By Pam Pastor
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Last updated 18:20:00 04/01/2008
MANILA, Philippines—The Internet-savvy should think of the past few weeks as more than just a hate fest and a gossip buffet. It is a wake-up call—and a testament to the true powers of blogging.
After countless names have been thrown around the World Wide Web and smeared with nastiness, many have expressed fear about people blogging about them.
But the truth is, you should be concerned not only with what others post about you. You should also be careful about what you post about yourself.
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Some things can be really useful as much as they are destructive. Blogging is one of them. It helps reach a wider spectrum of audiences but what you post can backfire to you. The article of Ms. Pam Pastor only highlighted that.
As for her two examples, Anne and Lisa, they weren't responsible enough and didn't think ahead. Maybe because they were just too excited or whatever. But we must remember that even the simplest things entail responsibility.
It's good to remember that there are things that one can do to protect themselves and others from the cruelty of irresponsible blogging. After all, there is always two sides to a coin and that one must recognize its power in order to do that.
After reading the article of Pam Pastor that blogs can ruin our life, I immediately realized that as a blogger, blogs can’t ruin our lives UNLESS we let it.
Most people today have heard of blogging and know at least a little bit about the growing trend. The definition is "an online diary or a personal chronological Web log of thoughts published on the Web.” Blogging has become a popular trend among young people today. It's an opportunity to develop a new social network. You can join different blog sites, add and leave comments on a friend’s page, share and send pictures and post comments.
I have heard many bloggers say that blogging fills a need. People use their blogs to express what they feel. They also use their blogs as their past time. Blogging provides a humanizing effect on news and journaling; it also opens a window into our personal lives. Blogging has become a common place; it has risks that should not be ignored.
A lot of people around the world chronicle their lives by building online profiles and sharing personal information, photographs, and opinions in order to connect with new people. Let us remember that if we use one of these sites to stay in touch, to express ourselves openly, and to find like-minded people, just be sure to stay smart and safe in the process. Let us also keep in mind that the Internet is a public resource. One click and the whole world can read and view your postings and other stuffs. As we all know, when it’s on the internet, it’s already global. In short, we don’t know who might be reading our blogs. Therefore, we should be cautious when we post something in our blogs.
You should consider some important things in blogging. First, while you can meet new friends online, you may also come into contact with malicious people misrepresenting themselves. These are people you don’t want to know.
A second consideration, frequently overlooked, is that information you post on a social networking site may reveal indiscretions that may eventually lead to destroying our lives.
Keep these things in mind when taking advantage of the benefits of social networking and blogging. If we remain cautious when we post whatever we want in our blogs, surely we can prevent blogging from ruining our lives.
I’ve heard stories of lives being messed up because of blogs. Though I have never experienced it personally (and which I never would wish for), our class was once a victim of a sort of a blog thing- the friendster bulletin. Believe it or not but just because of what was written in that bulletin, disagreements started and even prompted us to have an open forum just to be able to discuss it and avoid further issues from sprouting. Blogs are indeed powerful. It actually provides us with a double-sided service. It can entertain us, and at the same time, with just a single wrong move, it can harm us. I agree therefore that blogs can ruin our life. The sad part is, we never know when it will attack us and who will be doing the attack. Maybe for now, for us blog users, the only thing that we can do is to be careful at all times, as much as possible, of whatever it is that we are posting online. Anyway, it’s better to be cautious enough than having to regret in the end. ♥
I definitely agree with this article. Although I’m not really into blogging, I know that destroying a reputation nowadays is as easy as counting from numbers one to twenty. A person who knows how to blog has the power to say anything to anyone and have his or her comment be read by unlimited number of people. I remember a friend who has experienced finding maggots on her chocolate (I won’t mention the brand), and she told us that she’s going to blog that incident. I’m not sure if she did blog it, but hey, that could spell trouble for the manufacturer if she did. We should really be sensitive and responsible in what we put on our blogs because we never know who might be reading it or what damage it could cause other people and perhaps, ourselves. Better believe in the Law of Karma, anyway.
The article is very timely. We are now living in a world where people get to practice so much of their freedom to express. I mean, it’s an easy thing now, with just a series of clicks, the world is up to know you that much.
Before, everything needs to go through a process, but not now, particularly when the internet surfers post the products of their thoughts and emotions in the World Wide Web.
But just like any other, the advantages of blogging get to have its advantages - double the amount of benefits one can get.
