The internet is a wide, dangerous place. It is filled with nameless, faceless people who want to attack and who want to criticize anyone who doesn’t share their own viewpoint. Because of this reason, I tend to stay away from long, day-to-day blogging. Now don’t get me wrong, I tend to publish some writings on Facebook or Myspace (when it was still used), but I tend to stray away from posting every thought of my own for everyone else to see. The few times I do, my writing is relatively conversational, but I still keep certain things in mind. I cannot spell “you” as just “u” and I cannot stand misspellings. I feel like the internet is making society lazy with grammar. Yes, it helps spread our ideas, news, and thoughts to one another, but sometimes it just makes us sound ridiculous. Improper spellings just destroy a person’s credibility, in my mind, so to keep mine, I usually try not to post anything too long that would provoke arguments or make me seem like I want my life to be on display, like some sort of show dog.
To answer your question, yes, I do blog, but I usually only post up my writings that are streams of thought rather than monotonous, every day activities that no one really cares about. Even though I have social networking accounts, I try not to use them to display everything that is occurring in my life.
You seem far more cautious than most when it comes to writing in the digital realm, Jen. The tendency towards criticism and personal attacks can certainly be off-putting.
ReplyDeleteNetspeak and alternate spellings don't bother me all that much, but they absolutely can present an issue of credibility, depending on the context and the audience.