Blogging-world can be so welcoming that it can sometimes overwhelm you and side track you. We have all experienced phases of blogging where we start writing for our readers more than for ourselves. We've been addicted to blogging, checking if somebody has left comments on our latest posts and checking for new followers. And we have also obsessively stalked our favorite bloggers, waiting for them to update their blogs. I've also known a couple of bloggers who have shared 'a little too much' about their lives only to have deeply regretted it later.
How much is too much?
Most people you interact with here are so genuine and warm and welcoming. Once you meet such people and once they start following your blog, you realize that you can relate to almost everything they write and so can they. It only makes you want to be more open and more forthcoming in your posts. When I first saw the topic for this month's discussion, I was all for sharing my story along with the others. But as I started writing it, I realized there are some parts of my life that that are private and definitely not meant for the internet, specially not for the silent readers. It may sound weird coming from me, someone who shares her pictures on the blog- my face, my identity. But honestly sharing pictures doesn't seem as intimate to me as sharing the happenings in my life. I never share details about my life, only my lifestyle.
Its not that I am scared of what people might think about me or my life, its just that I decided to draw the line here. People who matter in my life, know all that there is to know about me. I have nothing to hide from anyone but that does not mean that I need to share everything with everyone either.
This is not to scare anyone off or to offend anyone. Its great that those of you who have shared their stories here, did so, and if it has given you some sort of relief, release or just a feeling of 'you are not alone', then I am more than happy for you!
I am not particularly talking about this discussion topic(its just that it triggered this thought process) but any post in general. This is only to make sure that you are aware of what you are posting and to make sure that you are posting it for the right reasons. If what you are posting is something that you are going to regret after 10 hours, 10 days or even 10 years then don't put it up for the whole world to see.
If I don't love, respect and appreciate my post they you definitely wouldn't.
Where would you draw the line?
11 comments:
I agree with you. I was in exactly the same position that you are talking about, a few months back. Wanting to blog openly and not knowing where to draw the line. Luckily my overcautious self took time out to think and realized what to write and where to write and now I know :)
totally agree with you..
It is difficult thankfully i dont have any regrets on what I have written , I write what i want to.
Blogging as you say has become very personal and it comes with own issues, but for me it have been very good I have met so many beautiful people out there and met them over time and we are very good friends now ..
but yeah a line has to be drawn and i try not to write anything that woul offend someone ..
Bikram's
So true! Blogging as I see it is a whole new world with different perspectives!
You're right. We share everything about ourselves on the blog, and then if someone judges us on the basis of that, we don't like that either.
I guess I would draw the line at sharing my picture. Or maybe writing about my love-life. I haven't done that yet, because there are certain people who read my blog who I know will only wish me ill, not good. I don't want to give them a chance to do that. So I choose not to talk about it. I cannot stop them from reading my blog. But I can at least choose what I want them to read, right?
i can so relate to your first para. that is what i am currently going through after about 5 months of active blogging & blog-surfing.
i really liked the distinction you drew between 'my life and my lifestyle'. There sure is a world of difference between the two & the fact that one need not share everything with everyone either
good post.
i remember once thinking on similar lies & writing a post way back in 2010.
http://sujathasathya.blogspot.com/2010/05/fair-enough.html
typo - lines (not lies)
Oh, I agree with what you have to say...it does become overwhelming..with the attention, the applauds and the accolades...the question then rises here....sadly sometimes, we learn the hard way.
A Very Good post...an eye opener I'd rather say :) :)
Very very true... :| i get sooo tempted to post pictures on the blog..
I seriously have to learn to draw the line somewhere.. i jus post about anythin and everything and i dont even know if anyone i know in the real world reads my blog..
erm....no comments...
i agree on one point though. its all upto the person.
there are few people who share everything because they want to. not because if the readers would like some spicy gossip.
in the end, we draw the line and we erase it. the main thing is, if you draw the line, stay behind the line.
now that's a hot topic but a very thoughtful one and for a blogger it's like the first step of learning how to blog.
Each individual holds a different opinion as to how much they can is much, and it's correct I believe. If they are confortable sharing their personal stuff on a public space then who are we to judge that person.
But personally, I didn't start blogging just to make it my personal diary like what a blog is actually suppose to mean from the earlier days if we see closely.
At the end, a line is a must. One should know where one is crossing one's boundaries else things happen which are tagged under regrets later :P
@Keirthana-
It happens :) Like I said it can get overwhelming at times.. but I think its good to have a balance.
@Bikramjit-
Even I haven't faced any sort of problem so far(touchwood!). Everybody has been warm and friendly!
@Rahul-
Its the same in real life too. Everybody has a different perspective on things. But for some reason people find it easier to accept that in blogging world!
@Divya-
I know right! But when you are in the public eye.. you WILL be judged. Its not something you can control.. you just need to know how to deal with it.
I am not comfortable sharing details abt my love-life either. At least for now! And rightly said - you can choose what you want people to read!
@Sujatha-
Some don't realize that there is a difference and am glad you did! Will check out your post too.
@MSM-
Yes.. like most things in life, we learn it the hard way :)
@Viya-
I have not shared my blog link with my friends or family (Except my parents). But i was so surprised to find out that some random relatives of mine follow my blog! Its spooky how so many people in real world, whom I hardly know, read and know so much abt me through my blog!
@FL-
I haven't seen any blogger who shares for gossip. Okay maybe there are a few but most of them are genuine. But they dont realize how much they are sharing and they regret it later...
But its my personal view that girls are more concerned with privacy on the internet.. so yeah.. I can understand that you dont have any comments :)
@Smita-
Definitely it depends on the individual's opinion.. Just that they need to be aware and not get carried away!
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