Oh, the possibilities
Well, I’m looking across the blog world and reading datinggod.typepad.com. Kat, who keeps that page, commented today that the blog world became very real to her today. She was having a bit of a rough spot and the web-world friends jumped in a cheered and encouraged her just like any real world person would.
Made me think. I get hassled a bit by people who are not into the internet as much as I am about my “virtual friends”. They comment on how weird it is that my conversations about these people whose weblogs I read blend easily into my discussions about people at work or what my family is doing.
But it’s not like they are fictional characters or tamagotchi pets. They are real people. Some, I’ll admit, I haven’t met. But people aren’t judged when they are commenting about the lives of the rich and famous that they only read about. I don’t see the difference---except that at least there’s a hope that I could get to know some of the weblog people.
Which makes me wonder----I have written a couple of people, leaving comments on their weblog, and have had them write back. But I wonder sometimes if it is a bit of an intrusion---or presumption. I wonder if it’s a bother to feel like to you have to respond to every Joe that finds your website and decides to respond.
I do appreciate the people I’ve written who have taken the time to write back. Most notably was FerrousAngel at ferrousland.com. She hails from Brisbane Australia, that I like to think of as my home away from home, even if I haven’t been there in 20 years. I had been following her site for several months when I finally wrote. And she wrote back. I was thrilled. I had been nervous because I noticed that she had quite a little following of regulars and they all seemed much more insightful about things in her life than I could be. And they were funny and clever and wrote well. And many had their own websites. But she did write and it was quite a thrill, I must say. And not just a note, but a nice complete conversational response.
At one point she even helped me with my daughter’s site that I mentioned before. My wife was even impressed by that. That was one of my top “this is what the internet is all about” moments. When a relative stranger halfway around the world can help a father help his little girl, that shows that there are still possibilities for humanity. Ok, maybe that’s a bit overstated, but I was impressed, both by what the technology could do and Ferrous’ openness to a faceless person she’d never met in the real world.
It is my hope that there are still web-based serendipities (if that’s even a word) yet to be experienced.
Made me think. I get hassled a bit by people who are not into the internet as much as I am about my “virtual friends”. They comment on how weird it is that my conversations about these people whose weblogs I read blend easily into my discussions about people at work or what my family is doing.
But it’s not like they are fictional characters or tamagotchi pets. They are real people. Some, I’ll admit, I haven’t met. But people aren’t judged when they are commenting about the lives of the rich and famous that they only read about. I don’t see the difference---except that at least there’s a hope that I could get to know some of the weblog people.
Which makes me wonder----I have written a couple of people, leaving comments on their weblog, and have had them write back. But I wonder sometimes if it is a bit of an intrusion---or presumption. I wonder if it’s a bother to feel like to you have to respond to every Joe that finds your website and decides to respond.
I do appreciate the people I’ve written who have taken the time to write back. Most notably was FerrousAngel at ferrousland.com. She hails from Brisbane Australia, that I like to think of as my home away from home, even if I haven’t been there in 20 years. I had been following her site for several months when I finally wrote. And she wrote back. I was thrilled. I had been nervous because I noticed that she had quite a little following of regulars and they all seemed much more insightful about things in her life than I could be. And they were funny and clever and wrote well. And many had their own websites. But she did write and it was quite a thrill, I must say. And not just a note, but a nice complete conversational response.
At one point she even helped me with my daughter’s site that I mentioned before. My wife was even impressed by that. That was one of my top “this is what the internet is all about” moments. When a relative stranger halfway around the world can help a father help his little girl, that shows that there are still possibilities for humanity. Ok, maybe that’s a bit overstated, but I was impressed, both by what the technology could do and Ferrous’ openness to a faceless person she’d never met in the real world.
It is my hope that there are still web-based serendipities (if that’s even a word) yet to be experienced.
posted by Will at 5:43 PM
2 Comments:
Oh my what a wonderful post. Much like you I often feel like some of my virtual frineds are more than just words in a comment section. There is a real person behind each blog and it is wise to always remember that.
Thank you for this post.
Have a great day!!
Thanks for your comment, Michele! You are my first comment ever. Thank you so much for talking back (quite frankly, you are the only evidence that anyone has ever read anything I've written here).
Bless you.
Post a Comment
<< Home