I read a blog on Voxtropolis today that discussed blog etiquette. Ooohhhhh, did it hit on a pet peeve of mine.

I’ve been noticing lately as I read various blogs that have touched on controversial topics or have become controversial in and of themselves, that a lot of people now commenting on these blogs seem to have a basic misunderstanding of what a blog really is, and what it is not.

Commenters are starting to often write about fairness of commenting or posting and such as if they are posting on a bulletin board not on a blog. There is a difference.

A bulletin board (BB) is a place where many people can come together and post their thoughts about a particular subject. It’s like a virtual coffee house where everyone is welcome to speak their mind and where etiquette and common courtesy dictate that all must be given fair chance to be heard — unless that person has resorted to name-calling or "flaming" the topic (using inflammatory words and such).

A blog, on the other hand, is no such public venue. It is one’s private little corner of the web. Kind of like someone standing in their front yard, or living room with the door open to visitors and guests and saying what they wish. Its a place where one can post whatever one’s heart desires. People can comment, if one allows, on the post, or even on the blog in particular (mostly is "proper" to keep comment to subject of the post, but whatever…).

However, the blogger get to choose what will and will not be tolerated in their own comments section. Commentors are, after all, in the blogger’s "house" so-to-speak. This space is the blogger’s, and that blogger gets to make the rules. If someone gets unruly or rude on my blog, I have every right to delete their comments, and to even ban them from ever commenting again. Nope, not fair. But then, this blog isn’t about fairness. It’s about me.

Bottom line, a blog is someone’s personal space. And they can run it as they see fit. They can delete your comment just because they don’t like your name, if they so choose, and it’s completely fair and okay for them to do so. And no, they do not have to hold themselves to the whatever fairness rules or posting etiquette you think they ought. Their blog may be on the Internet, but it is still in their name and (at least on Typepad) they are paying for it, so they get to call the shots. You don’t like it, don’t comment! And for that matter, don’t read it!

Okay…. I think I’ve gotten a little bit of that frustration out of my system. Now, on to other one.

I’ve been
blogging long before it was cool — and long before we had all these nifty programs allowing people to comment. Back then we called them on-line journals. A lot has changed since then, but some basic language still hangs on and it’s the confusion in blog terminology that really drvies me batty.

So listen up, people. Pay close attention. There will be a test on this every time you post or comment.

A Blog — is a particular place where one can record their thoughts, opinions and life on the Internet; A person may have many blogs, or may just have one. IT IS NOT AN INDIVIDUAL ENTRY! I want to just KILL MySpace every time I have to go copy and paste my entries on that stupid thing (I’m really about ready to drop it — sorry Wendy, but I hate MySpace). It’s little button to add a post says, "add a new blog". AAAUUUGGGHH. NO. I do NOT want another blog. I want to post to the blog I’ve got.

Post — an entry in your blog; there will be many posts in a blog but only one blog; you do NOT write a new blog about something, you write a new POST about something (please see tantrum thrown above)

Comment — this is NOT a post, but a comment; they are different; to refer to "what someone wrote in the post a couple of posts up" is not correct. It’s the "comment a few comments" up that is correct. Get it straight, people. I write the posts, you write the comments.

Again, I’m not yelling at you, my audience. Your
intelligence always astounds me (especially that you would want to read my blog of all things!). I just needed to vent. I think I’m done for now…..

Thank God it’s Friday.