By Stacie Clifford Kitts, CPA
Where to begin?
Until recently, I was happily posting little tidbits of tax stuff, mostly gleaned from the IRS’s tax tip releases and some original posts written when I could get time away from the tax practice.
Then an old friend, who is also a writer, publisher, editor, and internet-marketing expert, pointed out that I should use my blog posts to boost my internet presence and market myself online. [Frankly, I always thought people just stumbled onto blogs by accident or found you by some miracle. I really didn’t think much about it. However, that is another blog on another day.]
In addition to following some of her great tips, I also began looking for other tax blogs and quickly realized that there was a whole tax blogging community. They appeared to be a supportive group too, re-tweeting posts, linking to each other’s blog pages, writing flattering posts about each other, generally a very pleasant blogging experience.
That is, until I read a post by June Walker. Now, to be fair, June did not strike first. No, she was set off by a couple of bloggers, The Wondering Tax Pro, aka “Sammy Segar, CPA” and The Tax Lawyer’s Blog aka “Attila Attorney” to be specific. Each of these bloggers disagreed with her post, You Do Not Need a Business Checking Account.
Now, if you have ever thought that accountants were docile number crunchers, you were wrong, at least as it applies to Ms. Walker. You can check out her retaliation here.
In addition, as this saga drags on, it appears that I am soon to be the target of Ms. Walkers rants as I might have been a bit harsh in my comments to her retaliation post. I am not going to go into the whole thing here since you can click on the link and page down to my post. Mine starts “OMG -I can’t believe what I am reading. Is this how tax bloggers behave?”
Although I risk being the target of her mean spirited rants, I stand by my “chick think” statement. I believe some of her comments were snide, belittling, unprofessional, and unnecessary – In the same way a bunch of women might stand around the water cooler and gossip about the pretty girl in the office next door. . However, that’s just my opinion.
So here you go Ms. Walker, rip me apart. It certainly won’t take a genius to find flaws in my blog posts. I definitely need an editor. LOL. However, it will be interesting to see how many mistakes she was able to find in my comment posted on her blog…kind of like a Where’s Waldo exercise.
Oh…do I get a “composite figure?” How exciting. I cannot wait to find out. 🙂
Now off to take care of the important things in life, like putting my granddaughter to bed.
Oh and yes, that’s me and the grandbaby right after we finished this evenings bath.
Stacie's Tax Tips and Other Stuff 
SCK-We tax bloggers are indeed, for the most part, a supportive community. I know I have tried to welcome and support new “members” as I discover them, as have most of my colleagues.We even have a tax blogger “group” at Yahoo, although it has been dormant of late. Perhaps you may want to join at http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/taxbloggers. There is a bit of a “mutual admiration society” feeling. When I read a post that I find interesting or helpful or humorous or with which I strongly agree I try to provide a “shout out” via a “retweet” or a mention in my twice-weekly BUZZ or, on occasion, a separate post at TWTP. My colleagues do the same. However, when I read a post with which I disagree I may also write a post to provide my dissenting opinion on the issue in question, as will others in the “community”. Occasionally this leads to a series of “dueling posts”. This has occurred with the topics of IRS “red flags” and registration and licensing of tax professionals.With two notable exceptions, when tax bloggers disagree it is done with mutual respect and courtesy. We basically “agree to disagree”. The two exceptions, Ms Walker being one, have “gone postal” when a fellow tax blogger or tax professional dares to disagree with their apparently infallible proclamations, resorting to belittling the experience, expertise and opinions of those who disagree.When I read Ms Walker’s post advising a reader that “You Do Not Need A Business Checking Account” I felt that she was giving bad advice, and that the topic was important enough, so I wrote my post “You Do Need A Business Checking Account” to explain my take on the situation. I did not berate her for her opinion, or question her abilities or credentials, but simply explained why I disagreed. I quoted her accurately and ended the post by saying “June does make an excellent point” to indicate that I agreed with one of her statements.And you have seen how she responded. As a result of her inappropriate response I returned volley with my post “Why Can’t We All Just Learn to Get Along” at http://wanderingtaxpro.blogspot.com/2009/08/why-cant-we-all-just-learn-to-get-along.html.As a point of information, to a person (I do not want to be called sexist by saying “to a man”) every tax blogger and professional who responded either via comment to me or Ms Walker or via a separate post at their blog, yourself included, agreed with me that You Do Need A Business Checking Account.I hope the actions of a very few bloggers like Ms Walker do not in any way discourage your continued participation in the “tax blogoshpere”. We “civil” members welcome you to the community with open arms.TWTP
Thank you for your comments and the invitation. I will take you up on it. I also want to thank you for the great things you said over at your blog. I'll get over there to post some comments soon. As I said in my first Throw Down post, I do enjoy a lively debate. But I must object when it gets unnecessarily dirty and personal. I think your rebuttal to Ms. Walker's no checking account needed advice was the type of RESPECTFUL disagreement one likes to see. It is interesting that all the persons who agreed with her (according to her later post), didn't feel the need to do it publically.
Looks like grandson is anything buy camera shy. 🙂
Hi BillYou are right. She is going to be a star……