03 January 2011

Rules



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I like rules.

Rules give me a level of confidence in the task I am working on. I know that if I follow the rules, whatever I do will be right, and I'm all about doing things right. Doing things wrong? *shudders* Oh the horrors! Seriously. Bad!

I get overwhelmed when there are no rules.

Last night I was working on some editing stuff for Band Back Together. I came across a couple of posts with embedded links. Now, this is pretty common on individual blogs, but I just wasn't sure if they were appropriate for the group blog format.

I looked at the posts. I read the posts. I clicked on the links. I spent 10 minutes trying to figure out if they should be left in or not. I closed the posts. I opened the posts. I read them again. I clicked on the links again. I closed the posts. I became overwhelmed with the lack of a rule and in desperation I IM'd Aunt Becky.

I got a "hahahahahahahahahaha"!

She laughed at me! Which is actually a good thing because then I realized that I should be laughing at myself!

And then she typed the four words I hate to see or hear ... ever ...

USE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT

Ummm ... hello?? Remember me?? Just last week I used my best judgment on twitter and RT'd someone I had recently unfollowed and @'d someone who apparently had blocked me, causing them such emotional distress, rumor has it they had to quit twitter. Thank goodness for a twitter friend who explained my actions might look goofy to normal people. OK - he didn't say "goofy" and he didn't say "normal", but still ...

That is where my best judgment gets me.

Give me rules damn it, and don't change them along the way. If it's a rule then it is a rule and breaking the rule is a bad thing and must be corrected.

Black and white thinking much?

That damn gray area is like a black hole for me.

I didn't edit either of those two posts.

And I'm trying to find a twitter wiki.

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13 comments:

Schmoop said...

Always think in these terms as it was said to me years ago when I asked about what I was "supposed" to do or not do....

"Matt...this a football. Your object is to get it across the opponents goal line. How you do that is up to you."

I dig that. Cheers Dana!!

Karen said...

So in other worlds, you don't live by the "rules are made to be broken" rule.

I like rules too. Lack of rules doesn't make me nervous, but it makes me lazy. If I don't have a deadline, I tend to slack.

Jay said...

There aren't really any rules for Twitter or any other social media. Just ... IDK ... obvious common sense things. LOL ;-)~

Deech said...

I am like that...Black and White. Either it is or it isn't. The one thing I have learned though is that in communications (aka Twitter, Facebook) there are two sides to that communication. The other side has to be willing to communicate back when there is a discrepancy...that is,if the friendship is valued. So, you may feel that you did wrong but if your intentions were not questioned by the other party directly, then I say, you did not do anything wrong....bottom line. I don't think you did anything to maliciously hurt anyone. If the other party can not understand this, then I feel it should not be your problem.

Just sayin....

Knight said...

It's so much cooler to be a rule breaker. I still can't believe how seriously people take twitter and blogging. There are not actual rules. There are only ways you are required to behave if you want to be likable in most eyes. Who wants to be that boring?

Dana said...

Matt-Man, my brain is overwhelmed with "How you do it is up to you" I need, "First you'll call a play, then you'll line up ..." This whole "wing it" thing is REALLY difficult for me.

Karen, Ummm ... ACCCKKKK!!! I think my dependence on rules is why I've gravitated back to accounting. I can count on numbers to follow the rules.

Jay, "obvious common sense things" ... I love you too Jay *smooch*

Dana said...

Joker_SATX, I've been accused of needing to have people like me, and although that would be nice, the bigger issue is doing things right. Logically, I know there are really no hard and fast rules for social interactions (online or IRL), but damn it would sure be easier if there were!

Knight, I admire people like you - the rule breakers of the world. I get an occasional wild hair (or is that hare) up my ass and want to just let loose and throw caution to the wind ...

But instead I end up watching the real rule breakers from the sidelines :)

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

Jay said it best ...so I will not comment further

OH except HAPPY NEW YEAR MS DANA!

Mike said...

Life is gray. Who made the rules and why are you doing what they said anyway.

Actually black and white thinking is a severe form of perfectionism which will bring your life to a grinding halt. So get out of this rut and then show me how to do it.

snugs said...

"normal" is just a setting on the washing machine

Raquel's World said...

I LOVE Rules! Especially when they are written down or posted so that I can refer back to them as a reference point to prove that I am right!

Anonymous said...

I'm with you on wanting good parameters on projects. I want the freedom to do what I think I need to in order to get the job done but, I also want some firm parameters so I know when I'll cross the line.

Aunt Becky said...

Hahahahahahaha!

I like Mike. And Snugs. They're making me smile.