Random long-winded blathering about things which are probably obvious
Lately I find myself wanting to write up blog entries, but what's been stopping me is that I feel that blogging (at least through lj) is more of a community thing than it is a personal soap box. ..and while I don't claim to read every single detail of every entry that people on the flist write, I do feel the need to keep up with it and at least quickly browse through it. It's not that I think that everyone who links to each other or comment in each others journals must be chummy friends or anything, but at the same time, there's a basic level of acknowledgment and interaction. I mean why else are these people on the flist if not because the things they're writing/or their online persona are of some interest to me. Even if the people on the flist aren't necessarily people I'd consider friends, I do feel a bit obligated to participate. And the more contact I've had with someone, the more I feel this way - and I think it happens naturally, when you interact with other folks, even if the interaction is limited and somewhat anonymous. Whether or not my perceptions mirrors reality, it's hard not to form an opinion/ideas about what people are like. And like in real life, you want people you like to like you.
It works the same way with RL friendships (except more so). Really, any kind of relationship demands some kind of obligation be it on your time or freedom, etc.
I think part of the reason I lurked for so long without a blog/journal when I first started reading blogs is because once you make your presence known, then you're subject to these kinds of expectations/feelings of obligation. It's perhaps simpler to lurk and try and treat the flist as just a reading list, but I think it's human nature to want to reach out and make a connection or even just to respond to or get a response for something that makes an impact on you.
Like the subject says, this is all probably me stating the obvious but I felt like writing it anyhow. I do enjoy reading through the lj list, and I wish it weren't so difficult to do it at work now (where cubicles have been abolished. Oh no!). Not sure what the future plan is (probably put off indefinitely while I waver about what to do), but I don't really want to pare down the list either. :/ *sigh* Why can't I have 36h/day to everyone else's 24h/day?
It works the same way with RL friendships (except more so). Really, any kind of relationship demands some kind of obligation be it on your time or freedom, etc.
I think part of the reason I lurked for so long without a blog/journal when I first started reading blogs is because once you make your presence known, then you're subject to these kinds of expectations/feelings of obligation. It's perhaps simpler to lurk and try and treat the flist as just a reading list, but I think it's human nature to want to reach out and make a connection or even just to respond to or get a response for something that makes an impact on you.
Like the subject says, this is all probably me stating the obvious but I felt like writing it anyhow. I do enjoy reading through the lj list, and I wish it weren't so difficult to do it at work now (where cubicles have been abolished. Oh no!). Not sure what the future plan is (probably put off indefinitely while I waver about what to do), but I don't really want to pare down the list either. :/ *sigh* Why can't I have 36h/day to everyone else's 24h/day?