Just wanted to let you know that a few days ago I included Cubicle Nation on my “Links That I Like” section with a little review of your blog. And while it won’t help in your Techno rating, I’m glad to include it.

I never started my blog to achieve any ranking, but I have to admit I am currently obsessed with my Alexa ranking due to a list another blogger put me on.

I have no hope of cracking the Techno Top 10 anytime soon, but I’m happy with my small, yet warped, loyal readership.

Dave

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Thanks Dave! Not just for the link but for the wonderful post of endorsement. I small, warped, loyal readership sounds like my ideal audience. I hope many of my folks visit your blog as well – we may be from the land of the misfit toys (you have seen Rudolf the Rednosed Raindeer, haven’t you?), but boy do we have passion and gusto.

Rock on and let’s let rankings be damned.

All the best,

-Pam

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Hi Starbucker!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I like to think that competitiveness is something that will make all of our writing better and stronger, instead of weaker. It is not often that we get a chance to put our pure voices out there in a democratic forum to see how people react. I don’t usually think of it as stacking myself against another blogger to see who is better, since there are so many tremendously powerful voices out there. Rather I want to make sure I am in the ’same room’ with those people who I think are smart, creative, motivated and inspirational.

When I see you write a kick-ass post, I think “Look at him go! What do I have to say that is equally as passionate or important?”

Please keep enjoying your writing – I look forward to reading it!

All the best,

-Pam

1. I like the “..I am highly paid consultant you fish for brains…” comment. There are too many out there who really do think like this. I do not know why I am astonished everytime I meet one of them……again.

2.And I especially agree with ,”..they NEVER leave a lasting impact on the organization when they leave.”.

This is so right. I can only recall one consultant. He was Cap Gemini. It was ten years ago. He was 6′7″ and that is all I remember him for.

You are doing the right thing. Do not let detractors cause you to rethink your vocation or to change anything or stop this vital and magnificent work you do.

Where else is there someone actively encouraging, advising, supporting and willing us to flee corporatedom, escape the cubicle to go decalre our independance and create our own special way of working to become masters of our own destiny and earn our own living based on the skills, creativity and innovation you have helped to instill in all of us.

Rock on Pam!

If a blogger focuses on rankings, he/she only writes about popular and sensational topics. Likewise, if a blogger write what readers are interested in, then the blogger will say what the readers want to hear.

In both cases, we are missing the point that we started blogging with a purpose. A blogger should pursue the purpose, undeterred by ranks and responses.

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Hi Murali!

Thanks for your comment. I have to respectfully disagree with your position, only in the case of reader comments.

I have a specific purpose for this blog, and that is to provide information, resources, how-to’s, support and encouragement to help people who feel trapped in their cube escape and start their own business. In order to know what specific issues are keeping them from making the leap, I have to engage in dialogue with them. Comments are extremely useful to see when my posts are on target and resonate, and when they are off-base.

I write this blog with a bias towards action. I could just pointificate about subjects that I think my readers should care about, but then I come dangerously close to one of those “I-am-right-because-I-am-a-highly-paid-consultant-you-fish-for-brains-reader” kind of people, and that just doesn’t feel right. I have seen too many of those types in corporate environments, and they NEVER leave a lasting impact on the organization when they leave. I think that people have most of the information they need inside them, often they just want validation or encouragement.

If I were writing a personal blog about a topic that I felt extremely passionate about like the importance of mentoring teenagers , I agree with you that I shouldn’t willy-nilly around and change my opinion based on what people like or don’t like. But this blog by its nature must be interactive to make an impact. In my humble opinion.

Thanks for always making me think! You push me to do better, all by your comments.

-Pam

Also, people might be coming to blogging for different reasons. Are you writing for your readers? For yourself? For me, I started out writing as a way to figure out what I know or think, i.e., as a tool for exploring a new field (and career). I was fortunate to start gaining a readership, which wasn’t necessarily my goal. However, I now try to keep them in mind when posting – so I guess I have multiple goals with blogging.

It *is* tempting to check my “numbers,” though…

I am a ranking slut. A ranking whore who will do anything to get me up above the 100,000 Technorati ranking mark. Today I notice I am 119,983 at Technorati. A jump up of 10,000 spots. Not bad.

But even I have to say that I am tiring of the drama each day to come up with something that will attract the punters. I know I can sink low but if you see me doing naked portraits of myself, please call the vet and have me put down!

The time has come to revert to quality content and not the rubbish I have been spewing out. If I can produce at least one decent post a month, I will be happy. Or at minimum produce some good general banter, then I can sustain the daily post for longer than I am thinking I can.

Meanwhile I need to go see my rankings again ….. bye

Once aware of that reputation, I had two reactions, one was mild annoyance that he had all these books to cull his posts from and thus blogging would be easy for him – though that subsided when I realised that, of course, since he wrote them in the first place, he’d put in the work. The second was complete bewilderment at his ranking obsession – why did he need such validation when he had already achieved status and best selling books? It was and is beyond me.

When you recently asked me for whom I wrote, you made me focus on the fact that I ultimately write for myself with the hope that an interesting group of people would find my thoughts interesting, provocative and rewarding. I agree with you entirely that this is the only way to go. Even if I do want everybody to link to me and make me feel good about myself.