To Blog or Not to Blog? That is the Question...

So here we are: The First Blog. That nerve-racking first impression; my very first footprint in the so-called ‘blogosphere’ from which anyone who happens to stumble upon my musings will judge me on, and chose to either read further or disregard with indifference. Can it be compared to any real experience such as a first day at school, university or new job? That nail-biting anticipation and build up of fear and nerves with the hope that you are accepted? Liked? Somehow noticeable? Valued?

On one hand it is surely a positive notion that in this shallow and image-orientated society, the internet can protect our identity and prevent initial judgments in terms of sex, race, size and beauty (or lack of). The gawky, awkward and mono-browed child inside me from days gone by, with a skirt far longer than deemed socially acceptable and too-baggy jumper rejoices at the opportunity to be judged only on my so-called intellect and emotional depth. But whilst the public has less opportunity to ‘judge a book by its cover,’ if you will, this puts more pressure on the content – this time, quite literally, the words that are being written. It is this which exposes us at perhaps one of our most vulnerable states; stripped bare with no editor and no proof-reader to correct our mistakes or tell us how stupid we may or may not be portraying ourselves as.

This begs the question of what exactly the standard etiquette of internet writing is. Should I be using my blog to comment on serious issues in formal English with correct grammar and punctuation? Are wide, sweeping statements spanning controversial subjects that I may not know a huge amount about advisable? Could my opinions damage my future career or alter current friends’ perceptions of me? Should I write in formal, essay-style paragraphs of meaty, intellectual subjects that are open to debate between the members public or should my blog take a more informal, colloquial style of inconsequential topics that are more easily accessible for both the educated and uneducated masses? Am I even writing for the public, or am writing for myself?

It is easy to see how blogging can be a therapeutic and a cathartic way by which to both organize your thoughts and express them in your own time at your own pace, having had time to set them out exactly how you wish for them to be digested. But it is not egotistical to believe that any given number of people particularly care about my humble opinion? Is it even worth worrying about committing social suicide, given the sheer size and depth of cyberspace? Perhaps it is a little self-indulgent to hold the belief that what begins initially as an assessed exercise could grow into something that may affect my life in any way at all.

However, all too often have I heard of the addictive nature of ‘blogitis;’ an ailment that kills off much of the victim’s free time and can often lead to the blurring of reality and cyberspace. Other symptoms include compulsive spamming (the consistent posting of unwelcome links of videos or sites to usually innocent internet by-standers) and the danger of a gradual change of tone and content within the blog to perhaps cater towards what the followers of afore-mentioned blog wish to hear.

Self-indulgent though it is to assume myself as some sort of internet-savvy Carrie Bradshaw with slightly less of a resemblance to a horse, I hope that this blog will give me the opportunity to voice my opinions on issues that are bothering me in the press, discuss topics of personal interest and most likely throw in a few cheeky rants here and there whilst hopefully engaging and entertaining whoever is unfortunate to stumble across it or be forced to read it…

Enjoy!