Friday, July 12, 2013

In Defense of My Friend Brenda of Cozy Little House





When I first started blogging a bit over three years ago, I met another
blogger who took me under her wing.  She helped me to get more
exposure by featuring me on her weekly Welcome Wagon post.  And
then she spent hours (and I do mean HOURS) on the phone with me
answering my many questions and giving me a great deal of help.
She did all of this out of the goodness of her heart and expected
nothing in return.  That's the kind of gal she is.  Her name is
Brenda and her blog is Cozy Little House.





I also know that other newbie and not so newbie bloggers have
benefited from her generosity.  Now I am saddened to know that
some readers have been criticizing her for her ads taking up too
much space on her blog or the fact that Brenda is a very frank person
and let's us into her world.  She does not sugar coat.  To read Brenda's post
go here.




I imagine that there is a blog for just about every subject and every lifestyle and that is how
it should be.  How fortunate we all are that such a format exists.  We have the opportunity to
pick and choose between so much talent and creativity.  We can enjoy this format from the
comfort of our own homes, from our smart phones while we wait in the grocery line, from
wherever we may be.  And all of this is free to the reader!  





But creating and writing a blog on regular basis is hard work.  For those of you
who are blog authors, you know exactly what I am talking about.  And there are 
expenses involved as well.  At some point the concept of accepting advertising
becomes quite tempting just to offset some of the costs of writing the blog.  This 
is a choice that the blogger may make.
  Will I be offended by ads or will I choose to no longer read a favorite
blog because the author has chosen for whatever reason to accept ads? 





Perhaps a blogger has reached the subscriber level where money can
be made from their blog.  If one is working on a daily basis to
provide a fascinating format is it fair that one should be compensated?
Yesterday Jeremy and Jacob came over to cut my lawn.  My  husband is
down in Texas already and I am up here coping with the responsibilities
of two households and a rental property.  I don't have time to cut the grass.
I paid Jeremy and Jacob because they look after this task for me and
I am happy to pay them.  And I am happy to click on an interesting ad
on a site that I happily read often.  It's a fair trade to me.




Brenda has made a choice to accept advertising on her blog.
It is not up to me or to anyone to judge her decision to do so.
But I will say that Brenda has worked very hard to provide us
with beautiful photos and exemplary writing.  She has gladly
provided help and tips for navigating through the blog format
options.  She has introduced us to blogs we well may have 
missed on our own.  

Brenda has bared her soul to all of us.  She has shared her passions
and her intimate self.  Not all of us are capable of being so 
transparent, nor do all of us choose to be, but Brenda is a
gutsy gal.



For whatever it is worth Brenda, I like your blog and have
for many years now.  I don't mind your ads at all and it does
not interfere with your entertaining content.  Keep your head
held high my friend.

Happily Joining ~



Bentley ~ say hi to Brenda's Yorkie pups Abi and Charlie!

Big Hugs,
Susan and Bentley


38 comments:

  1. Hear! Hear!

    I agree completely and could have never said it better myself.

    Amen, sista friend.

    Brenda's Welcome Wagon post gets most of us started, and I certainly know I appreciate and acknowledge her awesomeness.

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  2. Well said, Susan!

    Hugs to you and Bentley....

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am now following Brenda thanks to you. It's her blog and she can do whatever she wants with it. If you don't like it move on and don't say hateful things. I don't understand how people can be so mean.
    You are a good true friend to Brenda and I know she appreciates you.
    Have a great weekend.
    Mary
    '

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  4. Good Afternoon Susan, Well how mean spirited of people, surely it is Brenda's choice to accept advertising on her blog and surely if someone really enjoys Brenda's content they would not be upset. Personally I do not know why people are being so cruel. If people do not enjoy the advertising, then just stop reading the blog, because there will be many more people who do enjoy reading Brenda's Blog.
    I have never visited Brenda, but I am going to when I have finished writing to you. Susan, you are a really kind friend to stand up this way.
    Best Wishes to you and Bentley,
    Daphne

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  5. Exactly Susan. I agree. Said so to Brenda yesterday.

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  6. Well said ! People must have quite the boring life if all they can do is complain and pick at others for what ever reason, time to grow up ! . My theory is if ya don't like take a hike ! There always will be the few idiots in the pile ! Brenda keep on keeping on it is your blog and your choice how to run it ! You go sister ! Thanks for sharing ! Have a good day !

