After yesterday’s post on young bloggers using their age as a stupid clever gimmick to get more readers, I decided to ask a few people what they thought about the issue (check here and here). It sparked much discussion (and plenty of visits back to Blog Badly AND a way to take a break from making a real post), but the consensus was unanimous: content should be judged on content. Sure, it might be cool to read lies like “12 year old makes millions selling shoeboxes on E-Bay,” but… seriously, shoeboxes?

WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT
“I think it really depends on the context…. Blogging is unique because people who are slightly smarter than the average joe in any particular field are able to share that knowledge. In the end, it doesn’t matter how old or young you are, as long as you clearly know what you’re talking about.”

“Age shouldn’t have ANY factor in your opinions towards that particular blogger…. Take everything you read with a grain of salt, a reputable author will often have more cred, but age isn’t that determining factor. ”

“Young bloggers always attract me, no matter how suck they are! I admire young people with good insights, especially on the blogosphere.”

“Age is irrelevant to me, what matters most to me is logos, ethos, and pathos (Art of Rhetoric)? …those who flaunt their age as a means of drawing attention… bring about an aurora of arrogance.”

CONCLUSIONS
Most people seem to despise people who use age as a way of promotion and others just ignore it. Still, the fact remains - Carl Ocab is beating me and other talented bloggers in Alexa ranking. This injustice must be corrected! [insert righteous messages in a badly veiled attempt to get more traffic].

UPDATE: Another fourteen year old blogger is opposed to the age gimmick and thus has voiced his thoughts on it over at the Spokane Factor.

UPDATE #2: Yet another fourteen year old blogger voices his opinion at Germz!