So I got into a discussion with Kred today on Twitter about the fact that I was identified as a "mommy blogger" on their site. If you're unfamiliar with Kred, it's similar to Klout. If you're unfamiliar with either of them, they're both ways to try to measure one's online influence (basically with Twitter and Facebook). They both do it in different ways and people have mixed feelings about the real value of either, but I think, at the very least, they provide some useful information. You can find out more on their sites and check out my stats- I'll give you the links at the end so you don't get distracted.
So here's what I got into a discussion about. On Kred, they list the top communities where you have influence. One of the places they figure this out, is from the public interactions you have with people in your communities and what their specialties are- so apparently I'm somewhat connected to the airline community- who knew? My issue is the other place they decide where you have influence; by keywords in your bio. Here's my bio- it should look familiar, it's the one I use all over the place:
Mom, Geek, Techie, Dirt- Worshipper, Lover of Learning.
From that, Kred got my top communities: Mothers, Social Media, and.... Mommy Bloggers UGH!
Ok I don't know why it bothers me so much, but I find the term "Mommy bloggers" offensive. So I let Kred know.
dear @Kred, I'm a mom & have a blog, does not mean I'm a "mommy blogger". #offensive
Kred, appropriately, responds, and we go back and forth a couple of times.
Kred: @dragynfire Hi Heather - See how we determine top communities @http://t.co/kVgoYDJJ on the #Community tab
12:38pm, Apr 23 from Web
dragynfire: @kred yeah, read that. really does not make it any less offensive. Is there a "daddy bloggers" community for men?12:45pm, Apr 23 from HootSuite
Kred: @dragynfire Not currently, but we could definitely create one! What sort of keywords do you suggest to identify daddy bloggers12:50pm, Apr 23 from Web
Kred: @dragynfire Using commonly used keywords in bios - wasnt sure if daddy bloggers used dif lingo - thanks again for suggestion12:58pm, Apr 23 from Web
Look, I don't blame Kred. It's not their fault that mommy bloggers is a term, or that I'm offended by it (or more accurately by the fact that daddy bloggers isn't a term). It's our society. It's our culture. No, we don't have daddy bloggers. They blog about fatherhood, and being a techdad, or about business, THEIR business (never mind that women blog about their businesses as well, but become mommy bloggers). Maybe this isn't widespread, maybe it's just me.
Just out of curiosity, I decided to check 2 profiles of people I know identify themselves as dads in their bios to see what Kred says about them. Here's how it turned out:
@fondalo- Single Dad, Friend, Geek. I Tweet about Social Media, Mrktg, Tech. Love technology & Coffee! Make me laugh and lets connect!
Top communities: Social Media, Tech, Marketing
@danoah- I write a blog called Single Dad Laughing. My daily goal is to sucker punch you in the gut with words that make you think, laugh, and even cry once in a while.
Top communities: Mommy Bloggers, Fathers, Family
Am I being oversensitive about this?
Ultimately, Kred responded to me and had a conversation about it. They said "sure, let's make a daddy blogger community". And they're more transparent than Klout so far. It's not what this blog is about, but I think overall, I like Kred for trying to see what's up with my influence and outreach- I found out I was being retweeted and didn't even know it. I'll be even happier when they find ways to measure Pinterest, but I think that's a challenge for anyone.
But let me stress one more time. Kred responded. Quickly. And very courteously. +Kred to Kred for customer service.
As promised, here are links to my Kred and Klout profiles.
Klout@dragynfire
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