10 Things NOT to do as a Blogger

By Elizabeth, Delightfully Tacky

1. Steal content and claim it's yours.
- Do I really need to explain this one? Haven't we all known about plagiarism since grade-school?

2. Say a product is great, even if it isn't, just to get free stuff from a sponsor.
- Not only is it unethical, it will ruin your reputation as someone with reliable advice. People will no longer believe you if you tell them a product is good. I always want to be honest with my readers, especially about the things I receive from sponsors. Not only will readers respect you for being honest, you'll also be saving them from possibly purchasing something that isn't as high quality as they might've previously assumed.

3. Leave spam comments on other blogs.
- Because does any one really like it when they scroll through their comments and yours is, "Check out my blog! http://www.ineedmorereaders!.blogspot.com"? The answer is: No.

4. Work for free under the guise of good exposure.
- respect yourself and your work! If someone really wants something from you, they should be willing to pay you!

5. Feel like you have to blog about a certain thing in order to become popular.
- be yourself! Your greatest asset is your individuality! Don't think that you have to copy a super-popular blogger in order to have a great blog!

6. Feed trolls and hateful Anons.
- don't let them change the way you feel about yourself. They don't know you personally, and oftentimes they are just random people who just roam the internet writing cruel things on various blogs. Haters gon' Hate!

7. Have auto-playing music on your page.
- no really. It's annoying. And startling.

8. Take things personally.
- Let's face facts. It's the internet. We take most of our communication cues from body language and tone of voice, both of which we don't have access to when we interact online. Don't make assumptions!

9. Blog just to get free stuff.
-If your main goal in blogging is to get shops and designers to send you free stuff... well, I don't feel like you're going to enjoy blogging very much. And I don't think other people will enjoy your blog either. People will notice that your content is forced and focused on pleasing the person you're getting free stuff from.

10. Spend all your time thinking, fretting, and worrying about your blog
- Have a life! Well, a life outside of blogging, that is. It can be easy at times to get sucked into the internet and let it take control of your life. I personally had to get rid of my iPhone because I didn't want that level of connectivity. I didn't want to have the internet with me, with facebook, twitter, and email within arms reach at all times. Take time for friends and family, and take a break from blogging from time to time if you need it!