Why I Won’t Regret Blogging Ten Years Later

My favorite part about blogging is conversing with the naysayers. Even the rude ones totally make my day. Because as soon as they start cursing, I know I’ve hit a topic that’s worth talking about.

With that said, there is a certain breed of haters out there that I could really do without – the ones that think age and experience always trump a solid, well thought opinion.

I think that most Gen-Y bloggers know what I’m talking about. In some fashion we’ve all been sized up based on years spent in the real world. And it usually leads to a comment that goes something like this:

In 10 years you’ll regret saying that.

Sure, in 10 years I’ll regret a lot of things. But what I won’t regret is making my voice heard as a young professional. Especially when there are tons of others out there just like me without the resources to do the same.

Will my perspective change within the next 10 years? Yes. Will I regret that I ever opened my mouth in the first place? No. If your argument is that a company might not hire me for something I said back when I was 24 years old, you may have a pretty good case. But there’s an equally good chance that a company does hire me because I challenged the norm. And that’s the type of company Generation Y wants to work for anyway.

What a lot of people don’t realize about blogging is it’s okay to be wrong. And while it’s important to check your facts, you don’t need to be an expert to state an opinion. That’s the beauty of blogging. When I started blogging over a year ago, I would have never guessed that I would experience hardcore resistance. And in most instances, it’s been a pleasant surprise.

So if you’re going to be an active presence in the blogosphere, wear your boxing gloves. A few blows to your ego are definitely game. But there’s one more important thing that you have to be ready to do.

Accept the New Authority

Social media has changed the way we give and receive information. News and opinion is no longer just being spoon fed to everyone by media moguls—it’s being created and duplicated and passed around by everyday people. Think of it more like a buffet. But if the buffet makes you nauseous, you’re more than welcome to order from the regular, everyday menu.

Challenging a blogger by asking where he gets his authority is pointless—you won’t likely find a list of credentials. Instead, size him up by checking out who is reading, linking, subscribing and commenting on his blog. Besides gaining trust, that’s the only basis of authority in the blogosphere.

What it all boils down to is the realization that you can’t evaluate a person in the blogosphere the same way that you would in the corporate world. Age is meaningless and the only titles we have are the ones we give ourselves for the sake of it. And still, people stop by and read.

Granted, as a young professional, sometimes I do need a good reality check. And I’m happy when it’s given to me.

As long as it’s done with an opposing opinion in mind, not my lack of experience or age, I’m willing to take a few jabs. I learn something about myself from every insightful adversary I have. But the ones who question authority, ability, and intellect based on old-school ideas about what makes someone credible are weak and useless to me.