Anyone who’s read this blog long enough knows that I don’t like flame wars or blogging negatively about other bloggers.

First of all, there’s enough going in the world and ideas running around in my head to keep me blogging for years without even mentioning another blogger. Unless I have something nice or encouraging to say about a fellow blogger or a great post to link to, I don’t name and link to them on LBC. It’s a practice that’s worked for me.

Second, I don’t like sending traffic to bloggers who blog negatively about me. I imagine no other blogger does, either. (Human trait, and all that.) I see no sense in elevating bloggers, particularly those with few readers/commenters and desperate to have them, by linking. I prefer not to read bloggers who constantly harp about what other bloggers are doing, positive or negative. I guess it has to do with my personality. I like being busy enough to have little time to complain and poke my nose in another blogger’s business.

Most of my harshest liberal critics have retreated for whatever reason, but I now find I’m the target of fellow conservatives. Some conservative bloggers seem to be running out of relevant material and are now focusing on me and what I’m up to, just like disgruntled liberals.

I would’ve expected better of them. Oh, well. For what I believe are vain and empty reasons, conservative bloggers who are not part of the new Open Source Media group are writing all sorts of negative things about it. On launch day, I figured it must have been a very slow news day because non-OSM bloggers were sending e-mail and jockeying for links.

I’m certain Glenn Reynolds was buried in requests for links to posts that maligned not only himself, but the same group he’d joined. (I’m so glad he hasn’t been linking to them.) Ironic, isn’t it? Some people are shameless and lack much-needed tact, common sense, and interesting things to blog about.

As part of my usual practice, I won’t do what naysayers desperately want me to do: link to them. Instead, I’ll just feel pity for them. Sadly, it’s usually low-traffic bloggers who blog negatively about other bloggers, but there are exceptions, of course. There are much better ways to build readership, people.

But if you want to focus time and energy on me and members of OSM, you’re free to do so. But I truly wish OSM bloggers wouldn’t dignify naysayers by giving you a much bigger stage than you have on your own.

Although we each have the freedom to express ourselves and criticize fellow bloggers, I prefer to create something unique of my own. The online world is a remarkable place, and I find blog envy (and the bloggers who have it) boring and unproductive. When mainstream media show it toward bloggers, it’s funny. When bloggers show it toward each other, it’s pitiful.

Update: Michelle Malkin’s detractors are attacking her husband. I suspect they’re mostly intimidated, envious, jealous, spineless, ineffectual, and effete men.

Captain Ed comes to her defense and warns his commenters.

Update II (11/21): Michelle Malkin talked about her new books and envious haters on Pundit Review last night.