Rules for Blogging? NEXT TOPIC!rules blog*
Wild West, Digital Style
vaporwarewords
Thar’s Gold in Them Thar Blogs! (Or, Make Money Online Writing Blogs While You Sleep!)
Writers deserve to be paid.Rules?thinkNot all bloggers deserve to be read, let alone paid.
Everyone Wants to Play Sheriff
Backlash was inevitable.worka typo in the letter of the law that thwarts the spirit of the law or makes a mockery of itSo what is the spirit of the law, in this case?ensuing arguments and blathering on about censorshipModerators gotta sleep, sometime…Respect your moderators.smart ass writerbutThis is why I run my own siteanother set of capricious and arbitrary rules
It’s about time we got a Holly rant… and now I’m going to comment on it with my own mini rants. lol
You asked “Do we really need a guide to “netiquette” or “political correctness” when such things all spring from simple consideration and respect for our fellow travelers on earth?” My response is “obviously we do.” Since we’ve agreed in other realms that there’s no such thing as common sense anymore, and since I stick with my premise that parents aren’t parenting anymore (which probably wouldn’t matter since their parents didn’t teach them any better either…), someone needs to smack sense into people to realize that they can’t just say anything without the possibility of repercussions if someone else doesn’t like it. Free speech is only free speech if you’re strong enough to handle the crowd at a moment’s notice that doesn’t like what you’ve said or how you’ve said it.
Later you said “How to write? How to blog? It’s not hard…” once again, obviously it is for the majority of people. I’ve often said that people who gripe about how much it costs to pay someone to write great content for them forgot how much they hated writing papers in high school or college. Then millennials came around during a period where teachers were told to grade based on if they believe students have an understanding of the material than grammar… which prompted the almost total extinction of anyone knowing how to use semicolons, how to spell or use spell check, and that phrases like “these ones” makes them look stupid… yeah, I said it!
As for your points on moderation… in a way I actually agree with you. I have a ban on my blogs that people need to use a real name instead of a business name when they leave a comment. That’s because 99.997% of comments that come with a business name are actually spam instead of a real comment. I also disallow putting subdomains in their domain name unless the subdomain is the blog; that’s what CommentLuv is for; anything else makes the commenter look disingenuous… no one needs that unless they’re totally craving comments… I’m beyond that after all these years.
I think that’s enough to prove I actually read the article… which I hope others do as well. 😉
I thought I said ANOTHER guide, meaning, “couldn’t we standardize and keep the rules simple and essential” more like the Golden Rule and less like a law library?
As for the writing, I’ve always said that not everyone HAS to be a writer. I can’t build a house or do brain surgery.
Those who hate to write should stop torturing themselves. Basic reading comprehension and the ability to communicate clearly in writing are important and necessary skills, but do not demand that you write a book or a blog.
Googling “how to write” or “how to blog” is avoidance of doing either of those things.
It’s about time we got a Holly rant… and now I’m going to comment on it with my own mini rants. lol
You asked “Do we really need a guide to “netiquette” or “political correctness” when such things all spring from simple consideration and respect for our fellow travelers on earth?” My response is “obviously we do.” Since we’ve agreed in other realms that there’s no such thing as common sense anymore, and since I stick with my premise that parents aren’t parenting anymore (which probably wouldn’t matter since their parents didn’t teach them any better either…), someone needs to smack sense into people to realize that they can’t just say anything without the possibility of repercussions if someone else doesn’t like it. Free speech is only free speech if you’re strong enough to handle the crowd at a moment’s notice that doesn’t like what you’ve said or how you’ve said it.
Later you said “How to write? How to blog? It’s not hard…” once again, obviously it is for the majority of people. I’ve often said that people who gripe about how much it costs to pay someone to write great content for them forgot how much they hated writing papers in high school or college. Then millennials came around during a period where teachers were told to grade based on if they believe students have an understanding of the material than grammar… which prompted the almost total extinction of anyone knowing how to use semicolons, how to spell or use spell check, and that phrases like “these ones” makes them look stupid… yeah, I said it!
As for your points on moderation… in a way I actually agree with you. I have a ban on my blogs that people need to use a real name instead of a business name when they leave a comment. That’s because 99.997% of comments that come with a business name are actually spam instead of a real comment. I also disallow putting subdomains in their domain name unless the subdomain is the blog; that’s what CommentLuv is for; anything else makes the commenter look disingenuous… no one needs that unless they’re totally craving comments… I’m beyond that after all these years.
