South African Blog Awards

So, it is that time of the year again, when the little children start stomping their feet and pouting their lips. “It’s not fair!” or “I don’t like you!” or “Me and my friends are going to sulk because you won’t play by our rules” etc etc.  Yes folks, it’s time for the annual South African Blog Awards and once again, all you hear from the restless natives is moan moan moan. Mixed with a side of bitchiness and a dollop of nastiness.

It never fails to irritate the living shit out of me.

Every year a group of volunteers, who must either be particularly thick skinned, or else they are just suckers for the worst type of punishment, get together and put in their OWN time and resources and work tirelessly to put together a FUN (<-- remember that point, it is supposed to be a FUN exercise) awards program that recognizes some of South Africa’s top blogging talent.  It doesn’t claim to be the definitive measure of blogging genius, of journalistic excellent, outstanding writing ability or who knows who; it is just a FUN awards program that allows South African blog readers to vote on who they think the top blogs are in each category.

And each year, without fail, there are the miserable little preschoolers with their noses out of joint because they either haven’t been picked for the top lists, or because they perceive that there are flaws in the system.

Of course there are flaws in the system!  This is not the effing end of year financial statements for a listed firm!  It is not the national lottery!  It is a FUN competition that is supposed to be ‘by the people, for the people’. 

But it appears that point is missed by some. Each year they see the SA Blog Awards as an opportunity to moan, bitch and point fingers.  I read a complaint that the results aren’t audited. OMG people!  WTF! Get a fucking grip on yourself.

Ok, so let’s assume for the sake of your delicate egos that the system is flawed.  Don’t you think a FAR better idea would be to offer CONSTRUCTIVE input and even better, GET INVOLVED!  Use some of your obviously superior knowledge and talents and volunteer to help out. If audited results are important to you, organize a group of people to do this! If you don’t like the way the competition is run, suggest ways it could be done better and then volunteer to DO IT!  Get involved, help out.  Instead of just complaining about the situation, offer to create change.  Slating from the sidelines against the people who put in their OWN time and effort to do something for the rest of us serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever except to create noise and perhaps some traffic to your blog.

Honestly, it is like complaining about the government but then never bothering to vote, or complaining about crime/pollution/schooling and never getting involved in finding a solution. Sorry buddy, unless you get involved and help out, you have no right to sit on your arse and point fingers.  If you don’t like the game, don’t play, but don’t ruin it for the rest of us.

To the people who tirelessly put together the SA Blog Awards each year, and who do so for absolutely no reward or recognition themselves, thank you.  I honestly don’t know how you don’t throw your hands up and say ‘thanks, but no thanks’ after all the kak you get thrown at you every bloody year, but I am glad you keep doing it.  Because at least you are doing SOMETHING, which is more than I can say for most.

To all the entrants in this year’s blog awards, good luck.  Looks like the organizers have done some excellent work in securing some fun prizes!  Well done to them. For the rest of you, get voting!  Voting closes on the 01st April.

To the moaners, the complainers and the foot stompers, either put up (your time/effort/help), or shut up. 

Mommy has spoken. Now go to your rooms!

(Disclaimer - I offered to be a judge in this year's competition, which meant my blog was not eligible for nomination. I thought the judges in the previous years were perhaps a little too of the 'techie' flavour, so I offered to get involved. I am the token Mommy Blogger Judge)

 

Comments

[BiancaW]

Ah man! Was getting ready to go and vote for you.

[Samantha]

done my voting but disappointed cant vote for you.

[Kristin]

You tell them Tertia...and good for you for following through on your own advice.

[Jeanette]

Hear hear!! Well said Tertia!

[Sumanda]

*Pout* *Pout* I wanted to be on the final list :D. Didn't make it thou!

Being a newbie means I didn't know about it until days before the close of nominations. Must agree with the constructive critism bit.

[Jeebers]

Yes accept mediocrity and flawed thinking and come April 22 why don't you just vote for the ANC.

[Orange]

Beg pardon, but did Jeebers just equate a blog contest with real politics? Because only one of the two should ever be taken seriously. Blog awards are strictly for fun. (Which Tertia emphasized with the all-caps FUN.)

Tertia, your national lottery is awesome! I recently received a kind e-mail letting me know that I'd won $2 million in it. What a generous program!

[May]

Not so much with the SA blog scene, I choose to comment on your ideology which I find superb: "Sorry buddy, unless you get involved and help out, you have no right to sit on your arse and point fingers." I'll stick this on my kitchen wall as a reminder to certain unnamed family members concerning appropriate behaviour after another family member has slaved their ass off in the kitchen in order to produce an edible dinner. :o)

[virginia]

I think it's great that human nature is exactly the same all around the globe! Some people just love to bitch and moan and it doesn't matter where they live. Fantastic!

[Chris M]

@Tertia - I can't tell you how awesome it is to hear you stand up and make a post like this, I stand behind you in each and every comment you made, well done!

[A relative]

What about your sister Mellie? I think she is brilliant and should win!

[Dolce]

Exactly!

[Heidi]

Brilliant! You rock my world! Nuff said.

[Katy]

Heh. Reminds me of parent group stuff for schools. There is ALWAYS one person who creates their own little shit-storm because XYZ hasn't been done and that person is always someone who never comes to meetings, never helps out and never is involved. Cry me a freaking river.

Have fun!

[Jon M Bishop]

Tertia

I'm doing a week's worth of ripping off the SA Blog awards on Scroobl. Kind of compliments your post. (Use it as an image for your post if you like!) See the first one here: http://jonin60seconds.squarespace.com/blog/2009/3/31/its-blog-awards-time-again.html

Jon

[Aquila]

Wowzers. Don't you think that for everyone to have fun, all the kids should get a fair chance to play?

Please don't point fingers at me for actually trying to help out this year by getting the rules either enforced or updated. Probably no need to remind you that I also spent my OWN time and effort being involved in the past, so I'm not just "sitting on my arse and pointing fingers".

If you say, "it is just a FUN awards program that allows South African blog readers to vote on who they think the top blogs are in each category" - then perhaps everyone should have a fair chance to do just that. Now that things have been corrected, albeit a bit late for this year, I'm sure next year's awards will be even more inclusive for other bloggers.

Chris (amongts others) is really tyring to do a good job of it this year, and that is commendable.

[Skaaptjop]

It is precisely because it appears to fail at being "by the people, for the people" that the rants exist.