Lord Google and the Blogs

A number of years back (I am flabbergasted to realize it was seven years ago), I was caught up in caring for my aged mother, then 98 years of age. Out of frustration and sometimes, I admit, anger, I wrote numerous blogs to vent my feelings. I had a website where I posted them but had no idea or concern about whether anyone was reading them. I wouldn’t even have known then-or now, for that matter-how to check if anyone was reading them. Did I have a “following”? Who on earth cared? Not I. Or is it Not me? No, it’s Not I.

To my utter astonishment, a delightful now-friend told me she had signed up for one of my Mexico trips because of the blogs.  She encouraged me to continue writing but with Mom gone, there was no frustration to inspire me. Businesses today, however, require not only blogs but podcasts and videos and friggin’ Tik-Toks as well. Our over-lord Google requires it.

So, I signed up for a two-hour class with HCC on Blogs and Podcasts and why we have to have them. Not surprisingly, there have been a number of changes over the last few years. It seems that now we have to beware the great AI and the blue underlinings and the invasion of Chat GPT. Say what?

It seems that the great Lord Google will punish us for using AI. Certain words will trigger a reaction that might knock us off the holy Google platform. So why, pray tell, did they invent AI in the first place? As a retired teacher, I am very thankful that I don’t have to worry about my students calling on AI to write their two-page Dilemmas or book reviews or essays.  But who cares about Blogs? Evidently Lord Google does.

Now, I am left to wonder if 1984 is in Google, too? Will I get busted for mocking the great Lord Google? An interesting concept. According to the HCC teacher, Google is only interested in making sure there is “good” content on the Internet. Apparently, AI is seen as not being human enough to count as “good” content.

I admit, I tried writing “Summer and Fall Calendar of tours” into AI and it came back with three full paragraphs of information about summer and fall tours that was so general that it made no sense to me to use it at all. Although the writing was certainly well done, one might even say “high fallutin’," I don’t take people to the beach or to see the leaves change in the fall so why would I copy it? Because it sounded really great.

I have had marketing people offer to do my SEO, I think that is what it’s called, but how on earth can they write about my tours? Or me? Or my business? No one knows my business as well as I do and if I had to explain it to someone so they could write my blog, it would take so long I might as well just write it myself.

But now, we have to add Audio to the web page and Video too and heaven forfend that we should add someone’s music without paying several thousand dollars for the privilege. At 77, I am no one’s idea of gorgeous, not at all in the category of models that certain ex-presidents are so fond of.  Which means, like it or not, I have to expose my wrinkles to the camera’s grim gaze if I am to do Tik-Toks. Seriously? The very thought is appalling. And I looked it up – “causing shock or dismay; horrific.” Yup, whether Lord Googoo likes it or not, that’s the right word. Perhaps, my vlogs will fit into the “Horror” category.

So why subject myself and my audience to such a demeaning exercise? Because the great Lord Google demands it. If my tours are to rate high enough on the holy platform to be visited by potential tour-goers, it’s Blogs and Vlogs and Youtube Audios. The written blogs for those over 50, the Audios for those between 30 and 50 and the Tik-Tok Vlogs for those under 30. Sometimes, the future is just not worth looking into.          

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