For this week’s Pie Hole, I focus my opinions on one very interesting Boston article.

First things first, read this entire piece.

Interesting…to say the least. Anomnomnomoynous lays out a nice laundry list of food blogger/blogging offenses.

So, for this Pie Hole, I decided to examine each of Anomnomnomoynous’ bold print points and give my opinion on his/her opinion. Are you with me? Good. Let’s get started.

But buyer beware; not all are created equally and most cannot be trusted. Most of them don’t even like food, I’m convinced.

True, all aren’t created equally. But doesn’t that go for just about everything in life? As far as “most cannot be trusted”, that’s a little extreme. I’d change “most” to “some”. And to write that most don’t even like food is just ridiculous. Personally, food is right up there with family, friends, and health…in no particular order.

Really, you have a book deal and you used boxed prepared risotto and write about iced coffee four times a week? For shame.

I don’t know many bloggers who have book deals.  Strike that, I don’t know any bloggers who have book deals.  And I sure don’t know many who “want some accreditation”. Most are just looking for an outlet to express their thoughts and to further a passion or hobby. And yes, some blogs have the same mundane comments from a group of friends…but who cares? There are cliques in every walk of life. Get used to it.  My guess is that Anomnomnomoynous is a he, not a she.  Attention my man….food blogging is comprised overwhelmingly of females.  Maybe you are feeling lonely and on an island.  Two words for you…tough shit!

I paid for this...honest...I did!

Me, I eat with my stomach, food should look good enough to eat, but if it tastes like crap, what’s the point?

Agreed–the taste of food is more important than the presentation, but if a blogger wants to entice the audience, the pictures need to be good.

Now, I’ll also address his/her point about 98% of meals being free. That’s wrong. If I walked into a restaurant, stated I was a food blogger, and demanded my meal be comped…I’d promptly be told to get the fuck out, and to take my shitty ass blog with me. The free meals are generally planned group events….you know, the ones where we are PR pawns. PS…I had a free meal tonight at a media tasting dinner in Salem that cost me $60. How? ($10-gas, $40-babysitter, $10 -restaurant tip)

Guess what? No one cares how often you post, if you have to complain about how hard it is to write something with frequency, or all the free events you “have” to attend, you’re missing the point entirely.

Them fighin’ words. That one just hits a little close to home. I post six times a week. And there are plenty of people who care that I post so often…my wife, my best friend from college, an old girlfriend…I could go at least 10 people deep. Don’t make me, I will.

Shelling out $150 to attend a blogger conference will not improve your writing or your blog, it will just make you $150 poorer.

Agreed. I spent $175 on a conference when I moved to Boston about 4 months ago. Biggest waste of money ever! I remember one panelist saying how important it was to write with a voice. Really!?! No fucking shit! I walked out after two hours…$175 be damned!

In summation…are a few of Anomnomnomoynous’ points accurate? Yes. But for the most part, they are generalizations written by what seems to be a fairly agitated person. And worst of all, a nameless, fairly agitated person.

My name’s Kevin Shalin. Please Anomnomnomoynous, feel free to shoot me an email, and maybe we could set up a lunch. My treat!