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  7. I am glad you wrote this..I don't know Brenda but I am on my way to meet her right now..sounds like my kind of woman...
    love, Mona

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  8. Happy Pink Saturday! I adore all your delicate sweet pieces. Grace

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  9. Brenda is a sweet soul, very kind indeed!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  10. Bravo!!! I agree with everything you have said. I was so angry at the judgement she has received on her blog about her ads. If you don't like it, don't read it! I admire Brenda so much! Her passion and her openness has really shown me that it takes courage to face the things she has (and is still facing) and come out the other side. Bravo to you and to Brenda!

    Linda

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  11. I agree Susan. Some can be so cruel. I read Brenda's blog because I enjoy it and the ads don't bother me at all. Your post is beautiful as always. Happy Pink Saturday!
    ~Clara

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  12. Well said Susan.. I admire your loyalty to a friend and for speaking your mind.

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  13. What a lovely way to support your friend. She deserves your support I must add. Anyone who is offended by ads can choose not to visit that blog. It does not give anyone the right to be critical. That is rude, offensive and uncalled for to say the least. Good for you Susan. I am on my way to visit your friend right now.

    Have a great weekend.
    xo, Jeanne

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  14. People can be soo cruel - I love Brenda's blog. I say if you don't like it, stop reading it - it's as easy as that!

    Loved seeing all you romantic pretties!

    xo
    Leann

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  15. Brenda is a good on line friend, honest, kind, clever, artistic, a great writer. She willingly shares her skills in photography and writing with so many. She is strong in adversity, brave, deals with great pain and carries on carrying on. I love her blog, have read it for a very long time and it is my first go-to of the day. She hosts Tweak It Tuesday which is a very encouraging linky party. I applaude her for having advertizing on her blog.

    Thank you for writing such a beautiful, thoughtful, wonderful post about Brenda.

    Joy

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  16. Thank you for writing this. Brenda has also spent countless hours helping me, and she has also provided the best blog reading to me during the two years I've been involved with blogs. She is a role model and shining example with her beautiful prose and awesome pictures. No one should criticize her - if they don't want to look at ads, go somewhere else, right?!

    Hugs ~ Mary

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  17. For some reason, there are some people who feel the need to police everyone else. I encountered some toxic women who attacked me simply because of the name of my blog. Apparently to them, there was only one person in all of blog-dom who was allowed to use the phrase 'Tea Duchess' in her name. I wrote them off as being hateful, petty, and insecure. The same goes for other people (mostly I'm sure women) who attack another blogger for content or for trying to make some money from their blog. I have even seen some commenters on other blogger's sites who tried to tell that blogger not to do workshops. Other people get mad when a blogger becomes 'too successful'.
    A cup of kindness goes so far. Why can't we offer it to each other more often? Hugs to, Brenda and may her blog ever flourish!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love Brenda's blog, being introduced to her last summer when she featured me on the Welcome Wagon. She is frank and honest. I am so beyond in reading blogs because I have been actually cleaning my house and organizing. I was not aware that people have been cruel to her so I will head right over to her blog in support.

    Thanks for standing up for her.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Susan,
    Very nice post for Brenda. She, indeed, has bared her soul and I so admire her for that. I love her beautiful photos and her always, candid style. She has helped so many of us in the blogging world!
    xoxo
    Me
    p.s. Bentley, keep Momma company, while Daddy is in TX!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Amen. I did a similar post yesterday on FB. But you said it all well. Brenda has been my biggest help and driven so much traffic to other blogs. Why such haters. It all goes back to if you haven't got anything nice to say then just shut the hell up.

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  21. People need to get a life! Why would they be so critical? If they don't like it they just should not read or better yet not comment. Love what Elaine just said!

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  22. I love her blog! And, if she can a bit of cash, I say, Go Girl!

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  23. I totally agree. I have been a follower of hers for many years and she is a good person.

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  24. Most people are aware that bloggers receive remuneration for the ads on their sites. It's no different than TV or magazine ads or the ads that pop up all over the internet. I can't imagine why anyone would find it it odd enough to register a complaint. That is just someone dumping there 'stuff' on someone else and not to be taken seriously, in my opinion.

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  25. Well said, creating and maintaining a blog takes a ton of work! We just don't have enough time to do anything other than encourage each other.

    xo, Tanya

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  26. Thank you so much for saying what so many of us believe. If anyone knows Brenda, they know she is a dedicated and conscientious blogger and that she should not be criticized for accepting ads on her blogs.

    Clara from Redeemed Junk and Stuff

    ReplyDelete
  27. I have not been to Brenda's blog, but will pop over and follow! I know if you recommend her, she's got to be good! And what's wrong with making a buck? I've heard of bloggers making upwards of 100K!!! Bravo to you Susan!

