Monday 16 January 2012

Thought of the day

  
If you don't know what this is then I give up. I really do!

I have thoughts sometimes. I know, I bet your surprised right? Sometimes they'll form out of reading an article form somebody else on the Internet. Other times it'll be after receiving an email from a friend of mine, or having a chat on the phone. I even got inspiration for a series of articles after seeing a child play in a sand pit. I must make this abundantly clear, the child was a relative and I was babysitting... shesh. However, I rarely actually follow through on these thoughts and publish any articles based on them. Mainly because my brain has a million and one things going on in it at any given space in time and I get easily distracted. Of late though a number of continually recurring themes seem to have coalesced into something resembling cohesive thought. It seemed too good an opportunity for me to pass up, so I've developed these disparate strands into a thought of the day article.

Why do we blog? Any of us, why do we do it? Why the hell do I do it? Because at times I've asked myself this very question. Especially when my Frontline Gamer email was being filled with a torrent of abuse, and the odd death threat. Hell I'm up to 17 death threats now. Salman Rushdie eat your heart out... well... not quite. It does at times seem like an utterly thankless bloody task. I devote a lot of time to it. I actually work really hard to bring what I think is quality content to those who decide to read it. I don't get paid a wage for doing it, and very rarely do I get any thanks. But, I do as I say sometimes receive a torrent of abuse, and if any of you are wandering why I don't make my email address widely known on this blog, there's your answer! So to put myself through all that I've got to be getting something out of it right?

Well for a little while the answer was actually no. It just seemed that what I was doing was largely ignored or derided by some 'delightful' individuals. I figured it was the Internet. I'd started blogging because some friends had told me I should, and because in all honesty the level of debate and dialogue on hobby forums rarely lifts its head from out of the cesspit that lurks in the darkest reaches of most people's minds. After that initial motivation though and getting a few followers my motives began to shift. I actually wanted to get good at this blogging malarky and actually be useful, entertaining, thought provoking. Hell, possibly all three at the same time if I can. for me that's where my motivation still lies, I want to be good at this and I want my followers and readers to value this blog. So your feedback and comments are massively appreciated.

But here's the thing, blogging is fraught with pitfalls I didn't even realise existed at first. There are the obvious etiquette issues, which I've recently become aware of. But there are also clear legal considerations to be fully aware of as well. I can hold my head up high and say that hand on heart I've got a clear conscience on both scores. The final thing though is a far more tricky subject, and that's actually the prospect of offending people. Look it happens and I'm not going to say that things I've written haven't caused huge amounts of offence. I'd offer up my death threats and abuse emails as evidence that at some level I'm offensive. In my opinion though those individuals who I have offended are a bunch of insecure, whack job, inbreed ass hats. Yeah, that's meant to be offensive, but with a point, so it's allowed. Honest. That sentence I intended to cause offence, I set out to deliberately harm somebody.

That is a very different stance and position to what I normally hold while I write on my blog, and actually what the vast majority of bloggers out there write is done in the same good faith. We don't usually mean to cause offence. Obviously there are those out there who do wish to offend. Probably because it's the only way they'll get attention, and arguably because they're insecure in there own mind and opinions. But I'll make a sweeping generalisaton and pluck a fabricated figure a out of my ass and say 99.9% of us mean no harm. We're just trying to give our honest opinions, and although the way in which we do that can cause offence I'd ask that people bear in mind we didn't mean to piss you off intentionally. I would defend anyone's right to be offended, as I would defend others right to cause offense, even if I disagreed with them in doing so. Because I truly, deeply believe  with every fibre of my being that dialogue is healthy as long as we all learn from it.

