The thing that should scare the crap out of the establishment most about blogs (and the entire internet) is that here, there’s no controlling the message, no editing of other people’s thoughts made public, no dodging the truth.
Here, you’re just like everyone else. You’re not special. We’ll talk about you without your permission. And we don’t always tell the truth (the way you see it).
Here, you get to (have to) see yourself the way the non-experts and outsiders and consumers see you. Which is how you really are. There’s no more frightening thing.
When I first started blogging my self-esteem plummeted. I read blog posts about my blog posts – calling them “too long” and “self-absorbed” and “commercials.” I read non-professional reviews of my music – calling it “soccer mom friendly” and “contrived” and my career “over.”
The truth (as some people will define it) hurts. Actually, it’s worse than that sometimes. It rips your heart out and spits in the hole. Are you ready to hear it?
If not, don’t read blogs. And definitely don’t start one.
There’s no publicist to protect you here.
Here, you can’t rewrite the press release, decline the interview request, pick the photo, choose the adjectives, get the editor fired. Nope, here is a lot more like real life. Your best strategy is to laugh with us, admit when we’re right and when you’re wrong, never get angry, make the most of every kind of exposure – even the kind you hate getting. Every day here is a chance to prove the critics wrong, to show us who you REALLY are, to win us over.
Welcome.
You totally soft rock Shaun!! I hope that helps your self esteem. Oh, and I picked shaunfan as my login name. Your willingness to be vulnerable and accessible is what sets you apart in my opinion. Keep the faith and God Bless!
Kevin
still trying to win people over, its all good
Hm…I greatly enjoy reading Shlog! It’s the only one I actually read regularly. Most other blogs I’ve seen are just boring (in my opinion), but yours is both interesting and even edifying. Thank you for ur sweet bloggin’ Shaun!
Thanks for sticking with it, Shaun. It’s a good thing you’ve got going here. Now if I can just start my laundry list of things you should change to make me happy…
Shaun,
While I’m sure I’d survive, live well even, if your blogging career suddenly came to end, but life would be MUCH less interesting and thought-provoking for me. You make me think outside the box, stretch me and grow me in my walk; and besides that, you’re my friend, and I like keeping in touch with you on a regular basis.
Beth
Doesn’t this kind of assume that bloggers are at least truthful in their criticism. Many aren’t, and that can be a real turn-off to those in the establishment. Ever try dialoguing with an anti-nuke environmentalist? I tried recently. It was like talking to a brick wall. While he had very good points and I was able to learn from him, he wasn’t willing to admit that anyone else had anything worthwhile to say, and he was very good at twisting statements made by legitimate scientists (e.g., did you know that stargazing exposes a person to unsafe levels of radiation? I learned that when he informed me that many scientists believed that there was no such thing as a safe level of radiation. I read the referenced document and found about six scientists who had most certainly been misquoted.).
The benefits of not having a filter can also be drawbacks. Its hard for people who live in a polite, professional world to listen to people who are rude and uninformed in order to cull the good criticism and learn something, especially if they don’t see a pressing need.
MB
I am a firm believer in “The Truth will set you free.”
Sadly, our society, for the most part, has lost it’s ability to take criticism, or a joke.
btw – your blog design is the best I’ve ever seen anywhere. I may have to steal it.