iguanamountain blog

WHO CARES WHAT YOU WRITE?

Blog City Prompt: I was thinking today about this. How do we strike a balance between self exposure and discretion with our writing. I am sure each of us has a comfort zone but how? Will what we publish hurt someone? Will it embarrass us in years to come? Am I the only one who thinks about this when I write?

A few thoughts to think about...

if you are young (under 35), think about what those revealations could  possibly mean to your future teenage son or daughter. You would have no defense if they showed similar behavior.  In most cases, what happens in youth should stay in the past not written or archieved. Remember eveything published is kept and stored forever. I have found copies of web sites I created in the early 80's still existing and exactly as there were back then. Scary

As free and open as WDC feels, the published blogs are part of all our lives' permanent record. Transparency and honesty are admirable traits and we all strive for them, however---discretion should rule when you consider WHO MIGHT BE READING YOUR WORDS A YEAR FROM NOW, TEN YEARS FROM NOW. The thirty-year-old doesn't expect to be running for the Senate when he's sixty, but he might. Note that such things happen. Past words are brought up to discredit or humiliate the candidate. And this is happening every day.

Oftentimes you can tell a story without naming names or specific places. Details can be fictionalized if it's important to express your experiences. Be creative, not literal.

Governments change. Rules change. Everything that leaves your computer will pass through the Internet and is filtered in a split second, probably more than once. Striving for a free and open society should be everyone's goal. Right now, in this time, some ideas are seen as threatening. Remember, some words carry potential consequences. You are responsible for what you write.

Write to educate,  write to inspire, write with love.

Sorry, don't mean to sound like an old grump. I just believe these things are important!
Peace...>>>iggy

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