So if you've been offended by anything I or any other bloggers have said, done and or displayed please understand we 9 times out of 10 didn't mean to (that figures getting less and less now isn't it?). Plus if you happen to be a poor unfortunate soul who has caused offence, don't feel too bad about it... if that wasn't your intention. It happens. I was once told by a very famous lecturer that my very existence is likely to offend somebody one day. I thought he was being a bit harsh, but having seen my face I can understand what they were saying! It's part of human society, we get on each others nerves. If you have got on somebodies nerves try to see it from the other persons perspective, and don't take it personally. Likewise if you are the offended party don't fly off of the handle just explain yourself calmly and I'd bet most people will see your point of view and rectify it. Sometimes though a clear difference of opinion exists and there can be no ground given, if this happens for the sake of your own sanity just walk away from it. Peace out!

31 comments:

  1. I think any place where you're expressing an opinion is going to stir people, regardless of how delicately you put it. People just have different opinions as you say. There's no need for the abusive emails though – if they don't like what you say they should either comment in a civilised fashion or click somewhere else.

    I have always taken the position that if my blog ever started to feel like a job, or ever became a drag, then I stop doing it. Most of the time something causes me to come back and post, but I'm doing it for me because I enjoy it and if the visitors get anything from it then great.

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    1. Agreed. Just wanted to throw it out there and make people think a little bit. I could be accused of flying off the handle sometimes. But I do honestly try to communicate why in a civil manner, although not always, and try not to add further fuel to the fire.

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  2. The blogging motivates me in my hobby, I do it for nothing else but enjoyment...my enjoyment and if others like it it's a bonus.....

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    1. Hnoestly I do write partially for my own reasons, the most obvious one that I enjoy it. But I'd be a big fat liar if I said I wasn't writing for the people who read what I write. I am, it's arguably my biggest motivator right now. So it is very important to me what others think of my blog and what they want to see. Call it phase 1 of an experiment. ;)

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  3. I know you are English, and it is a handicap we have, but please stop writing posts that are basically tantamount to apologies. This behaviour might be justified if you had done anything wrong, at any point, ever, but you haven't, 99.9% of people can see you haven't, and the 0.1% don't matter because even if they happen to be right, they are the tiny minority and are therefore irrelevant(yes, it sucks, but it's how the world works). phew, long sentence.

    Honestly, these posts make YOU sound insecure about your opinions, which you clearly are not, given the quality of your other posts.

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    1. Atreides at some level I am insecure about what I write. Genuinely. But that isn't the intention of this article. It's meant for others to read, as I say I can hand on heart hold my head up high on all accounts. this is more meant for some of my readers and some interested parties as of late I've seen a lot of misunderstandings. Genuine misunderstandings. As for those who are abusive to me, as I say they're whack jobs!!!

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    2. You've had death threats? The internet never ceases to amaze me! I have yet to read a post of yours that makes me raise a cruelly sarcastic eyebrow, let alone want to threaten you with a mallet. There truly are some odd people out there!

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    3. Pete, it's become almost an institution now to some people to send me abuse. lol. It started with my wonky Gandalf and my Imperium as Metaphor didn't help my cause any with these 'individuals'. All I can say is that it clearly takes all sorts mate, after the first 5 they've just made me chuckle. But my intention was to get others thinking about themselves rather than necessarily think about me. Some people take this hobby way too seriously.

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  4. Its insane is what it is, you write a blog about one of the nerdiest hobbies around (a good blog) yet people who probably need friends alienate you by being abusive??!!??
    Do you coment on touchy subjects, maybe but it is in a generally objectional way

    My only positive thought is natiral selection :)

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    1. Dude if there is one thing I've learned in life it's that a pissed of woman ain't half as vicious as an upset geek. lol.

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  5. I swear the Hamster wrote those death threats....

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    1. It's all this guys fault. Blame him!!! :P

      See what you've caused SinSynn. ;)

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    2. Don't be stupid Tybbs can't use a keyboard!!! Unless he had help from Poppy!!!

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  6. I've not read anything on this blog that would offend me. (Or that would offend me if I was a bit easier to offend.)

    Everything is flawed. Anyone who gets offended at an opinion that a product or company is not perfect (when the opinion is expressed in words of more than two syllables) needs to grow up, grow a pair, and remember that it's not them or their family that's being criticised.

