Monday, April 5, 2010
Today's Lesson brought to you by "The Internet"
Someone blogged about my blog recently. It's a strange phenomenon, really. I mean, I read other people's blogs and comment and such, but being on the other end of that...being read by, commented on and, now, blogged about by someone I've never met...someone who only knows me via a comment I placed on someone else's blog and/or by reading one or two random posts on my own blog is just...well...I don't know how to explain the feeling. On one hand, its kinda neat. I mean, were it not for the internet, and probably google, none of this would be possible. I've even made a few friends via the Internet and the "blogosphere". It's also nice to know that when I hit "publish post", I'm not always sending my random (at times incoherent, silly, and -as it would turn out- mildly offensive) thoughts out into the abyss... sometimes, somewhere, someone reads them. I would hope most times said readers are more amused than offended. I truly do. On the other hand, its sorta like being spied on...by people who live in another state...and have no reason to spy other than pure curiosity...on a person who installed a large plate glass window in the front of their house and didn't put up curtains. Did you get that illustration? I'm the plate glass window person. That's sorta what a blog, or facebook, or twitter is, really...its like opening a window into your life. Most people will zoom by and catch a glimpse, some will come up to the window and stay a while, others will ask to come inside. All of them will form opinions. Some, the ones who stay awhile, maybe better informed, while others may happen to pass by on a day that isn't really typical. Regardless, opinions will be formed. So, kids, I guess the moral of this story, whatever you post, blog or tweet...be real, be you, and be prepared to be misunderstood...or exposed, as the case may be.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This has happened to me several times and it's both surprising and disconcerting, so I understand your chagrin. Something you may not know from driving by my blog, though, is that I'm in school studying this. That is, the connections we make on the Internet and how they're changing our lives. The sociology of the Web, as it were. I think this is something we haven't gotten a handle on yet, though, and it surprises us when something we throw out there is seen by many people, including people we don't know.
ReplyDeleteI'm of the opinion that it's a good thing and that it's creating bonds between people, even if they're sometimes tenuous. As a blogger, I've learned (sometimes the hard way) to own what I say and be able to defend it, if necessary. It seems like you already know this, which is great. But my advice, not that you asked, I know, is to learn to embrace the strangers who come to your blog and know that most connections are good ones. And, not to pretend to understand you based on, as you say, just a few random posts on your blog, I'm going to bet that when you left that link on PW, you probably hoped people would come and look, right? So I'm going to vote on the "it's kinda neat" side of the fence and hope you will too.