OK, here's a compilation of the types of people which personally I find annoying in my life as a full-time blogger/writer.
"oh I was just telling my wife the other day... you so free, every day at home, start a blog and earn money lah."
or
"Eh teach me how to blog leh, I also want to be full time blogger."
You're not entitled to make a living from blogging out of thin air. It's a job like any other, you have to work hard at it. I don't go to your office, look at you working at your desk and then say to you - " eh, I also want to do this job. Let me sit at your desk and take your pay check."
OK. For the record... this is how you make money from blogging.
But if you don't accomplish point number 3, then you probably wont be able to make a living through blogging. You can however, just blog anyway because you enjoy it ( when I started this blog, I was a teacher, and I didn't intend to make it my full time job).
People who expect my attention anytime they want it.
This usually happens on Facebook messages. They send me HELLOs.. sometimes loads of them. And then when I don't reply, they get angry and say I am proud/arrogant.
Well, hello...yourself. When I'm online and I don't reply, it's highly likely that I'm working on something, or just engaged in my own personal leisurely online pursuits such as online shopping. I try to respond to as many of my readers as I can, but sometimes, when I am busy or have too many msgs popping up at the same time... I might not respond to your Hello. Please accept it. Don't throw a fit.
People who turn nasty when I don't want to go out with them.
I don't have a printscreen.. but I have had messages where they keep pinging me on FB .. "Hi.. Hello??.. HJ?... Are you there??" ..... like multiple times..
So I drop what I'm doing and finally respond - "Yes? "
AND THEN THEY REPLY- "Nothing. Just saying Hi."
P/s- I don't want to discourage my readers from making contact with me online, because many of you are great people, who engage in decent conversation and I like receiving messages from you. I also like receiving emails from you and I respond to all of them as soon as I can (usually while on the MRT or in cabs).
People who think they are entitled to my Phone number because they read my blog
If you are not my personal friend or family member and I have no work related business with you... you don't need my number. You can still message me on FB or email me. So many (guys) , after a few lines of small talk ... usually shit like... I read XYZ post today, haha very funny.... and then they casually slip in- "Eh, ur number?"
What's it to you? I usually respond by saying, I don't give my number out and I'm attached (in case they read stuff so selectively and don't bloody know I'm getting married next week). And then... I can bet you my last dollar... their response to that is- "Just as friends only what".
If I gave my handphone number to every single person on Facebook, or anyone who simply asks for it... I would never get any peace ! Dunno... I just hate the way they ALL kinda ask for it as if they have a right to it. Wah lau, at least ask nicely ... like, "If it's ok with you, may I have your contact number?" I would still decline, but at least I won't be pissed off la.
People who think I work for FREE.
Some people just email me a bunch of boring ass info about their product/event, and then ask me to blog about it. Err.. No thanks.
I limit the product related posts I put in my blog each week and as a result I have to turn down paying clients (if I feel their products won't appeal to my readers), or for the clients I want to take on ... they get slotted in like 2 months later.... so why would I want to squeeze in your boring unpaid info??
People whohint tell me to cheat and let them win a contest or giveaway.
The surprising thing is, the people who ask me for such liberties.. are usually people I don't even know personally. What thick skin they must have.. and like I tell them... I don't even rig the giveaways for my friends or family to win... so why would I rig it in order for you to win?!
People who think that writing a Love & Sex column = I'm sleazy/ will have sex with them
P/s-read my recent columns ?
People who think making a living from blogging is easy.
I hate when people tell me things like-"oh I was just telling my wife the other day... you so free, every day at home, start a blog and earn money lah."
or
"Eh teach me how to blog leh, I also want to be full time blogger."
You're not entitled to make a living from blogging out of thin air. It's a job like any other, you have to work hard at it. I don't go to your office, look at you working at your desk and then say to you - " eh, I also want to do this job. Let me sit at your desk and take your pay check."
OK. For the record... this is how you make money from blogging.
