The Blogging Economy - Rambling thoughts I've had in my head for weeks.

This one's been stuck in there and I couldn't figure out how to start it so I'm just going to spit it out.

First up let me go ahead and confess that I'm a Google Reader girl. I live in my Google Reader. At times it's been something that I felt guilty about. If I read a post where someone was all "I've been working so hard on this new design, I'm hope you all like it." I rotated between two reactions <envision cartoon devil and angel on my shoulders now> "Who looks at a blog's actual design anymore? How 2006" and "Oh I'm a complete ass-hole because I have no idea what that person's blog looks like then or now."

Then a couple of weeks back SlackerMama posted this link to Lorelle about the Google Reader Preview Enhanced Greasemonkey Script (GPE) that allows you to view and comment on a post from within Google Reader.

And I was all like WAHOO! 'Cause frankly I really love to comment. Generally I have nothing to say but I love to comment. I'm just nerdy that way. Suddenly I had the best of both worlds *** Chillin out take it slow, then you rock out the show *** Yicks! sorry I have a 6-year-old.  I'm back. Anyway... I had the convenience and efficiency of my beloved Reader with the option of a fast peek at the hard work of my favorite bloggers and the ability to comment quickly.

The Miss Britt also caught on to the craze and wrote a post on how using this add-on has changed her bloggy world. First I was all like - Dude I've so been doing that for like a week. Then I punched myself in the face and I was properly put back in my place. 

But in her post she said something that really stuck out to me because I hadn't considered this before..

You can see pictures and text exactly the way the author intended you to see them. You give your friends pageviews which translate into ad dollars.

This struck a chord with me because I put BlogHer Ads on my site a few months back and have as yet to see one red cent from it. I'm not looking to "make money" off this site necessarily but it would be nice if my little hobby at least paid for itself.  And the thing is that even though I've seen readership grow slow and steady during this same time - if FeedBurner is to be believed, each and every one of you does EXACTLY WHAT I DO when I find a new blog I want to follow. Pop - it goes right into the "Add Subscription" box on my Google Reader 1,2,3. end of story and I never look back.

So Google Reader in some ways is making us the worst kind of friends to each other. We're suck the goodness in through our feed reader and don't return the favor via impressions. It creates an environment of takers.

Then Seth Grodin wrote this on Thursday  Ads Are The New Online Tip Jar. And it was like those old Reese's Peanut Butter commercials where some old lady is sitting on park bench eating a jar of peanut butter (raise your hands everyone who has ever sat on a park beach eating peanut butter from a jar - yeah I thought so) and some young punk kid skateboards by and wrecks dropping his chocolate bar in her peanut butter. Two great tastes that taste great together - Shazam! It just all came together for me.

See using the Preview Add-on isn't just about commenting and giving someone a written "high five." Don't get me wrong. I love getting comments. Comments Rock. Comments are as FussyPants says, "The Crack of Blogging." We all live for comments. (Can I get an Amen?)

But what we really need to think about is just the act of previewing the entry whether we comment or not. Because even if we don't have anything to say - we're supporting a person who has taken to time to write something that we appreciate. Seth goes so far as to suggest that if we really like what they say we should click through an ad. Actually here is exactly what he says.

If every time you read a blog post or bit of online content you enjoyed you clicked on an ad to say thanks, the economics of the web would change immediately. You don't have to buy anything (though it's fine if you do). You just have to honor the writer by giving them a click.

He's so right on with this I think. The act of viewing and clicking creates an economy in and of itself. And we can control this economy ourselves with a little effort and good will.

And I know that Motherhood Uncensored had the whole Blog the Recession in August thing going. I read that when it first started going around and it just didn't really strike me the same way this has because it was presented as just a short term one month fad. 

I think it's more about a change in mind-set. How we think about the blogs we like. Should we treat them as if they are free? Cruising along in a feed reader consuming them with no payment? Not the slightest bit of quid pro quo?

Maybe, if we think the author is just phoning it in, then Perhaps.

But if you really truly like what you're reading and appreciate what someone has to say, that it took a little gray matter to get it out there. Prove It. Preview It. 

Really love it? Click an Ad. Throw them a preverbal buck in the great guitar case we all call the Internet.

And not just for a day or a week or a month. Make it the new normal.

That's all I'm saying.

I will be.

I'll shut up now.