Whenever anyone interacts with anyone else — whether that be on-line or in meatspace — what they say, do, and how they act generally is coloured by a whole host of different motivations. With the recent stories about the poor behaviour of some people on line I thought it might be interesting to dissect the way we all act on-line.
This is going to require a little honesty, so I’ll go first.
My writing style is impersonal. I focus on facts, often use overcomplicated sentence structures and long words, and generally qualify everything to a point where no one can provide a negative input that I haven’t already covered off.
If this sounds like a smoke screen to you then you are probably right.
Writing formally about facts; i.e. non-personal content, is an easy way to avoid being personally associated with the flaws that no doubt exist in the article and helps keep the real me at a distance. This isn’t a comment on anyone that reads my writing — anyone that comments is a friend in my book — but it is a comment on the way many people on the internet act and my inability to deal with non-constructive or personal criticism well.
How about you? Do you tailor your writing style, consciously or unconsciously, because of other people or do you pour your heart out which each and every post?
Social Networking
You might get the impression from the description of my writing style that I have some insecurities. That is certainly true of me as it is with many others.
Some people deal with this by creating a front that they are the life of the party, others retreat entirely. I certainly think the way I act on social network sites reflects these insecurities.
Perhaps I am the only one for whom this is the case, and it certainly a sign that perhaps I’m ‘past it’ in internet time but I think hard about whether to ask for a friend on social networking sites. I know the kids these days treat internet friends as casually as they do the decision to put on socks in the morning but I just can’t do that. Being friends for me means really being friends, not just having my name on someone else’s web page. I consider whether they would want me as a friend, and what if they don’t? Can I handle that kind of rejection?
They say on the internet you can be anyone you want to be, but I just can’t do that. I am me and I don’t know how not to be.
When you write about yourself, whether on your blog, or on social network sites how do you act? Do you act yourself, are you honest and open, do you hide away, or do you have yourself a Jekyll-esque alternative persona?
The Others
My final question of the post then is how do you think other bloggers and readers of your writing or comments view you? and as importantly how do you want to be viewed?
I think that much of my personality gets lost in my attempts to be professional, and because of my writing style my frivolous side is almost entirely hidden. I do have one, honest. I’d love to write long flowing articles filled with wit and comedic derring-do, but I can’t. Perhaps that is a shame. Equally perhaps it isn’t the real me anyway.
I wonder how many readers really know you, do you think any really get you?
So now is your chance. What drives you to write, surf, or interact the way you do? What holds you back? What scares you on-line and what do you feel at ease with? Let us all know why you do the things you do on-line, whether it is pretending to be someone else, just being yourself, hiding facts, revealing facts, or just staying under the radar.
Thanks for reading and here’s hoping normal service is returned soon.
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