Some folks tried to start a Pro-Bloggers Association a couple of years ago, but it doesn’t seem like anything really became of it. I know that Rick Calvert and some others have launched International Blogging & New Media Association, and there’s also a couple of initiatives specifically focused on the podcasting and video segment.

A professional association and a union, though, are two very different things.

The left often thinks is collectivized term while the right often is more individualistic Blogging, by its very nature is individualistic. So you’ll see great resistance coming from bloggers themselves.

Having said that, I agree with both Mary Jo’s points that, in the future, a Screen Actors Guild or Writers Union may be more appropriate…but to me it should be more of an association. One that provides benefits itself and not necessarily rely on a company or a blog network to do so. Either way, that’s years away.

Scott Allen’s gives an excellent analysis of the blogging arena in my book.

Scott: Great point!

Glenn: b5 was started by 5 bloggers. Yeah, it’s that simple. Sometims we really suck at naming!

1. Rock stars – the handful of people who can make a full-time living at it in the free market purely on their own merits.

2. Corporate bloggers – people who blog as a small part of their corporate (or small business) job.

3. Professional writers – people who write for companies that can’t blog for themselves.

4. Experts – people who use blogging as a way to build their personal brand, demonstrate their expertise, and grow their business.

5. Hobbyists – people who are passionate about their topic and blog as a way to express themselves and share their passion with others.

Group 1 doesn’t need a union – they’re already doing fine financially.

Group 2 doesn’t need a union – they’re already on salary and benefits.

Group 3 is *maybe* the only group that could use a union, but even so, in the vast majority of these cases, they’re being paid just fine.

Group 4 doesn’t need a union – the blog is a marketing vehicle for them. The fact that they’re getting paid to market themselves, rather than paying to market themselves is more than compensation enough. Those of us in this category make our money from selling products and services, speaking engagements, etc.

Group 5 doesn’t need a union – these people would already be blogging anyway. The fact that they’re getting paid for it is icing on the cake. And basically all they have to do is commit to posting volume.

I think Shane Navratil said it best over on Ryan Caldwell’s blog:

“Blogging is an entrepreneurial endeavor and a creative endeavor.”

So you either do it because you love it, or you excel at it and make some decent money from it. What I certainly don’t want to do is be supporting a bunch of half-assed hacks on basically some kind of blogger welfare. Those who blogging doesn’t work for economically should go find another job.

Unionizing blogging!!! And here I thought with blogging everyone was a publisher in their own right. Everyone comes (or should) come into blogging with their eyes wide open. Understand the ROI, the risks the network owners are taking etc., and if you still don’t get it then get out of the kitchen…

Also, if we ever got down that road I’m sure you’d have to screen all posts before publishing from a legal standpoint. That should just about snuff out the immediacy of blogging.

Come on… I think some people are starting to over value their self worth.