    And, they need to remember that only through paying attention to critical analysis (or being able to execute your own) can you ever hope to improve in anything.

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    1. Your mom!

      Did that offend you? :P

      I think half the problem though is the age range present within the hobby. There are a lot of youngsters out there.

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    2. Your momma offended me. :-þ

      Ah. I've been doing my best to avoid the younger generation for some time. Bloody kids.

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  7. Holy Wall of Text, Batman! I can understand the cathartic need to write, but strategic insertions of .jpegs would have been a balm to the eyes.
    On-topic, I blog mostly for egotistical reasons. Here are my minis, please praise me! Kinda. Also to keep up with a few mates who were at me gaming club in uni, but have now departed ways. It's also a way to incite me to carry on with the hobby, as doing nothing can be seriously demotivating and there are so many other thingys to do instead, like play Skyrim, read online manga, watch original Gundam series, play Space Marine, play old CRPG's, read Master and Commander, ponder upon the flaws of my being, play Pokemon, watch newer Gundam series... you get the idea.

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    1. Sorry about the wall of text, but sometimes I just don't feel like pictures!!! But you see that's useful feedback. Perhaps I should always make the effort to include pictures.

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  8. Haters gonna hate, bloggers gonna blog.

    ;)
    CS

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    1. I take it that means playas are gonna play? ;)

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  9. Because I can, mainly. It helps to keep me motivated, and taking photos helps me to identify problems with my painting. Once I've taken them, I might as well upload them and spew some words. Often just having to write a blog post brings ideas into focus, especially when thinking along list/tactical lines.

    One day I'll look back at it and think "Wow, I really sucked back then", but I'll be glad of it. Sometimes, when I get the odd comment that someone really liked an article, I think that it's nice to give something back to the community I find so much interesting material in (not that it happens often!).

    Oh, and one day I'll disembowel you with a spoon.

    That's eighteen.

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    1. What sort of spoon? If you want it to sound really menacing you have to give details. Trifle spoon or tea spoon... there's a big difference.

      Like you I've seen a lot of bloggers use their articles and blog almost as a hobby diary that's open to the public. I actually find them really interesting to read. And on mass they almost constitute a social history of the hobby... I'm sounding like a nerd again aren't I?

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  10. Hi, long-time reader, first-time replier...

    Why do I blog? Mostly because for a number of years now I've been calling myself a 'freelance writer' while not actually writing a whole lot. My blog is a way of exercising my writing muscles on a casual basis. It also allows me to get things off my chest, and ideas out of my head in a constructive way.

    As for the death threats, I haven't received any of those yet. At the moment it's all SEO links and porn spam. I kinda look forward to getting hate mail, partly because it means that people are actually reading my blog.

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    1. Heya Andrew, I tried following the link to your blog on the profile page but I couldn't get to it because the blog domain isn't registered... could you post a link?

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    2. I was going to post my reply using my Wordpress ID, but that seems be be a little buggy. C'est la vie.

      Here's the link: http://geeklifebalance.wordpress.com

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    3. I am reading your blog too Andrew (your PDF entry was very good for instance) I just suck at replying I guess part of blogging is the interaction Is should make more effort to engage in what I read ; P

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    4. It's all good, Minitrol. I'm more of a reader than a commenter as well. It's just nice to know that people are reading ;)

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    5. Yep consider me amongst those following too Andrew.

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  11. *shrug* Death of the Author, mate. I won't - from a professional standpoint I can't - take refuge in "I didn't mean that". Interpretation happens in the readers' heads, not mine, and if they 'get it wrong' then either I haven't said what I set out to say properly or they exist in some context other than mine, with its own codes for unpacking and interpreting things.

    The advantage of all this is that I know I have the right and privilege to not be offended by things, 'cause it's all in my head. Very few people set out to be offensive and I can wilfully misinterpret the ones that do. Nothing annoys trolls quite so much as being treated pleasantly.

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    1. Indeed, treating trolls like decent human beings does seem to wind them up even more. Also gives them nothing to rage against.

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