After my last post, I went on to post two additional comments before the discussion pretty much ground to a halt.
My experience was no different by the end of the experience than part way through – because I offered an opinion contrary to the prevailing opinions on the page, I was the subject of rude, sarcastic, defamatory, nasty comments addressed specifically to me. There was a lot of self-congratulation and mutual virtual back-slapping going on among the usual contributors to the blog for their superior knowledge and – they didn’t say it this way, but it was certainly intended – for putting me in my place.
However ….. when I looked back at my comments and the little thumbs up and thumbs down icons, I noticed that each of my comments had received more thumbs up than thumbs down, and generally received a good number of thumbs up ratings – more than most of the other posts received. It appears that there were readers of the blog who agreed with me but preferred not to post comments. It gave me a bit of a warm feeling, knowing that there were others who supported my position. I wasn’t alone (although it would have been nice to have a little back up).
So what have I learned? Well, I’ve learned that you have to have a tough skin if you are going to go against the prevailing wisdom on a blog. One of the comments I received on my own blog was that many people seem to use their blogs and posts as their soapbox and are interested only in hearing from people who agree with them. I guess it makes sense, but I would have thought a good discussion – done politely – would be more interesting.
I also learned that even though people are silent, they are still watching and will quietly provide their support with a thumb up. It’s nice to know, although a little creepy that, out there in the blogosphere, people can watch and you don’t even know they are there.
I also learned that there is a real blogging community, and people in it take it very seriously.
Nothing that happened will deter me from getting more into checking out other blogs and participating. It was kind of fun, actually, being the fly in the ointment and changing the direction of the discussion. I didn’t do just for amusement value – my comments were made in all seriousness and as an attempt to provide a different side of the story. Yet it did become a source of amusement. That was a nice by-product.
