BlogHer is the official host of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Post Month) and sort of organizes things to motivate bloggers to keep going. There are prompts to elicit blog posts, a (mostly) daily twitter discussion, and more – including prizes.
The only thing is, I think it’s offering up the wrong motivation.
Maybe I would feel differently if I won a prize. Probably not. Whatever. Here is the link to the blogroll for NaBloPoMo, which is pretty extensive. It is this list which BlogHer uses to draw winners from. But there is a major flaw in this system.
The first entry on the blogroll has missed more days than posted a blog entry. The second hasn’t posted anything since November 4. The third blog on the list has participated every day. Not one post in November from the fourth blog on the blogroll. Or the 5th. And so on. Number 9 on the blog roll is a protected blog so you can’t access it. Number 10 on the blogroll hasn’t posted anything since July.
Every other day or so I have gone to this blog roll and checked out a few random blogs. Some of them I comment on – and the first criteria I have for myself to comment is if the blogger is actually posting. Not every day necessarily, but at least participating.
Look, if you miss a day or whatever you should still be eligible for whatever prizes BlogHer wants to give out. If you make a good faith effort to participate in NaBloPoMo you should be rewarded. Unfortunately it is painfully obvious some bloggers sign up just for the promotional aspect of it and the possibility of prizes.
It would be nice if BlogHer had some way of culling the list, rewarding those who participated, especially those who made it through all of NaBloPoMo without missing a day. It would be even better if bloggers wouldn’t sign up if they had no intention of participating. It just makes it tougher for those of us who are.