Monday, July 18, 2016

Using Steve Skojec's name to attract readers and hits to ... up your hits and stats.



Because "Blogs without many readers ... might garner some interest in their blogs."

I've done posts using Skojec's name - but not for the reasons he thinks some people do.  I really think people may use his name because he or his website or what he wrote is simply the subject of their post.

... do not be wise in your own estimation. - Romans 12:16

It's too bad we get so carried away by our own self-importance - believing ourselves to be so important. There is a certain quarter of the Catholic Internet, however, that has apparently become obsessed with Steve Skojec and his work at 1P5.

I noticed Steve thinks that too.

Oh Steve! Steve Skojec!
This is my favorite photo
of Steve.  He looks like he has
a great sense of humor.


More seriously, blogs are pretty much an old person's craft, or hobby - old people blog - younger people tweet, do Facebook or some other app on social media.  Websites, news aggregator sites are pretty much convenience sites - headlines.  What is online now is like talk radio.  Informative, but contentious, playing up controversy and ripping apart opponents.  Skojec engages Catholics online, he's a good writer, no doubt about that - but he needs to rile up controversy and engage the crazies to supplement his income.  Just like the other writers and sites he criticizes - he does the same thing.  It's like politics.  It works for him to usurp other sites, other writers, who he cleverly dismisses with this type of statement: "There is a certain quarter of the Catholic Internet, however, that has apparently become obsessed with me and our work here.

Song for this post here.



The power of the holy name.

Obviously the criticism and rivalry he appears to attract bothers him, and he feels the need to defend himself, by denigrating others.  That's just dumb.  Skojec applauds himself:
The fact is, the more openly I became concerned with the actions of the Francis pontificate, the more vilified I (and by extension, this publication) became by the likes of those mentioned – particularly the “luminaries” of the Patheos crowd, which later became the Aleteia crowd when Elizabeth Scalia brought her particular brand of smug, virtue signalling, quasi-heterodox Catholicism to their pages as Editor-in-Chief after leaving Patheos. (I previously revealed what happened to the already waning Catholic channel there after Scalia ended her tenure. It seems the best they can find are angsty, self-loathing Z-list “Catholic” bloggers to fill their roster these days.) Picking fights with and/or mocking websites like ours — rather than addressing the real problems we all face as Catholics — has become quite the club sport with this particular genre of Catholic writer. - 1P5
Writers for online magazines, blogomerates - including some real journalists pretty much engage in this 'club sport' all the time.  It's their raison d'être for being online.  Nevertheless, they are all Catholics -  snipping at one another because they disagree on this or that: "Picking fights with and/or mocking websites" whose writers disagree or whose writers are obsessed with Steve.  

(I used Steve's name here but I don't make any money for hits or stats - and rarely do I check stats.  But I will tomorrow to see if Skojec's name increases traffic here. What?)

"Mr Nelson!  You will never amount to anything!"

"Yes Sister.  Thank you Sister."





10 comments:

  1. I'm grateful for Elizabeth Scalia, as I'm grateful for Heather King, and for you. And while ES can get a bit thorny when addressed as "Liz" (which always makes me laugh), I've detected not an iota of smugness - and I've been reading her for at least five years.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like the same people. Scalia is a good writer and great editor. Heather King is an inspiring lady.

      Delete
    2. Three solid Catholics I relate to and trust. Prayers for all of you. I am tired of the clamor Terry. Is there no escape from the frenzy? I know there is just as Bishop Barron preached on Sunday in LA at the Cathedral.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qoPIlF2tQ0

      Delete
  2. Further evidence the vices we hate in others are usually the ones we hate in ourselves: "smug, virtue signalling, quasi-heterodox" describes 1P5 very well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's so true. It's a great way for me to examine my conscience - the stuff I dislike in other people - I do or have done or I've done even worse. "From my hidden faults acquit me Lord."

      Delete
  3. who is the other guy getting whacked by the nun? lol!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Apropos of nothing, Steve's photo looks like he belongs on a Harley. What?

    ReplyDelete
  5. BTW - using Skojec's name did nothing to up my stats.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I wrote twice about Pokémon GO in the past week, and that did nothing to increase my stats either. Just goes to show...

    But seriously, Terry - your hits are so high to begin with, it takes a lot to give them any significant uptick.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Huh? I stopped smokin' decades ago.

      Delete


Please comment with charity and avoid ad hominem attacks. I exercise the right to delete comments I find inappropriate. If you use your real name there is a better chance your comment will stay put.