Let Me Start Over…Now Really…Hello World!
Now that I know that the “world” (perhaps that’s extreme, maybe a select few) are really reading my blog, I am writing this post with the humblest of hearts. I have just realized that the individuals whose Blogs I viewed during the assignment, Blogs part I, took the opportunity to view my response on my blog. As it turns out, my comments were less than flattering and reflects my insensitivity and inexperience more than it truly reflects the content and purpose of their blogs. I am afraid that I have offended those individuals whose blogs I viewed and would like to ask, no BEG for their forgiveness. I behaved as an egocentric smuck!
There are a couple of things that I have learned since then: 1) that the comments that I put on my blog truly are sent out to the world, others will read them, 2) it is hubristic to state comments such as I did without considering the feelings of others and without acknowledging my limited understanding of the blogging culture, and 3) while blogging supports spontaneity and informality, a blogger must be responsible.
Another comment that I wanted to make is that I have been getting quite a response to the story that I posted to FanFiction. Again, I have to say that I found this to be unexpected. I can’t believe that people are reading my post and actually care enough to make comments and critique my work; one person has even asked me to continue. Yikes! I kind of feel bad that I posted my story as a class assignment and that there are individuals out there giving of their time and opinions who spent time on my story. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I almost felt like this blog posting was an exercise, simulation if you will, I didn’t even imagine that I would be involving strangers in the material that I produced. I feel like my actions have been so insalubrious! Quick! Someone, quell my anxiety, I want to feel better about myself, even if it is only transitory.
There are a couple of things that I have learned since then: 1) that the comments that I put on my blog truly are sent out to the world, others will read them, 2) it is hubristic to state comments such as I did without considering the feelings of others and without acknowledging my limited understanding of the blogging culture, and 3) while blogging supports spontaneity and informality, a blogger must be responsible.
Another comment that I wanted to make is that I have been getting quite a response to the story that I posted to FanFiction. Again, I have to say that I found this to be unexpected. I can’t believe that people are reading my post and actually care enough to make comments and critique my work; one person has even asked me to continue. Yikes! I kind of feel bad that I posted my story as a class assignment and that there are individuals out there giving of their time and opinions who spent time on my story. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I almost felt like this blog posting was an exercise, simulation if you will, I didn’t even imagine that I would be involving strangers in the material that I produced. I feel like my actions have been so insalubrious! Quick! Someone, quell my anxiety, I want to feel better about myself, even if it is only transitory.
posted by Kami at
5:16 PM
2 Comments:
This is something I wrestle with every day when I write my newsletter.
I am careful about what I say - my items often go through two or three revisions or more before I send them out. I know it doesn't look like it to the reader, but the wording is important to me (the spelling less so, but that's part of the style).
I have certain things I want to cover. I have outlined this in broad strokes in my About page. More here. I think it's important to have a plan, an idea of what I want to say, to not blog randomly.
Within this range there will be things I agree with and things I don't. I have to include the things I disagree with - it's all part of the larger picture I'm painting. And this thus raises the question of how to criticize on a blog.
I have read in places that I am known for slicing and dicing something I disagree with. I have been sharp at times and deliberately so. Other times, I criticize with a gentle nudge.
In my view, the first rule has to be that you have to be true to yourself. If blogging an item fits into part of the overall plan, you can't back down from it because you'll have to be critical, and when writing the item, you can't misrepresent what you believe because of how the person will react.
The second thing to consider, in my view, is the intended effect. I have two audiences for a criticism - the person being criticized, and other readers. If I actually expect a criticism to change behaviour, I'm more likely to go for a nudge... like this. But if I don't expect a change to result (as, say, when I'm criticizing Microsoft), I tend to be a bit sharper.
Third, it's a question of how important the issue is to me. The strength of the language used is an indicator of this, and so I will moderate my tone up and down the scale accordingly.
Ultimately, though, I think the most important thing about criticizing in a public forum is being clear about why I am criticizing. I have had various exchanges with David Wiley, some sharp, and this clarity is what I think allows us to continue to exchange ideas and work together. He is able to know that when I make the remarks I do it's not merely for the sake of picking on a point, but is part of working toward a larger objective.
And this all comes back to having a plan, an overall approach, a purpose to blogging. Blog posts may be individual entities, they may be organized only with respect to date, but taken as a whole, they weave a tapestry, a comprehensive world view. If the criticism can be seen as one dimension of this, it's easier to take - it's understood to be not trivial, not personal, not taken out of context.
The Internet has steadily become an open canvas to let everyone blurt out what they are feeling and share it. Blogs have been the ultimate soapbox for anyone ready to voice out their opinion to the world, or to a selected few should they choose to. Far from apologizing, you should stand fast to your beliefs and never regret having them.
There, does that make you feel better?
I must add, by the way, that I did not feel offended by your comments and, in fact, did not even consider them negative.
Keep blogging and writing, beyond class assignments: it's cathartic, releiving, and even necessary.
I look forward to coming back often and see you greet the world.
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