I think that’s enough to prove I actually read the article… which I hope others do as well. 😉
I thought I said ANOTHER guide, meaning, “couldn’t we standardize and keep the rules simple and essential” more like the Golden Rule and less like a law library?
As for the writing, I’ve always said that not everyone HAS to be a writer. I can’t build a house or do brain surgery.
Those who hate to write should stop torturing themselves. Basic reading comprehension and the ability to communicate clearly in writing are important and necessary skills, but do not demand that you write a book or a blog.
Googling “how to write” or “how to blog” is avoidance of doing either of those things.
Holly!
Your Utopia is showing and it is a lovely place. The Internet, far from being a democratized landscape, populated with reasonable citizens, is more like a trainload of fiefdoms, jostling pell-mell down a track to who knows where.
Netiquette has always been an ideal, preached from the pulpits…to the choir. We are nice to another, but that doesn’t stop trolls from sticking their hands out from under the bridges to trip us.
As an entity, the Internet remains one of the most fascinating conduits for human experiences, both old and new, since Gutenberg. As with paper, digital media can be used to inform, entertain and exploit.
Cheers,
Mitch
You’re right, but wouldn’t one set of simple rules be easier to enforce? I’m not really advocating for a free for all, just…
It’s like style guides for writers. Why not settle on one, generally speaking? If that one doesn’t cover an issue, add a supplement, but don’t start over.
And it’s the very “preachiness” of “netiquette” that can be its downfall. The minute people can mock a “rule,” they all start to crumble. Like I said, God could have made do with “Be GOOD to each other.” The Golden Rule works well unless you’re a masochist. Trolls will ALWAYS be there. I’m just saying that we could simply that definition, too. Not everyone who challenges your thinking or fails to agree with you is a “troll.”
Not everyone trying to promote their work or products on the Internet is a snake-oil salesman. We have grown ridiculously controlling (I think, to the point of aiding in the destruction of what makes the Web the Web, e.g. linking to good content, not recreating it) in response to the trash and noise.
Ah, I kind of missed one of your themes, which you clarify in the final paragraph of your comment, above.
Do you remember the Ryze web community? It attempted to address self-promotion by allowing members to create specific forums for that purpose. That seemed to work well…for the community, but not so much for self-promoters, who found themselves awash in a sea of badly formatted classifieds. LOL “Trash and noise”, after all.
Personally, I just think promotion and content do not mix. If I am reading War and Peace, I do not want a contextual ad for a game of Axis and Allies.
Same thing with commercials on cable. What a farce! We PAID for ad-free television. What happened, there? (I’m not talking about self-promotion, in this case, which would be fine. I mean those horrible interruptions during riveting shows.)
As for trolls, I also agree that differences of opinion is not a criterion for membership. But we know trolls when we see them, and their presence makes the web poorer.
Cheers,
Mitch
Still, there’s a big difference between the noise and crap and someone sharing an illustration in an appropriate context in a forum, where they’ve watermarked it with their social media hands or url.
I agree. See, on the one hand, there exist web customs that users accept by default. One of these is the so-called handle. Everyone seeks to be unique in the company of others and, it is no different when the social setting is digital in nature. Handles “mark” us. We know when Holly or Anklebuster is in the house. 🙂
On the other hand, this very property makes handles irresistible to marketers. These folks subvert the spirit of the custom. Whether the handle is invoked in a forum signature, a user account name or embedded in the body of content, inappropriate use sparks annoyance at best and controversy at worst.
Cheers,
Mitch
Yes, but the issue here was a watermark, NOT EVEN A HYPERLINK. 😆
If the moderators who took umbrage at the “handle” don’t see the irony of accepting the copyright sign in lieu of the handle sign, that proves your point about the arbitrariness of it all.
Exactly.
And do you find my hands picked Amazon links, in this post, annoying?
Nope. Didn’t notice them. 🙂
Well now how am I supposed to keep my affiliate status over there?
“Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam… Spammity Spam! Wonderful Spam!”
Or not. LOL
Cheers,
Mitch
Holly!
Your Utopia is showing and it is a lovely place. The Internet, far from being a democratized landscape, populated with reasonable citizens, is more like a trainload of fiefdoms, jostling pell-mell down a track to who knows where.
