The Danger of Blogging

The Dangers of Blogging

I don't use my blog as a space to rant about things I can't handle in real life, or to attack, retaliate or hit out at someone I know personally with whom I can't do so in person. I believe if you can't face up to reality, don't create an alternate reality just so you can be boss in your little corner of cyberspace.
What prompted me to write this now? Simply, I witnessed a couple of people who used their blogs as an extension to an argument they had otherwise relinquished in real life. In reality, they said they had spoken their piece and was done with it. In the blogosphere, it seems they aren't actually done with it yet. Too often people use blogs to make themselves out to be the victims in an argument. Last month, there was a similar incident where, again, the person went on her blog and ranted about how she had been wronged. Like I said, if you can't face up to reality, don't use an alternate one to validate youself. It's dangerous to live in an unreal environment and think that the response you get in that space is somehow valid. Your readers and commentors don't know you personally; the only side of you they see is what they read on your blog. Some commentors can be dangerous too. "Oh, don't worry, I've never met you but you feel like an old friend to me, and I know you're not that kind of person." I think ignorant comments like this do not help the delusioned blogger. If you've never met the person, then you've never met that person. Don't think that you know them just by their online persona, because nine out of ten times, people's online personae are the complete opposite of who they really are. It's also dangerous because things become one-sided and no one really knows the truth except to rely on the blogger's version of it. And what's worse is when some bloggers decide to name the people they're ranting against. Then you're involving a person's reputation and if your story is half-true or fictitious (as most of these rants are anyway), you could be held accountable for defamation. My rule in blogging is simple. If I can't handle it in real life, then I don't blog about it. What's the point? What good would it really do? Isn't it akin to talking to myself? If I have a problem with someone, I duke it out person to person, face to face. I admit, I've tried out a bitching space before, but I got tired of it because my problems didn't really go away, and nothing felt like it had any closure. And then there are those who confuse being outspoken with being rude and obnoxious. Hell no, they're not one and the same. Bitching is not being outspoken. It's just angry, pointless and unconstructive ranting. Unless, of course, it's not personal and/or to parody an issue or something