Blogging Thoughts

This is going to be a two post day, with a regular post to come later. 

This morning, I wanted to make some comments about some blog posts I've read lately, but, even more so... about the comments that followed them. 

Twice, lately, I have read blog posts where a comment was made... or comments, plural... and the blogger felt compelled to defend her posts, or defend her actions.  

I admire them for defending themselves.  

On both blogs, however, there was a hailstorm of commenters who roundly criticized those who dared to criticize "their" bloggers...

The first was three weeks ago, and I was the hapless blogger who... agog at a picture I saw on the blog which I felt should never have been published .... typed a one line comment without thinking and incited a storm, literally a storm in which I was called names and told in no uncertain terms what should happen to me. 

I was aghast, both at the post and at the responses. 

I should not have made the comment... but, as I said... I typed first and thought later.  The lady had every right to put something on her blog she felt was okay, but I felt was horrible. 

Last night, I read the blog post of a lady whom I featured for a year in our right hand column on this blog.  I do not think she ever was aware we featured her... ours is not the kind of blog she reads, as she is mainly a design/decorative blog.  She is a wonderful writer, and a wonderful photographer, and has helped me several times in the past with questions I had about blogging.  She was generous with her advice to me and many others.  

Yesterday, she wrote about her disgust with those who criticize her blog and her actions on it. She feels that she has been the target of constant negative comments and she is tired of them.  

The response from some of  her readers sickened me.  They defended her by using curse words and threats against those who dared to criticize their "friend".  

It left me feeling horrible all evening. 

I sat and talked to Keith about it, because even though he does not comment a lot on the blog, he reads it daily and talks to me about it.  He is also very wise, and cuts to the chase through all kinds of stuff in the way. 

I asked him how people could become so strident and terrible. 

His explanation made me think about the comment I made 3 weeks ago... without thinking. 

He said the net has empowered us to act in ways that we would NOT do in person... we would never, ever think of saying some of the things I have seen on these two blogs recently to someone's own face. 

I am as guilty of it as those people who wrote those terrible curse words and threats, no matter how I felt about seeing the horrid picture on the lady's blog upon which I commented.  I made the comment... but, looking back... I should just have decided never, ever to open that blog again. 

A year or so ago, a good friend of mine, for, indeed, we make friends on the net, I am convinced of that... a blogging friend of mine was the recipient of numerous nasty comments.  She made her blog private, and only those to whom she issued invitations are allowed to see it.  She is the second of those I know who has done this.  I hope we may never have to do it, because we enjoy reading your comments,  and I have learned so VERY much from reading all your blogs, but boy, after reading the comments on the blog last night, I know why people no longer make their posts visible to everyone.

It has left me shaken, and made me think.  I'm going to try to always THINK before commenting... and hope that I haven't hurt people's feelings by what I have written.  

I agonized over whether to post this as I drove on an errand this morning.  
I decided to go ahead and do it, because I truly believe I am as guilty in my own way for posting without thinking, as those who made all the excoriating comments.  

Let's all just try to be nice to each other, and if you don't like/disagree with a blog... you have the power to never read it again!