Netiquette has always been an ideal, preached from the pulpits…to the choir. We are nice to another, but that doesn’t stop trolls from sticking their hands out from under the bridges to trip us.
As an entity, the Internet remains one of the most fascinating conduits for human experiences, both old and new, since Gutenberg. As with paper, digital media can be used to inform, entertain and exploit.
Cheers,
Mitch
You’re right, but wouldn’t one set of simple rules be easier to enforce? I’m not really advocating for a free for all, just…
It’s like style guides for writers. Why not settle on one, generally speaking? If that one doesn’t cover an issue, add a supplement, but don’t start over.
And it’s the very “preachiness” of “netiquette” that can be its downfall. The minute people can mock a “rule,” they all start to crumble. Like I said, God could have made do with “Be GOOD to each other.” The Golden Rule works well unless you’re a masochist. Trolls will ALWAYS be there. I’m just saying that we could simply that definition, too. Not everyone who challenges your thinking or fails to agree with you is a “troll.”
Not everyone trying to promote their work or products on the Internet is a snake-oil salesman. We have grown ridiculously controlling (I think, to the point of aiding in the destruction of what makes the Web the Web, e.g. linking to good content, not recreating it) in response to the trash and noise.
Ah, I kind of missed one of your themes, which you clarify in the final paragraph of your comment, above.
Do you remember the Ryze web community? It attempted to address self-promotion by allowing members to create specific forums for that purpose. That seemed to work well…for the community, but not so much for self-promoters, who found themselves awash in a sea of badly formatted classifieds. LOL “Trash and noise”, after all.
Personally, I just think promotion and content do not mix. If I am reading War and Peace, I do not want a contextual ad for a game of Axis and Allies.
Same thing with commercials on cable. What a farce! We PAID for ad-free television. What happened, there? (I’m not talking about self-promotion, in this case, which would be fine. I mean those horrible interruptions during riveting shows.)
As for trolls, I also agree that differences of opinion is not a criterion for membership. But we know trolls when we see them, and their presence makes the web poorer.
Cheers,
Mitch
Still, there’s a big difference between the noise and crap and someone sharing an illustration in an appropriate context in a forum, where they’ve watermarked it with their social media hands or url.
I agree. See, on the one hand, there exist web customs that users accept by default. One of these is the so-called handle. Everyone seeks to be unique in the company of others and, it is no different when the social setting is digital in nature. Handles “mark” us. We know when Holly or Anklebuster is in the house. 🙂
On the other hand, this very property makes handles irresistible to marketers. These folks subvert the spirit of the custom. Whether the handle is invoked in a forum signature, a user account name or embedded in the body of content, inappropriate use sparks annoyance at best and controversy at worst.
Cheers,
Mitch
Yes, but the issue here was a watermark, NOT EVEN A HYPERLINK. 😆
If the moderators who took umbrage at the “handle” don’t see the irony of accepting the copyright sign in lieu of the handle sign, that proves your point about the arbitrariness of it all.
Exactly.
And do you find my hands picked Amazon links, in this post, annoying?
Nope. Didn’t notice them. 🙂
Well now how am I supposed to keep my affiliate status over there?
“Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam… Spammity Spam! Wonderful Spam!”
Or not. LOL
Cheers,
Mitch
Preach, sister! When I was teaching Creative Writing, I told my students there was one rule, and one rule only, that they MUST inevitably follow: Do whatever works.
And, yes, be nice to each other. Unless we’re writing political satire. Then the gloves are off.
Yes! You get what I was trying to say. Too many arbitrary rules are antithetical to creativity and originality. I’m all for rules to keep people reasonably safe, and simple guidelines (like etiquette) so they understand cultural norms and don’t jam a foot down their own throat. But experimentation, mistakes, and the freedom to try things and share things – we NEED that.
Preach, sister! When I was teaching Creative Writing, I told my students there was one rule, and one rule only, that they MUST inevitably follow: Do whatever works.
And, yes, be nice to each other. Unless we’re writing political satire. Then the gloves are off.
Yes! You get what I was trying to say. Too many arbitrary rules are antithetical to creativity and originality. I’m all for rules to keep people reasonably safe, and simple guidelines (like etiquette) so they understand cultural norms and don’t jam a foot down their own throat. But experimentation, mistakes, and the freedom to try things and share things – we NEED that.