Rambling Rhodes

I know exactly what you mean. I used to write indescriminately about my beliefs, often citing actual people or incidents in my blog posts. It generated a lot of heat in college because once one person found out about my blog, they told everyone that got mentioned or that might have a relation to a story about my blog. I actually ended up taking down some posts, but part of me really wanted to keep them up because that's how I felt.

As it is now, I don't take anything down. I don't care if people don't like what I write because it's what I believe. It might be stupid or naive of me, but that's my stance at the moment.

See now, there are some distinct advantages to writing under a pseudonym. The best being plausible deniability, "Why no, boss, that's not my blog, look at the name of the writer. That's not me." Even though I know this would fail under even the lightest scrutiny.

But there is also the anonymity of it. I don't worry so much about pissing of my friends because very few of them know about my blog. And I also have another blog that has no name attributed to it and is really for venting whatever I want without any regard to who might read it.

But then, I don't censor myself very much on IP these days either so its all good. And its been many, many months since someone got upset with me about something I wrote.

I don't think there's a right or wrong way to blog. But it might behoove you to anonymize people you might be writing about.

I got a chuckle seeing "Johnny Huh?" and "censor" in the same sentence.

Corrct that. "Censor" and "IP" in the same sentence. But you knew what I meant...

Correct "Corrct." Oh, Christ, nevermind. Downward spiral.

Ryan, Fuck em if they can't take a joke man.

Ryan, it takes two people to make one person upset. Fine, maybe someone you know and/or respect doesn't like something you've written. But for bollockingly-god's sake, let them use the appropriate forum - the comments box, and not take the cowardly way out with a private email.

Stuff it, if someone did that to me, I'd add their email (full address and all) to the post that pissed 'em off. They'd certainly be a bit more cir . . er . . forgot the word I was going to use . . oh here it is, circumspect (?) in future.

Your blog, your thoughts. Other people may have opinions, let them start their own bloody blogs. Sheesh.

I have a test for content. I only post real life things about people that I have already said to that person. I made this decision early and it wasn't so much to protect the sensibilities of the people around me as to prevent me from losing my contrary and combative personal nature by giving me a sneaky back door stress venting venue.

Ahh nuts, I just took down a post from a couple of days ago that I woke up to the next morning and found to be embarrasing. Part of me wants to put it back up.

Don't sweat it Rhodes, the more you say, the more opportunity you'll have to piss people off. It may not be a goal as much it is a by-product.

Mike, the IP is this case isn't Intellectual Property, its Intellectual Poison, the name of my blog.

I got into blogging for similar reasons - to sharpen my writing and reasoning skills and to prompt me to dig deeper into issues. Two or three days into my blogging career I started to think about some of the people I knew who could end up reading my blog - including some who could have some influence in my day job. It was almost paralyzing.

What I soon realized, of course, is that I'm never going to have everyone agree with me, and some may strongly disagree. Except in the cases of some of the nutjobs out there, however, this isn't something to be feared. Blogging shouldn't just be a kind of back-slappers club where we read and right only for those who agree with us. Nor do I think I can overwhelm someone and change his or her mind purely through my wit and the devastating logic of my argument. What I aim for, however, is to start brushfires in people's minds that could lead them to begin to think about something in a new way.

I have heard second-hand that some people I like and respect have been a bit more than peeved by some of the things I've posted. I'm sorry they feel that way, but I don't hold them in any less regard as a result (and what they might think of me isn't really within my control anyway). These people are very useful to me, however, because I can picture them as I write - not as invisible censors but as real people with whom I want to have a conversation. This way instead of doing the easy thing and writing the first snarky comment that comes to mind, I am inspired to make my case as best I can, to anticipate their arguments and try to address these in a way that might give readers an opportunity to adjust their thinking without it being a breach of their honor. I may not often meet my own standard here, and there will be some who will reject me regardless, but that is the ideal I'm pursuing and so far it's been effective in getting me past the paralysis.

Carry on!