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  28. This was a wonderful post, Susan! I agree totally with you and I don't know why some have to be so nasty. I think if they don't like something on our blogs, they should just move on.
    You are the sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  29. Why is it any of their business anyway? Are they paying her bills? I think not so go somewhere else and be crabby. You are a fine friend, Susan. Bless your heart

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  30. Susan ~ thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have been away from the blogging world as you know. Brenda is a doll ~ I love her absolutely and unconditionally. She has helped so many in the blogging community out of the goodness of her big heart. I will continue to visit Brenda again and again. I consider her a blogging friend and will always. Bravo for speaking out ~ She has shared her trials and tribulations with us and she is quite frank and will always be that way. That is why I respect and love her so much. For those of you who don't want to visit, that is your choice. Me I will be with Cozy Little House always ~ ;-)

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  31. How sweet of you to stick up for your friend.

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  32. A blog is whatever the blogger wants it to be! I can't believe there are those with the time to criticize other bloggers. Cheers to you both! Oxox linsey

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  33. Brenda helped me just last night. We talked on the phone and I went on to make some tweaks on my blog...which will hopefully make it load faster, etc. I have only known Brenda a short while...and find her to be a nice person. I think of blogs , or books, like television. Switch the channel if something does not interest you. Maybe the next day you will see something you want to watch, or read in the case of blogs. Blogs express the personality of the writer. A good thing. I have some ads...but so far they have not paid enough for me to get a check! Ha! Sheila

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  34. I adore Brenda's blog. Her creativity is inspiring. I love her candor and her great ideas. Advertising is not over the top and I can look beyond it to see this sweet lady's suggestions and heart felt words. Some people should learn to just hush if they have nothing nice to say...like our moms taught us.

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  35. I found your blog tonight quite by accident and read this post. I followed Brenda for a long time . I had no problem with the ads in theory, I understand the need to make money especially when so much work is involved in creating and maintaining a blog. . What I did have a problem with is that some of the ads had a virus attack in them and one of them I clicked on destroyed my only computer. I told Brenda she had a virus and she refused to listen to me and just treated me as if I was not being truthful with her. . My computer repair person went on her blog and found several virus in her ads so the ads she was using at that time were dangerous and caused me to lose a computer I cannot afford to fix. It was a brand new computer I can never replace. I explained this to her to make sure no one else got a hard drive erased. I did not just lose a computer hard drive, I lost my dead families photos, years of memories and also over a million files of my own and legal work. I lost very loved photos of my Dead family that I can never get back. SO my only concern reading a blog with ads is not the ads ( although now I refused absolutely refuse to read any with ads !) its that the content of the ads may have a virus, be dangerous and that should be addressed. My only other issue with her cute little blog was that she was asking everyone for constant donations yet she was spending a lot of money and buying a lot she was posting and bragging about, and that did not seem right to me. I donated to her of course, as a good person does because she claimed to be in financial distress, but the following week she was buying expensive things and that is just wrong. So it appeared to me she was making money from the blog, begging for and getting extensive donations for financial help, yet shopping quite a bit and spending large amounts of money which according to her she did not have any money That just is morally wrong.

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  36. By the way I still do not nor will I ever have a way to replace my only computer that Brenda's virus destroyed. I am using a old borrowed one for a couple days until I have to give it back and normally can no longer be online thanks to Brenda's virus. As a senior alone in life on a fixed income I cannot afford to replace my computer yet you don't see me asking for help as Brenda does.

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  37. Very interesting post, w/ some very interesting feedback, also, that I have read (@Lexie, my goodness! I'm so, so sorry! That breaks my heart that you lost the irreplaceable!) .... For me, this is a two-edged sword: I understand the ads, and I'm so, so grateful! that so many people can support themselves financially, while doing something creative, that they love! On the other hand, I have a wonky ISP, and the ads-heavy pages - be it trying to read an urgent news story, or a blog, or whatever - freezes and slows down my machine, and I get very frustrated. The worst offenders in this category are - you've just clicked on a page and right away pops up a "sign up for our newsletter!" and you don't even have the chance to read the darned blog yet, to know if you want to do so!

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  38. Very interesting post, w/ some very interesting feedback, also, that I have read (@Lexie, my goodness! I'm so, so sorry! That breaks my heart that you lost the irreplaceable!) .... For me, this is a two-edged sword: I understand the ads, and I'm so, so grateful! that so many people can support themselves financially, while doing something creative, that they love! On the other hand, I have a wonky ISP, and the ads-heavy pages - be it trying to read an urgent news story, or a blog, or whatever - freezes and slows down my machine, and I get very frustrated. The worst offenders in this category are - you've just clicked on a page and right away pops up a "sign up for our newsletter!" and you don't even have the chance to read the darned blog yet, to know if you want to do so!

    ReplyDelete

Oliver and I LOVE and read every comment.

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