ON BLOGS AND FLOWER VASES
You have to have thick skin to do a blog. Almost anything you say will be interpreted as hurtful by somebody somewhere. Throw in the times when I actually am insensitive, and it is a recipe for misunderstandings.
I am really trying to push the envelope when I write, and human language is so ambiguous that without voice tone and body language it is sometimes impossible for us not to project intent upon one another.
I’m still learning the art of blogging. I can’t count how many times I have tried to make a point using an example, only to have that example heard in ways I never would have expected; meanwhile, the one thing missing from the conversation is the point I was trying to make.
Sometimes that misunderstanding occurs because I have misspoken, other times it feels as if I tried to give someone a vase of flowers, and they took out the flowers, broke the vase, cut themselves with the shards, and then asked why I attacked them.
Much to learn.
And then there are the trolls… Many of the bloggers I follow try to answer their posts in good faith but trolls have an agenda. They want to disrupt. They are looking for a good time (defined by their agenda) and hope to find that good time by being argumentative, disgusting, dishonest, or insulting. I usually just ignore their posts. Jim, your posts are thoughtful, honest, and fair. I enjoy your philosophical approach. But you will eventually get some really crazy trolls and eventually you will have to monitor and approve what gets posted. That is sad because it will make you feel like a censor but sometimes it is necessary to keep the conversation going on its original trajectory. I will continue to read and enjoy your blog and skip over any trolls.
Jim,
I’m always amazed by the vividness of your analogies. Thanks. 4/12/14, 07:52 CDT
Thank you Bob.