Ok, So we all have to start somewhere and I have recently launched myself into the blogging sphere and not without a few bruises along the way!! It seems that there is a protocol when it comes to the blogging world, but a protocol that you are not warned or advised about, it's similar to going on a roller-coaster for the first time and hitting a peak at the top with a vertical drop, nobody told you it was going to be there you just had to experience it and deal with it yourself!

Recently I created a blog post about my wonderful new buisness product/service (which I won't mention for fear of being accused that this is just a blatant spam!), that since its launch has attracted great reviews and paying customers both in the UK and the USA. Now forgive me for perhaps getting it wrong first time round but it seems that you are not allowed to discuss or promote your services on blogs as this is frowned upon? Now I accept that if someone appears onto a blog, makes a single post and then disappears into the Wild West never to be seen again, then this most definitely could be taken as a blatant spam, but what if the the blogger was genuine, what if they wanted to promote their product to the blogging world relating to their industry sector which in this case was recruitment? What if the blogger was that excited about something that is helping recruiters globally that he wanted to share it with others. What if the blogger had 16 years of successful recruitment experience behind him to realise the potential of what his product was capable of doing?

Now this blog post is not about discussing my product and service, I believe the product and service is excellent and so do our customers, I do not expect everyone to agree with me, we live in a democratic world, not everyone loves the iPhone and I do not expect everyone to agree with my posts. This blog post is to bring to everyone's attention to the unfair and in my opinion quite rude and blatant attacks that are put upon new bloggers from the hounds of the blogging world. The only way I can describe it, is when a new child joins a school and is not accepted by his fellow classmates, they form a gang and one by one they taunt and bully the child. There is always a gang leader and his fellow gang classmates of weak and bad judgement who then decide to tag along for the ride in fear of being a victim themselves, in fact one of the classmates in the recent attack even claims that one of the instigators has an image that we 'ALL know and Love' ?? Well let me say that I don't 'Know' it and I certainly don't 'Love' it..

Now I'm not going to go as far as saying this is cyber bullying and personally I was never bullied as a kid at school but can really understand what it feels like and would want to protect my own kids from this ever happening. This is just sheer rudeness of the highest degree, rudeness from adult people who utilise a 17 inch flat screen computer monitor to sit behind and have their little sarcastic and offensive rants. I do wonder if these bloggers were if ever put into a civilised environment (god help us) within a room of people, they would still be as blatantly offensive? The computer and social networking for some people seems to have given them the right to judge and belittle others with extreme ease.

I did wonder why we have the option to moderate comments on blogs before they are publicly displayed? I now know why! It seems that if someone writes sarcastic and abrupt responses they then find it odd that the person who initiated the blog post will not allow their comments to be shown? How strange can that be that if someone uses the term 'Absurd' or an actual individual who supposedly works for the site then uses the term 'we are gonna get shit' can then expect their posts to be publicly displayed??... It then amazes me that the witch hunt continues and these bloggers then have enough time on their hands from not doing what they should be and recruiting, to then go and attempt to repost the original blog for others to see??

A warning to ALL new bloggers, be careful out there in the blogging world.. Dip you toe in gently and look out for the hounds that feel that this part of the internet world solely belongs to them because they have been around it longer than you have. Do not shy away from blogging, do not feel bullied to respond or accept comments from people who do not have the common sense to communicate decently. Do keep blogging about what you believe in and what you have an opinion about, but ALWAYS respect others and the tone in which you communicate. A rule of thumb is that if you wouldn't speak to someone face to face in the way that you blog, then don't attempt to post the blog in the first place.

Now maybe us Brits with our stiff upper lips are lets say slightly more sensitive when it comes to sarcasm and down right stupidity but there should be a global rule for everyone with regards to blogging which is; don't use a blog to offend others just to win yourself points from your small little clan of followers, use a blog constructively to talk and discuss about things relevant to the blogs industry and topics of conversation. If you really do not like something you see on a blog, rather than publicly trying to embarrass or undermined someone's comment, maybe consider a direct message to the individual to discuss things in a more mature and business like fashion.

Blogging from what I can see is here to stay, it's a social network tool but is also a great way of business people communicating, it is not an excuse to have a fight with kids at play time. For those King Pins in the blogging world, sit back, take a deep breath and remember that us newbies to the blogging world will NOT be put off by silly comments, be respectful of each other and that way we will all have a more harmonious experience.

I have learnt my lesson with the more experienced bloggers, but hope that they will learn theirs and never to assume that everyone knows the rules.. I am a happy family man and a successful businessman trying to make an honest decent living, I hold no grudges and do not go out of my way to offend people or make enemies, I refuse to be made to feel uncomfortable by others and will stamp on anyone that behaves inappropriately. All that said... I now know the 'unspoken' rules.

For my fellow new bloggers like me, welcome on board, its great to make your acquaintance! For the other bloggers, you know who you are... Lets start again.