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So what is a blagger? From what I can gather they are someone just out for what they can get. I looked at the Urban Dictionary and it basically says to blag 'is to gain something of material worth by cheekiness or trickery, apparently lying is acceptable too'. Hmm nice, a term I'd like to be associated with then. I think not!
I then asked on Twitter what people associate with the term Mummy Blagger. Nickie told me "someone who "blags" (blatantly asks) for review items because they cant be arsed buying them". I have to say she made me laugh, that is probably a pretty good description of blagging. Daddacool suggested "it is a blogger who is only in it for the freebies". Yep probably another good definition.
Given all those definitions I sit here and think, 'good, no way I can be seen as a blagger then can I?' I did my first review in October 2010, I started my blog in February 2008. I have 732 posts on this blog and only 41 of them are reviews (yes I have a review blog but even that only has about 50 posts). So my ratio is about 7 personal posts to 1 review, a good balance in my mind. I receive well over 50 emails a week offering me items for free, I say yes to about 3 of those and I review honestly stating the negatives of a product as well as the positives.
But then.... I start to think about how the first event I went to was because I asked another blogger to put my name forward and then the best days out review I have ever done I got because I asked yet another blogger to put my name forward and not content with that review, I then asked the same PR if they were happy with the response they had to my review and could I come back and review another part of the park? I go on blogger.ed and BritMums and I'll respond to PR requests on there and I'll respond to tweets from PR's and brands. So let's think again, does that make me a blagger?
No I hear some of you shouting, not you Mich. You are like me, an established Mummy blogger who enjoys some of the perks of having a well established and popular blog.... but then I can hear others, ones who hate any kind of review or those with longer-established blogs than mine who may say yes, all that qualifies you as a blagger.
So here we are with a totally subjective matter. We will never all agree on this. For the record, I do not regard myself as a blagger. If I think something fits with me and my family profile I will say yes to an approach or I may ask to review it if I know there is blogger activity going on but in general I do not email out or tweet to ask for product reviews, I just do not have the time or inclination to do that. Good reviewing is hard work.
I feel like I am in a minefield with this blogging lark. There are unwritten rules all over the place and no-one knows when they have overstepped an invisible line. All I can do is stay true to myself and continue to do what feels right. I advise you dear reader to do the same. If something works for you, go with it. As long as you sleep at night and you hurt no-one then who am I to criticise or dictate to you how to live your life. You want to send out tons of #PRRequests a day on twitter then go ahead, I can always unfollow if you get on my nerves.
So what do you think on this? Be honest (I can take it), has my asking before put me in the blagger category?