Don’t Need No Stinking Badges

Every now and again I like to offend people. Oh sure, I would have you believe that I am merely trying to get you to think for a moment, to perhaps consider a different point of view. But the reality is, it’s in my nature to randomly piss people off every now and again.

I should probably apologize for this or blame it on my parents, but then I would be expected to go to rehab and I really don’t want to run into Lindsay Lohan.

And with that said, let’s see if I can lose a few more followers…

Flair! Why?

Has anyone noticed the proliferation of badges on blogs? Some bloggers are slapping badges on their blog like a waitress pins flair on her blouse prior to her shift at Chili McBees.

Is flair a means of justifying one’s existence in the bloggerverse? Do badges and other (made up) accolades bestow a level of expertise that cannot be matched by other bloggers? Is the badge a representation of our passion or pride in something? Somebody help me here, because I do not get it.

I appreciate that you were named top health blog by Citizens for Fried Food. And it is impressive that you are an Ambassador for Running FARTS Monthly. Further, it’s good to know you belong to the Marathon Mommas Who Are Also Pole Dancers With Asthma Blogging Network. But have you noticed the real experts publish bogs that are free of badges and the bloggers who are passionate about something publish blogs that are mostly devoid of flair?

 

To me it’s often a point of contradiction, although when taken with a grain of salt, which one must, it’s rather funny. Or perhaps it’s just sad.

One blogger, who is apparently a “nutrition” ambassador, posts about the crap they eat, claiming they earned it by running a few miles. Way to validate that choice random nutrition company I have never heard of.

It’s tough to get behind the “Beautiful Blog” accolade when the layout sucks, the grammar is atrocious, and it is entirely possible the blog owner is color blind.

It’s impressive someone was named a Top “insert something special here” Blog in 2009. What's happened since then?

Then there are the “race” ambassadors who haven’t mentioned the race in several months or are not actually running or volunteering. I cannot help but marvel at how you misled an organization that chose you in good faith to help promote their event.

What should we think of running coaches who plaster the “Certified” badge on their blog and then post about runs where they did something any decent coach would never tell a runner to do (yuck, yuck, look at me, glad I survived…)? Dumbass. Oh wait, did I say that out loud? DUMBASS!

Is it funny or sad that bloggers continue to display badges for defunct or bogus networks.

Own It

I am not necessarily against a badge or for showing your support. But you have to own it. For example, there is a section in my sidebar titled Houston – Drink Local. I whole-heartedly support these breweries by ensuring I always have their products in my refrigerator, going to their tours and to other events, and even making financial contributions to help them grow/expand. Even our Lounge is littered with their paraphernalia. Further, I am on the road nearly every week and if the topic is ever beer, I always tell people they should visit these businesses if they visit Houston. I own it.

That’s all I am really asking here. I counted 17 different pieces of flair on one blog recently (not including the google ads) and have to wonder how can this person be all these things. The reality is, they are not. It’s their internet persona, which is as bogus as they are.

In Office Space, where flair is mocked, it is not about whether or not flair is good or bad. It’s that the amount of flair you choose to display does not dictate your performance as a waiter/waitress. You dictate that. And that’s the point.

Of course, I will continue to mock those with flair. Well, right up until I am awarded an ambassadorship for Running FARTS Monthly…