off brand

Lately, I've been hearing a bunch of jokingly accusatory remarks about the blogging "geek factor," or "dork quotient," or whatever.

And, of course, it's always followed by some sort of partially-shamed denial.

"Really, I am cool. I promise! See, look how many MySpace friends I have! I'm, like totally, cool."

And, not to mention the awkward explanation of obsessive blogging, and the relationships that have begun to bleed offline. What do you tell your friends, like the ones you met before business blogging consumed the little free time we had left? Are you going to meet-up with your internet pals? Are you getting together to debate which Star Trek episode is the most authentic?

With all this debate over our collective dorkiness, obsessiveness, and opinionated bullheadedness, keep this in mind...

Some of the greatest achievements, the movements that changed the world, were made by small, obsessively dedicated communities, who were largely misunderstood by the moderate masses.

Now, granted, we all look normal. There probably won't be thick-rimmed glasses and members-only jackets to tip off the lay person to our alter egos. But, what we have in common is an extreme passion to be heard, to know that by forming these connections, by working hours that most aren't capable of sustaining, we are constantly making steps towards improvement. We are advancing our causes, both individually and collectively, to find a better way.

The ultimate winners will not only be ourselves, but by pushing responsible agendas, consumer respect and advocation, the clients we represent and the customers with whom they build relationships will be the ones who prosper. And we can know, that while maybe a little misunderstood from time to time, we made contributions that others were not always willing to make.

And we'll all be better off for it. So, embrace it.