Rules of the Blog

[stacia_kane]

So a number of things have happened in the past few weeks/days that have got me thinking about this blog (No, relax. This is NOT a “I’m not blogging anymore” post). One, my decision to let the set schedule go. I’ve actually enjoyed blogging more lately, and if you notice, I’m still doing about two posts a week. The difference for me is I can now

Comments

[mardelwanda]

I'm one of those lurkers. I just want to say it's nice to know you want to protect the feelings - I'm not sure if I'm wording this right.

There are one or two writers who do allow the ranting and raving and attacks between readers, without "laying the law down". As someone who has been on the other end of it, I appreciate knowing that there are writers who will put their foot down. It's unpleasant when people are rude to each other in person, there's no need for it online. I respect your position and in fact I've lost a lot of respect for a certain writer for allowing the verbal (written) attacks on her websites. This is one of the reasons that I don't comment very much on posts. Being a rather shy (actually extremely shy) person all of my life it was pretty horrific and mortifying to have commenters attack, even though I'm very sure that I didn't do anything wrong. I almost stopped surfing author blogs, and I'm glad that I got over it - sort of over it. I am very careful of what I write in comments now -which we all should be to a point. But I also feel like I was stifled in a way, and this all happened when I was a noobie on the internet.

So now, if I see a lot of ranting, raving and rude comments between commenters on websites, I tend to bypass them. I've also stopped buying that certain author's hardbacks, and try to stick to paperbacks. I would have stopped buying her books altogether (on principle, not to get back at her) but her novels are good. Right now it's difficult for me to stick to her paperbacks, because I'm usually antsy to read the next novel.

For me (and probably lots of others) there is so much unpleasantness all over the world and close by, why create more? I read books for relaxation or to visit other "worlds". I search out writers' websites of blogs because I enjoy their books. I don't want to read rude comments back and forth between people.

Thanks Stacia for sticking to your beliefs - I respect that so much.

[stacia_kane]

I totally agree (and thanks so much for breaking the lurk and commenting! Feel free to do so as often as you like--but like I said, hey, if you just want to lurk, that's totally cool too). The world *is* an unpleasant place. You never know when someone will misinterpret something you say or do, or if they're just having a bad day, and they turn on you. And it is worse online where people feel less inhibited. But why? Does it give people a sense of power to be rude and nasty to others? Would they say that in person? There's nothing wrong with disagreeing but does it have to be so harshly, and turn into a pile-up? And what's wrong with disagreeing but just sort of shrugging and saying, "Well, I think she's wrong, but there's no need to get into a big discussion about it?"

I don't tolerate attacks in comments here, and luckily I don't have to. I've been blogging for over four years now and have never once had to deal with that sort of unpleasantness between commenters. But I never will, either, because I won't tolerate it. There's just no reason for it. :-)

Thanks again for commenting!

This is supposed to be fun, you know? Blogs like this are supposed to be fun.

[mardelwanda]

I agree! It's supposed to fun, entertaining, or a way to learn things.

on another note, I've had your book Personal Demons, for over a year, and read the first quarter of it. Because of a move, and other books coming out I never finished. Well, this weekend I"m on a second round of antibiotics for a stubborn bronchial infection (used to smoke, paying for it now) and decided to do nothing but read. So I finally finished Personal Demons and I'm wondering now, why did I wait so long? Now I have to remember if I bought the second book already (I was planning to), and if I did-where did I put it, cause, of course Now I want to read it. I'm also waiting for Unholy Ghost to come out, which I have a feeling I'll like even more. (read the excerpt).

I do enjoy your blog and your points of view. (and your cute new wigs)