Is It Appropriate to Tell a Blogger What He or She Can Write?

[Gary Freedman]

The personal blog, an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual, is the traditional, most common blog. Personal bloggers usually take pride in their blog posts, even if their blog is never read by anyone but them. Blogs often become more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to reflect on life or works of art. Blogging can have a sentimental quality. Few personal blogs rise to fame and the mainstream, but some personal blogs quickly garner an extensive following. A type of personal blog is referred to as "microblogging," which is extremely detailed blogging as it seeks to capture a moment in time. Sites, such as Twitter, allow bloggers to share thoughts and feelings instantaneously with friends and family and is much faster than e-mailing or writing.

Telling a blogger what he should write is like entering someone's house and telling the owner what pictures he should have on his walls. Of course, if you see something downright offensive or illegal, it's appropriate to speak up.

From my own experience, I suspect that those who have a problem with my blog posts are people who would tend to score lower than average on a test of "ego strength." Such people would tend to exhibit the following characteristics: concrete thinking, lower general mental capacity, less intelligent, unable to handle abstract problems; reactive emotionally, changeable, affected by feelings, emotionally less stable, easily upset.

Readers might want to check out the following web page that sets out characteristics of ego strength:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16_Personality_Factors

It's interesting to notice how the following negative comment left on one of my blog posts exhibits the writer's lack of ego strength -- his emotional reactivity, the fact that he is inappropriately affected by feelings, and the fact that he seems to be easily upset.

The TBD member stated: "All Ms Xxxxxxxx was saying is that the intent of your blog posts is to stir emotional arguments and that they would be better placed in your new group and off the front page. I personally think you would be well served by taking that advice in the spirit in which it was given and save everyone a great deal of grief."

[Gary Freedman]

"Hey, Gary, luv ya to death, but I gotta hit you on this one. A LOT of your blogs have to do with being a contrarian, right? You feel you should be able to express yourself any way you want, right?"

Gary, I don't have a problem with people stating positions contrary to mine. Say what you want. But I object to people who say I should not write what I write, that I need to censor myself, or not write blogs at all.

It's one thing to tell your local newspaper that you disagree with its editorial policy. It's another matter totally to tell the paper that it should shut down.

[Orianb]

You could always create your own site on Ning, and avoid the negative comments,and censorship but then you wouldn't have a ready made audience would you?

[John Dalhouse]

Y'all just kiss and make up!
People take stuff a little too personal here and everywhere!
I see something I don't like I usually do not comment - but sometimes I do.
See a lot of stuff I do not like on front page but just ignore and move on!

[Judi]

I agree with all you have written above, Gary. Many of the things you write about could be considered quite quirky and "off", from a general thinking perspective; however, I find your writing to be very entertaining, thought-provoking, and interesting. Even if I don't agree with you on a number of issues or statements, you have always been amazingly tolerant of those that would wish you anything but good in your life. I enjoy reading various blogs and do not always feel disposed to comment on them. If I feel they are inane, stupid, foolish or off-track in their written thought-process, then I will usually move on to the next blog or thread, without comment. Thank you for an innovative way of looking at life, however "quirky" it might be, lol.

[Gary Freedman]

Justice Hugo Black would love you!

[msladydeborah]

In answer to your question-no. I author three blogs and I also blog on different sites. The purpose of a blog is for the individual to express their opinion or to share their interests.

This medium is just like television, radio and anything else available for public consumption. If you don't like what you're reading on a post, stop and move on.

I have read blog post that I do not agree with or the content is not to my liking. I think it is appropriate to make comments if you have a valid rebuttal to opinions on subjects. Unless it was an established rule from the beginning that blogs on a site have specific guidelines-the freedom of self-expression lives on!