accurate and that you are available as a resource on your subject matter.

A blogging calendar can be a great way to plan for blog posts while giving you plenty of time to gather necessary research and resources. Try planning your blog posts a week ahead of time and use the days leading up to them to gather any needed information. You can also use your blogging calendar to help you keep your posts up to date but making a note a month after each post and then each month after that to revisit and update as necessary. If you realize that your post requires an update before the month expires, you don’t have to wait; be responsible to your readers by providing an update that will let them know you are providing the most recent and correct information.

Most blogging platforms have built-in notifications that can send email alerts when someone comments or asks a question about a blog post. Make sure you have these notifications enabled so that you can respond in a timely manner. If your blogging platform does not offer this option, consider a third party tool or plugin that does offer such notifications. If all else fails, add a “to-do” on your blogging calendar to revisit your posts and check for comments.

When you become a blogger, you also become a resource. It is likely that people will read your posts because they are informative and/or provide value. As the blog’s author and provider of such information your readers may turn to you for questions and advice related to your blog subjects. Your responsibility as a blogger continues inevitably for each post you write so before you decide to embark on the bloggers journey, make sure you are ready for all of the responsibility that comes with the territory.

April 18, 2011 - Posted by AK Stout | blogging | blogging, blogging best practices, irresponsible blogging syndrome, responsible blogging