PodCamp was like eleventy seventeen bajillion years ago and I've been meaning to post the video of my presentation for sixtyteen of those years. WHOOPS. Time to fix that.
So.
I did the same presentation this year as I did last, but the information was updated a bit to reflect changes in the blogging universe and so that I could make sure to focus on the thing I most wanted people to walk away knowing. The first year I did the presentation on finding fodder for blogging, I wanted people to walk away understanding that continuous and successful blogging is all about doing what makes *you* happy, and that you have to know WHY you blog to stay true to that. This year I still wanted that message to come across, but I also wanted to add a little something.
Your blog is yours; do what you want with it. However, you need to recognize there are consequences to your actions.
I added the slight twist for one very simple reason--I'm really, really, really, really tired of seeing blogs get deleted because the author was douchey enough to write cruel words about someone and that someone found out.
For example, there was a Pittsburgh mom blog who wrote about how her sister was a"stupid selfish wench." It was an anonymous blog that used all fictitious names, but I'm pretty sure if you were the sister and found a story about a fight over who was right in a battle over the care of a terminally ill parent, you knew it was about you. It probably really hurt to find out that your very own sister thought you were being selfish, short-sighted, and really only wanted to move mom to an assisted living home so you could get your grubby little hands on the antique furniture.
I don't *know* that the sister found the blog. I just know that one day it was there, the sister-bashing on full-screen display, and the next day every little inkling of it had been deleted. From where I was sitting, it was a simple sort of situation. I have to imagine that the two people involved weren't exactly have their best of days and certainly didn't find the situation to be "simple."
I could list 20+ other examples of blogs that disappeared because the author forgot that it's never a good idea to say something about someone that you wouldn't say to his or her face. It doesn't matter if it's an "anonymous" blog. It doesn't matter if it's a "secret" blog. It doesn't matter if you think it's well-hidden. It will be found eventually. And, even if it isn't, do you really feel better after venting to a bunch of strangers? Does it really solve anything? Is that really the best way you know how to deal with a personal conflict?
Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox now. Here's the full video of the presentation, wherein I got to stand on my soapbox a little bit more. :-)