It's Hard to Get it Right

David has some interesting thoughts on the blogosphere that have been echoed here, to some extent, by StumpJumper.

There are things I absolutely love about having a forum for my thoughts and for open discussion. I try to keep comments here mostly above the belt; when someone comments politely in dissent, I try to treat that person with respect. My natural instincts are aggressive, though, and I'm sure at times I don't treat people in the way that I should. Still, drama here at ResurrectionSong has been kept to a pretty respectable minimum, I think.

Some of the sites that I read regularly, though, have found themselves mired in that other side of the 'sphere that I find terribly unattractive. The high school drama side of things in which "asshat" is the height of argument and where dissent is treated not as a constructive possibility for dialog, but as a declaration of open verbal warfare.

What are the problems with blogging? People can't always see the smile behind your words. People can't always see the sarcasm or the gentleness that you intended your words--and defensiveness usually breeds more defensiveness. The worst thing, though, is the lack of accountability. When typing out that comment, it's easy to hide behind digital anonymity and say things that you wouldn't dare say in polite company.

When the face behind the words is blank, and the fingers typing are two thousand miles away, it's easy to be offensive. There's no cost in it; in fact, sometimes that kind of behavior draws traffic like nothing else. And, as advertisers say, there's no such thing as bad publicity.

For those who are involved for the attention that they can get, drama means traffic and comments.

I'm not in this for the attention--at least, not directly. I'm here because I want to be enlightened, because I love the written word, because I love polite arguments, and because there is an opportunity for me to let the world know what I think. There is a self-serving aspect: I do want to know that people are interested in what I have to say.

But I want to have the traffic and the attention and the attendant conversation without finding it in drama. I don't want this to be a place where dissent is shouted down, but where differences are discussed.

I sympathize with David on this subject, and I hope he does find time to write. I would completely understand if he decided to move on, though.