I’ll respect anyone’s wishes. If you don’t want to be a blogger any longer, or called one, that’s fine (and I have no accent to ameliorate the title).

I had this issue at a PR firm: they siloed me into blogger boy. It was stupid, as it ignored my media relationships and talents.

Blogger or social media is a single bullet point in a bigger job description. That’s all it is.

I am going to apologize to you in advance. I signed off on my book early this week… and have this for your bio (note the FINAL word):

“Isaac Pigott’s 16-year broadcast career included several awards for reporting and an Emmy for news writing. He is the Director of
Communications for the American Red Cross in the southeastern U.S. A graduate of the University of Alabama, he authors Occam’s RazR, a renowned Corporate Communications Blog.”

Had I only seen your post five days earlier, I would have gladly edited it. Sorry about that.

RPS

That said, I totally agree with your point about “blogger relations” and “blogger ethics” being icky terms.

It a relief to shed that skin, I’m sick of all those blogging rules anyway.

I don’t refer to myself as a blogger - but because I don’t make a living that way - any more than I refer to myself as an artist, a philosopher, a writer, or any other ‘descriptor’ - because at the moment, that’s not how I earn my bread and butter.

If someone pays me to blog? I’ll accept the term blogger. Not in the limiting sense - but in the ’she’s currently making money doing X’ sense.

It’s kind of like being labeled a “children’s author” or “sci-fi author” or any other descriptor - shorthand for those who want to know how one makes one’s living.

But I do understand your offense at the term.

I didn’t exactly think of you as a Blogger - so much as a Twitter friend who happens to write really well.

I’m more about the expression of the idea itself anyway. Call it being media agnostic. The concept that it’s the idea or message that counts, not the method of delivery, be it blog, letter to the editor, photograph, etc.

None of us (I think) are professional bloggers. I’ve done many marketing and PR-type activities in my career, and I started blogging to grow and expand my knowledge and sort things out by forcing me to think and write things down. (Okay, type them.)

So, while I know Ike, Kami, Michael and others mostly by their blog, if I would call any of you bloggers, I know it’s not all inclusive of what you do. (Heck, Kami sings, too!)

Any time one tries to categorize people, events, etc. — as is human nature — it’s never all-inclusive. Though forgotten, it is a given. Just like, as limiting as writing is, people will often take one snippet of a post, for example, and turn it against you.

That’s when we turn on our other communication and strategic abilities.
–Mike

I actually want to go a step farther in that regard. We’re all communicators. I use Venn Diagrams and Demotivational posters from time to time. It’s all an effort to reach people in a way that undermines preconceived notions. Catch ‘em sideways, and let the peripheral vision reveal the truth that the blind spot obscures. If you use video, great. Just don’t limit your skills to just one tool.

@Kami — Spinning? There’s no spinning here. I’ve written before about the crossing of communications disciplines. Someone wise once wrote, “it’s human nature to categorize then push.” Well, I’m just trying to unbundle some unnecessary categorization.

@Wade — I don’t mind the shorthand when it’s used in the right context. If I’m talking to a bunch of Red Cross people, I can throw terms like ERVs and Mass Care around without worrying about being misunderstood. If you want to use the word “blog” to describe a software engine with others who know what it is, then great. I’m just getting away from it as a descriptor of a person, because as you say it is too limiting.

Funny - I have no problem using “blog” and “blogging” to describe the type of Web publishing I’ve done for the past seven years, but I have never, EVER thought of myself as a “blogger”. It strikes me as incredibly self-limiting, and (as you pointed out) demeaning when it comes from others.

Now something else that I’ll say though is the fact that as you know, a blogger can also use audio, video and photos to tell their stories. I think that’s why we still use the word. It allows you to cover all the bases without alienating those that don’t necessarily feel that comfortable writing primarily.

Keep spinning.