- First, you start a blog. This is free and easy through wordpress and blogspot. You can run google adsense ads on your blog immediately, but you will probably make 2 cents a year based on the readership anyone would start with. So I would not bother with ads at this point.
- Secondly, you write stuff and take pics etc.. and you fill that blog with things you want to share and hopefully...people want to read. This is the time when you have to sort of differentiate or like brand yourself. Otherwise your blog will never stand out and no one will remember your name/face.
- Thirdly, you build your audience from that 27 readers daily (probably your family members and some friends)... to a regular readership of thousands daily (at minimum). This is the tricky part, and may take years for some. If I remember correctly, I did it in perhaps a year or two. But during the first year, I was teaching full time, so I kinda blogged sporadically only. In the year when I resigned from teaching... I got myself on TV, I modelled, I networked, and put myself out there to gain as much exposure for my blog as possible.
- You can buy your own domain
- You probably already started getting invites to events and given products free in return for blogging about it. Then you will start getting paying gigs as well, like endorsements/advertorials. It is important to not be greedy and only represent brands/products you believe in. Don't screw up your hard work of gaining readers' trust, by advertising shit stuff and cheat your readers.
- When you get busier with paid gigs, you'll naturally cut out more of the non-paid stuff, unless it's for charity, or its something you really want... like a sponsored holiday, etc.
But if you don't accomplish point number 3, then you probably wont be able to make a living through blogging. You can however, just blog anyway because you enjoy it ( when I started this blog, I was a teacher, and I didn't intend to make it my full time job).
People who expect my attention anytime they want it.
This usually happens on Facebook messages. They send me HELLOs.. sometimes loads of them. And then when I don't reply, they get angry and say I am proud/arrogant.
Well, hello...yourself. When I'm online and I don't reply, it's highly likely that I'm working on something, or just engaged in my own personal leisurely online pursuits such as online shopping. I try to respond to as many of my readers as I can, but sometimes, when I am busy or have too many msgs popping up at the same time... I might not respond to your Hello. Please accept it. Don't throw a fit.
People who turn nasty when I don't want to go out with them.
I am generally responsive, polite and friendly to everyone who approach me online. Many of my readers are now my online friends or even a select few have become my friends in real life. But I hate when they think that I am so desperate for a meal.. or that I am so free, that they just ask me out and I'll jump at it. I'm engaged to be married and I have no interest in meeting/dating new men!
People who have nothing to say or just say Hi and then laugh for no reason.
Hey... why are you so free.. and so boh liao? You don't have to message every single person who happens to be online (or on FB) at the same time you are.
So I drop what I'm doing and finally respond - "Yes? "
AND THEN THEY REPLY- "Nothing. Just saying Hi."
People who think they are entitled to my Phone number because they read my blog
If you are not my personal friend or family member and I have no work related business with you... you don't need my number. You can still message me on FB or email me. So many (guys) , after a few lines of small talk ... usually shit like... I read XYZ post today, haha very funny.... and then they casually slip in- "Eh, ur number?"
What's it to you? I usually respond by saying, I don't give my number out and I'm attached (in case they read stuff so selectively and don't bloody know I'm getting married next week). And then... I can bet you my last dollar... their response to that is- "Just as friends only what".
If I gave my handphone number to every single person on Facebook, or anyone who simply asks for it... I would never get any peace ! Dunno... I just hate the way they ALL kinda ask for it as if they have a right to it. Wah lau, at least ask nicely ... like, "If it's ok with you, may I have your contact number?" I would still decline, but at least I won't be pissed off la.
People who think I work for FREE.
Some people just email me a bunch of boring ass info about their product/event, and then ask me to blog about it. Err.. No thanks.
I limit the product related posts I put in my blog each week and as a result I have to turn down paying clients (if I feel their products won't appeal to my readers), or for the clients I want to take on ... they get slotted in like 2 months later.... so why would I want to squeeze in your boring unpaid info??
People who
The surprising thing is, the people who ask me for such liberties.. are usually people I don't even know personally. What thick skin they must have.. and like I tell them... I don't even rig the giveaways for my friends or family to win... so why would I rig it in order for you to win?!
