My OperaBlogger Censorship
Thursday, April 21, 2005 6:49:54 PM
Hey everyone! Today's post is for YOU, and hopefully you will help me out here!
Recently I commented that I write my blog entries with more concern about being honest, raw, and shameless than writing my entries to impress anyone else or for getting attention or for presentation. I have that same philosophy in my personal and public life that just seems to be naturally-inclined to be transparent and vulnerable; not packaged or presented in any way other than as who I am. Most people in my life would agree that they don't feel like they have to "get to know me;" they feel my vulnerability and honesty immediately and a closeness is encouraged very quickly. No surprises or facets or personas. Just me.
That being said, I am extremely mindful and considerate and perfectly appropriate for all social occasions. (Friends who know me, back me up here, please) You really can take me anywhere and I can be adaptable.
Well... THAT being said, recently I offended a fellow blogger by posting to his blog something he deemed inappropriate. I have a fairly close, extremely playful, and genuinely enthusiastic rapport with him, having contact nearly on a daily basis. My post was intended as playful, silly, and raunchy, but certainly NOT as offensive and inappropriate. My post was deleted with no indication as to why, nor was I informed in any way.
Today I asked about the situation and discovered the apparent offensiveness as interpreted from my rather innocent post. To make matters worse, the offense wasn't actually against the blogger, but against the imagined responses from his readers. He explained he was concerned about "grandmothers" and "moms" reading my words about the perils of living with straight girls and the inevitable funk of Scooter. New York Subway/Bus riders and my readers and friends will know that is... LOL!
Now, this entry ISN'T to dispute my fellow blogger's reaction or stance against my post. We talked and I totally, TOTALLY understand. I learned something new about my pal, today.
Instead, this post is a kind of survey. I think I may have been naive and clueless as to the motivations of others for a personal blog. Please use the COMMENTS link to answer these questions about which I am extremely curious now:
If you have a personal blog (not a commercial or specialized blog), do you blog for your audience or for yourself? Or for what other reason?
Do you censor your blog, knowing that there are certain people or kinds of people who read it?
Do you delete comments that do not absolutely praise and support you and your blog (other than spam)?
Do you believe that being published online for the world to see, along with activating interactive tools for all to use, is automatically an invitation for differing opinions and expressions? If not, do you believe that blog should indicate its restrictions and warn of censorship?
That's all. I'm very curious now!
And fellow blogger pal whom I offended: it won't happen again.
Thanks everyone!
Troy
Recently I commented that I write my blog entries with more concern about being honest, raw, and shameless than writing my entries to impress anyone else or for getting attention or for presentation. I have that same philosophy in my personal and public life that just seems to be naturally-inclined to be transparent and vulnerable; not packaged or presented in any way other than as who I am. Most people in my life would agree that they don't feel like they have to "get to know me;" they feel my vulnerability and honesty immediately and a closeness is encouraged very quickly. No surprises or facets or personas. Just me.
That being said, I am extremely mindful and considerate and perfectly appropriate for all social occasions. (Friends who know me, back me up here, please) You really can take me anywhere and I can be adaptable.
Well... THAT being said, recently I offended a fellow blogger by posting to his blog something he deemed inappropriate. I have a fairly close, extremely playful, and genuinely enthusiastic rapport with him, having contact nearly on a daily basis. My post was intended as playful, silly, and raunchy, but certainly NOT as offensive and inappropriate. My post was deleted with no indication as to why, nor was I informed in any way.
Today I asked about the situation and discovered the apparent offensiveness as interpreted from my rather innocent post. To make matters worse, the offense wasn't actually against the blogger, but against the imagined responses from his readers. He explained he was concerned about "grandmothers" and "moms" reading my words about the perils of living with straight girls and the inevitable funk of Scooter. New York Subway/Bus riders and my readers and friends will know that is... LOL!
Now, this entry ISN'T to dispute my fellow blogger's reaction or stance against my post. We talked and I totally, TOTALLY understand. I learned something new about my pal, today.
Instead, this post is a kind of survey. I think I may have been naive and clueless as to the motivations of others for a personal blog. Please use the COMMENTS link to answer these questions about which I am extremely curious now:
If you have a personal blog (not a commercial or specialized blog), do you blog for your audience or for yourself? Or for what other reason?
Do you censor your blog, knowing that there are certain people or kinds of people who read it?
Do you delete comments that do not absolutely praise and support you and your blog (other than spam)?
Do you believe that being published online for the world to see, along with activating interactive tools for all to use, is automatically an invitation for differing opinions and expressions? If not, do you believe that blog should indicate its restrictions and warn of censorship?
That's all. I'm very curious now!
And fellow blogger pal whom I offended: it won't happen again.
Thanks everyone!
Troy
