Coming to think of it, I feel people badly deserve strong doses of drugs that would induce them to think. The human mind is something that would go rusted and rotten if left unused for relatively long periods of time.
Blogs were discovered when inventors researched and found out that the creativity in the human brain would dry out completely and stereotype would become the world’s (inter)national anthem if there was not a medium of expression that was free of any inhibition. Web logs came to be man’s perfect means of speaking his mind. I could call people names, post porn, call for freedom, admonish the President, advocate homosexuality, condemn terrorism, preach free-trade, promote piracy . . . well, the choice is just endless, virtually.
So, why don’t people shoot it straight? Why the mask when the person himself is invisible? Why would someone want to fall in line with a stereotype so desperately, be absurdly ingratiating and make heroes out of molehills so timidly?
Some posts and their meek comments are plain ridiculous. Yes, this is a free world and you are free to do whatever you want to do. But then, why not do something that you really want to do? Whom are you trying to please? If you can’t talk straight virtually, what could be expected of you in reality?
Whatever you are, be just that. You don’t have to change the world – you can at least speak your mind. You will not be gunned down for stating your view; but there is no point walking around in your body if you are already dead.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Why do blogs lack sting and bloggers, spine?
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2 comments:
I agree with you but don't you think blogs kind of limit creativity and foster stereotypes in a way? Everyone says the same thing anyway because people who are different and don't conform are extremely rare. I don't like being creative in my blog- i like to write rubbish cause when i come home from a day of thinking that's all i feel like thinking about! I don't see the point in preaching your mind and being all radical if it's never going to make a difference. How many blogs do you come across that completely change your outlook on things? None. I'm a journalist in training and this is how i'm going to do my bit for human rights - i'm not going to keep a blog preaching because no one would read it and that's not what i write it for. If i wanted to preach i wouldn't stay anonymous - i would start a regular column or write letters to influential people - a blog isn't going to get the issue i feel strongly about on the agenda. I write my blog for my friends and my family to read because i'm away from home. Another thing is once you've written in a blog - alot of your views are there for a while, if not forever, most of the time they become cached. You may have certain views today that you will regret in a few years time. I take the example of an Australian politician, Gary Anderton - who's up and coming political career was tarnished when a newspaper found his old blog where he made extremely racist comments about Indigenous people. Some people don't want to speak their mind because they speak it everyday and don't feel the need to. Others want to speak their mind and that's fine. There are thousands of blogs made each day and each have their own agenda which doesn't have to necessarially mirror your own!
That was a fun topic, we should hae a debate! i love debates!
-Amy
Hi Amy,
"I don't like being creative in my blog- i like to write rubbish cause when i come home from a day of thinking that's all i feel like thinking about!"
My point was not about your being creative or whatever. Write rubbish - yes. But let it be your own. Afterall, writing your own rubbish could also be termed creativity. But when you copy someone or write something for the sake of conformity, don't you think that would say something about your attitide?
"I don't see the point in preaching your mind and being all radical if it's never going to make a difference"
Preaching was not the word that I had in my mind. I never preach; I just state.
Further, why refrain from doing something that you feel like doing, even if that would make no difference at all? There's no point in pondering over the results of one's actions and doing nothing. The most impossible task may just become possible when circumstances favour your efforts. And what you think is impossible, may not be impossible at all! Would you want to let something go merely because you *feel* it would make no difference?
"How many blogs do you come across that completely change your outlook on things? None."
How could you be so sure of that? What, if I say, your outlook on possibility or impossibility changes, however minutely, as a result of our discussions? Leave alone this one, there could be so many oter blogs that you havent chanced upon - and one day, you could just find a transformation - either for the better or for the worse, upon stumbling upon a blog!
Ideas are sparks - no one knows what would be ignited and set ablaze, and when!
"i'm not going to keep a blog preaching because no one would read it and that's not what i write it for."
You don't have to preach - you just have to state your mind. And what you write for is entirely your own prerogative.
"i would start a regular column or write letters to influential people - a blog isn't going to get the issue i feel strongly about on the agenda."
Ragular columns may be skipped, letters to influential people may be trashed and never be read, and blogs may just make a difference. One would never know.
"Gary Anderton - who's up and coming political career was tarnished when a newspaper found his old blog where he made extremely racist comments about Indigenous people."
Poor Gary. But then, fear of consequences acting against one's conviction is not a healthy symptom. I would stand by what I say in this blog when Im held accountable for what I said, down the years. Having said that, it's my responsibility to say things responsibly. Speaking one's mind is not about yelling out or calling names. The norms of the society apply to the virtual space as well. Would you not put forth your views in a civilised manner when speaking in a forum? Or, would you go with the popular perception merely because you happen to stand apart from the rest of the crowd? The choice is entirely yours; common sense and conviction are the judges here.
"Some people don't want to speak their mind because they speak it everyday and don't feel the need to."
Do you mean to say that virtual hypocrites are actually noble souls in the real world? Logic would dictate otherwise.
"There are thousands of blogs made each day and each have their own agenda which doesn't have to necessarially mirror your own!"
I agree.
As you said, you write for your friends and family. And someone may write for one's love. And some may write sheer rubbish merely because they want to.
Blogging is special precisely because of this: This is a powerful tool. It's as good as a personal diary made public.
But it becomes abhominable when one starts lying to one's own personal diary. And I find it despicable when people state things for the sake of stating them or state stuff that would guarantee acceptance, being in line with the popular stance.
My point was *not* for everyone to to say what I wanted to hear - it was about everyone saying what *they* wanted to say!
Perhaps, I might not have responded to a comment that said, "Great one krish, keep going". Is what you say in line with my thinking?
And this is what I expect from people: Just be yourself. To borrow a quote: "You are not as important to anyone as you think you are". And I find that true. So, whom are we trying to please?
And I liked the way you spoke your mind, Amy! :-)
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