Sunday, July 15, 2007
Toxic Blogging
I was reading the editor's letter in Jane magazine which brushed against the issue of toxic blogging and concluded:
"So, I propose we get away from these hateful comments and toxic blogging and just enjoy the summer ... Come fall, everyone will be so chilled out that hopefully they'll think twice before calling someone a 'fucktard'."
Of course what makes this ironic is that Jane magazine has now folded. (But I like Flight of the Concords).
Writers are often told to be 'professional' online. Professional, in this context, seems to mean Harlequin-wants-you-for-a-sunbeam, with impeccable spelling and grammar to boot. Maybe they are right but the person I am online is more or less the person I have. I don't say negative things to amuse and draw in readers. I try, as a rule, not to say negative things about individuals but I will (as you may notice) very occasionally dis influential organisations.
I think that Jane magazine may have missed the difference between pandering to negativity and commenting on the world as it is like a real person with real opinions--the difference between negativity and honesty is intent. And okay, I feel myself drifting more towards venting than informing in recent posts and I will need to keep an eye on that....
In the mean time, if you are in the US watch Flight of the Concords they rock. Well, not literally, of course. But they certainly do cheer me up. ¶ posted at 4:53 PM by Emily Veinglory
I was reading the editor's letter in Jane magazine which brushed against the issue of toxic blogging and concluded:
"So, I propose we get away from these hateful comments and toxic blogging and just enjoy the summer ... Come fall, everyone will be so chilled out that hopefully they'll think twice before calling someone a 'fucktard'."
Of course what makes this ironic is that Jane magazine has now folded. (But I like Flight of the Concords).
Writers are often told to be 'professional' online. Professional, in this context, seems to mean Harlequin-wants-you-for-a-sunbeam, with impeccable spelling and grammar to boot. Maybe they are right but the person I am online is more or less the person I have. I don't say negative things to amuse and draw in readers. I try, as a rule, not to say negative things about individuals but I will (as you may notice) very occasionally dis influential organisations.
I think that Jane magazine may have missed the difference between pandering to negativity and commenting on the world as it is like a real person with real opinions--the difference between negativity and honesty is intent. And okay, I feel myself drifting more towards venting than informing in recent posts and I will need to keep an eye on that....
In the mean time, if you are in the US watch Flight of the Concords they rock. Well, not literally, of course. But they certainly do cheer me up. ¶ posted at 4:53 PM by Emily Veinglory
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I've been annoyed for awhile that professional is synonymous with Mary Sunshine. I think that is why reader blogs are always going to be more popular than blogs by authors because reader blogs have real opinions, positive and negative.
http://meaniesandweenies.blogspot.com/
"Learn who the meanies and weenies of the writing industry are, who to avoid and how to overcome the snubbing snobs of publishing. Enter Ms. Dunn Hadenuff's "tell it like it is" world."
I thought you might be interested in that site.
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"Learn who the meanies and weenies of the writing industry are, who to avoid and how to overcome the snubbing snobs of publishing. Enter Ms. Dunn Hadenuff's "tell it like it is" world."
I thought you might be interested in that site.
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