Society and business are beginning to understand the power of the blogger — not just in entertaining the masses but in shaping opinions, educating the public and building networks. This brave new world – a large part of what is now known as ”social media”– is one full of emerging opportunities. But it is also a world rife with plagiarism and abuse. Many of us, sadly, are seeing various companies (and even certain ahem newspaper people) use a writer’s words and energies to their advantage.

If the writer is being credited, linked to, or reimbursed for his or her time/talent there are rarely problems. But as social media grows, so does the number of opportunists willing to exploit said bloggers. NOT Cool.

Bloggers need to organize. Bloggers also need a place where they can go for guidance on tech issues, legal issues, blogging ethics and information on community outreach events. And that’s why the St. Louis Bloggers Guild was born.

The program is still in its infancy. We’ve got VERY BIG ideas and we’re adapting as we grow. Right now, we’re trying to get the word out to the rest of the bloggers in St. Louis, St. Charles County, and the metro east. So if you’re a blogger in the St. Louis area, visit the St. Louis Bloggers Guild for more information.

 I know! Two whole posts in a row NOT related to suburban homelife. Crazy!

P.S. There’s a post at Midwestern Mommy Reviews on the “L” word. (Not “love,” not “lesbians” not “lasagna” but “lice”. Parents of school-aged kids? You might want to read this review written on behalf of Mom Central.)