People who think that writing a Love & Sex column = I'm sleazy/ will have sex with them
OK this is a pretty mild printscreen... I can't find the past ones which are really assholic. I usually delete those because I don't want my fiance to see them and get worried. But those ones... start off normally like.. Hi... I like reading ur blog... then they will mention my BJ article on Myfatpocket for instance... and then after that start saying... can I see you masturate on webcam.... can you teach me how to orgasm .... can you send me sexy photo... and other totally inappropriate stuff which obviously would not happen in a million years... so I don't know why they think they have a shot at that. Maybe they subscribe to the notion- Don't ask, don't get. (But be a mofo, also won't get. You fool.)
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P/s-read my recent columns ?
damn, this is sucha good read! I get those assholic readers all the time, when I threatened to report them they will give me the 'I'm no big deal' reply.
ReplyDeletegreat post! =) ps: thanks for limiting product posts
ReplyDeleteholly, great post but i think ur just being too nice! u shld nt have replied and ignore after inapprpriate remarks! cos its like ur encouraging them! take care!
ReplyDeleteI don't blog but I've met my fair share of scumbags. The one that left me feeling bewildered was where this guy on my msn started msging me each time I came on. Now, I have a pretty bad memory and I had thought it was someone from my high school days or something so I just went along with it for about 2 weeks until the guy started asking borderline pervy stuff while hinting for a date (a date sounds so civil but I think his intentions were anything but). I declined politely for a few times and I also stopped replying to him each time ( was studying part time then) and he took offense. Started railing at how he knows my 'type' and i'm just a piece of meat blablabla. I was frankly quite stunned and disgusted by his words (I can't even bring myself to repeat all he said).
ReplyDeleteWhy are there so many of these type of men in Sg?? Are they really degenerates (all sammyboy-kind of posters) or is it really just their online persona (mofo) ? It makes me feel disgusted to think that this could be someone i know but who is not like this in real life. :/
I wish there is a "Like" button on this post that can be liked a million times. I don't have a high profile online but even I get those sleazy perverts. I wonder what they are really thinking? Are they so stupid that they believe they can get lucky by behaving like that? Or do they simply like to irritate people, which serves no purpose, and are therefore almost as stupid too?
ReplyDelete*thumbsup*
ReplyDeleteHi Holly this is not relevant to this post. I just read your previous Bali entries & would like to know how do you travel when you're there? (e.g to Ubud or just dinner nearby). Do you use a taxi or hire a private driver?
ReplyDeleteMy friend tht I travelled to Bali with hired a private taxi from the hotel. I can't remember the $$ but am sure it wld be cheaper to get a regular cab driver n hire him for the day. They usually offer u 'tours' when u flag them down for ur regular trips to the mall/resto etc... So wld be good to take their card and then can call them to book for the day
ReplyDeleteUbud is lovely btw! Worth the drive up
ReplyDeleteGosh, these people really have nothing else better to do; they need to find a purpose in life. Wonder how you are so tolerant with their meaningless messages. :)
ReplyDeleteOh dear, why is there so many weirdos out there? D:
ReplyDelete@Ruiting, the weirdos are all around us, we just don't see them as they are. The type that can't get the girl and then call her arrogant, fake or slut are plenty.
ReplyDeletePervs and weirdos are like everywhere on the internet. Also for those who are trying to ask you out, if they do read your blog they should know you're getting married. And being a known blogger doesn't mean you will go out with every man who ask you out. Ew, pervs!
ReplyDeletenice post! totally agreeing on most of the points!
ReplyDeleteHey HJ,
ReplyDeleteI totally understand and get you! I get a lot of people contacting me since I started blogging too, there will always be people trying their luck. As long as we are polite, honest with them and firm [and yes you did that ... you have integrity ;)] they will back off after a while.
Hi!
ReplyDeleteHahaha...people are idiots!
L.Y.P.