The correct attitude to blogging awards

It is the time of year when everyone gets overexcited by blogging awards. The Total Politics poll. The Lib Dem Blog of the Year. The Mrs Joyful Prize for Raffia Work.

I am pleased to find that I was suspicious of the Lib Dem awards when they first appeared. This year Nich Starling has gone so far as to ask people not to nominate him. He writes:

Last year I wrote in Iain Dale's guide to political blogging that I felt the awards were too self congratulatory, rather too on message, and the judges rather self selecting in that the same people and the same "friends" get chosen every time. Those of you from the provinces (and I use that term loosely) and who don't get to conference really don't matter.

I would not go that far, but these does seem to have been more logrolling and intrigue surrounding the Blog of the Year Awards this year. Maybe I am just more aware of it this time because of Twitter.

And reading the comments on my last post on the subject, you have to wonder whether awards do more harm than good.

A more humorous approach was taken by Ordovicius when he found he had gone down in the Total Politics list for Welsh bloggers:

Honestly, I turn my back for five seconds and you scuttle off into the arms of lunatics, zealots and trouble makers! You INGRATES! I mean, for the love of...seriously now, how can anyone take a top ten of Welsh blogs in earnest if I'm not in it??? GET A GRIP!

Even Marcus Warner got more votes than I did, which is frankly just taking the piss. He may have seen the light politically, but he's a Morrissey fan for fucks sake. I mean COME ON!!!

As for coming behind Paul Flynn, all I can say is FUCK RIGHT OFF!

I think that is a healthy attitude to blogging awards. It is one we should all cultivate.