Blog Etiquette

I was catching up on my blog reading today and came across RockDog's recent post on Blog and Chatroom Etiquette. It was a timely discovery for me - I had just been doing some research on blog etiquette last week after a disastrous episode with a fellow member of a Yahoo Group that I belong to.

Long story short, she and I are like oil and water and she was quite bothered by my judgement observations of her blog. So much so that she posted a portion of a private email I sent to her regarding her blog (and other observations) on her blog. The only problem was that she didn't give any history behind the email, nor did she post the entire email. Her blog post resulted in a barrage of nastiness from her readers directed at me. I didn't add a comment to her blog (although I really, REALLY wanted to) but rather just let her have her moment of validation from her cyber friends.

Now, I'm a big girl and I take responsibility for my actions. What I said was the truth (as I see it) and I didn't spew my views in a public forum, but rather in a private one (as private as email is). I don't have any regrets for any of the things I said, but the realization that private email conversations can be manipulated, then reposted in a public forum was an eye opener for me. I starting thinking I had better find out if there is general, good blog/blogger etiquette. What I found seemed to be common sense to me, but apparently common sense is not rampant in the blogger world.

For example, RockDog's #4 - Being new to the blog and pimping your site, begging for comments, or being a jerk in general. I'm thinking I wouldn't make friends in real life if I did this, so why in the hell would I do it in cyberland? Where is the common sense here? I knew nothing about blogs/blogging when I started mine a few months ago. I just thought it would be cheap therapy fun to have a place to vent and get my thoughts out of my head. I wasn't even sure I wanted anyone to read this blog, let alone make comments on it. When people started posting comments, it seemed logical that I would acknowledge those comments and visit their blogs to see what they were all about. No different than waving to one of my neighbor's as they drive by my house.

I remember when I saw my first meme and I thought, "Hmmmm ... interesting concept." But then there was this whole tagging thing. Hell, I didn't like being forced to be "it" when I was in elementary school, I sure don't want adults telling me I'm "it" now! I write what I want, when I want to, because that's what's in my head. Occasionally I'll see an interesting twist on the meme, like the "Letter to 13 year old you" that I read on a few blogs. Although I wouldn't likely participate, every one of them I read was a great read.

I understand reading blogs written by people with distinctly different views and lifestyles - it makes the world all that more interesting - but I am surprised when I hear that people will read what they find to be "offensive" and then post comments to that blog regarding how "offensive" it is. For goodness sakes, if you find a blog "offensive", don't read it! It's not rocket science, it's common sense!

I sit here shaking my head as I write this. Really people (and I do realize I am, for the most part, preaching to the choir here) it's that good old Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.