I can consider myself as a computer literate, I know what to expose about myself, much as I know what to conceal and keep in my own.
Posting of hundreds of blog entries in different blog sites doesn’t make one a blogger. For me, he should first know the consequences it may bring shortly after he exposed certain material. Real bloggers have this characteristic of weighing things out, sorting what should be revealed and concealed. We are all communicating but not all of us are communicators. Not all bloggers are communicators. For a communicator to be a communicator, he must be expert realizing when to talk and when to listen. Same thing with blogging, for a blogger to be a real blogger, he must be literate enough when to blog things rightfully.
And before we blog, we should first put in our heads:
- Do not be too impulsive
- Know your limitations
- Read the material several times before posting it, well, it’s just the world we are dealing with
- Be media literate
Excess of everything is contagious. And yes, talking about blogging, blogs and bloggers, it can really ruin your life. Ruin your life in the sense that, if you post negative things and stuffs, you might just experience a blog backfire. What does it mean? Blog backfire means that what you post (on a blog site) could actually end up functioning against what you really intent the material to be. That’s why we must first think of the consequences of what we are going to post before posting it (the blog).
While researching for an assignment in our Media Laws and Ethics class, I found out that there’s actually an existing Blogger’s Code of Ethics. I forgot what blog site organization is that; but it only means that we must be responsible enough in every aspect of what we are doing, especially in blogging, because what we actually post is public, that is why everyone else is affected.
To put my comment simple, here is a quote coming from a prominent English intellectual: “To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction.” – Sir Isaac Newton
in the age where information can be quickly accsessed will surely make a lot of people think twice before posting an essay, photo or video in their blog. there are however only a few people who consider to be a bit discrete in blogging. they tend to put out almost everything that happens to them, (of course they would, a blog is also called an online diary) still, we should learn to filter the content that we post online. consider the details and the kind of impact that it could give to us. yes, blogs can ruin your life. a person can be mad at people who use things that they find in their blog for their own gain but should remember that a certain kind of information coukd not have been exposed if it was not posted by our very selves. this is why proper blog regulations should be initiated as security for people who create blogs and also to those who read them. this may take a long time before initiated but a true effective strategy in blogging is to foresee the outcome and of course with this prevention is quite possible.
Technology is a gift. However, if it is not used wisely, it can turn to a curse. There are countless of instances where hate blogs are made, thus affecting not only the person the hate blog is directed to, but the persons who get to view the blog.
It is no secret that almost every young person gets access to the Web, and because of this power, possibilities are endless. You could just type a keyword and poof, there it is for the whole world to see.
At this time, there is almost no such thing as privacy on the Web. Nothing can be kept secret. Amazing, really, but come think of it, what if this instance happened to you? Would you know what to do? It is easy to laugh and scoff at the misconception of people that blogs are anonymous and that there is no chance that it can be viewed by the people less likely to visit their sites. But do they really control those hits? Of course not.
Thinking about it now made me dwell on the blogs I have posted, how many people saw those posts, and their reactions. The question, 'Could they use it against me?' keeps popping on my mind.
Yes, this discomfort is brought by the this article. And maybe I'm not the only one that should be bothered. You have to think too. You have to ask yourself, 'Is it destructive?' 'Would it build my reputation in a good way?' 'Would it discredit me someday?'
Blogging can be a form of release but it would not hurt to be aware of the possibilities that post could bring.
A tip, never, never post a blog when there is steam coming out of your ears and when you don't know if your thinking using your head or your behind. Trust me, it will make you feel better for an hour but the consequences it could bring would be a heck lot more than an hour. And those consequences are not always good.
BLOG AT YOUR OWN RISK...
Honestly, it didn't occur to me that blogging has its own disadvantages until reading this blog, which in a way made me realized that indeed it could ruin your life. As one would have it, "the price we have to pay".
Inasmuch as I've enjoyed blogging just about everything under the sun, I always see to it that my posts won't offend anyone in one way or another. I know some would disagree on this, especially the professionals, but in my own perception, blogging is journalism.
The only difference I think is that journalists, or professional writers for that matter, get paid while bloggers don't, but basic rules of journalistic writing should always take in consideration since blogs are being viewed by random people. This topic of blog's disadvantages would all boils down to this very word- RESPONSIBILITY.
Blogging is a new trend online and nowadays many people post blogs to publish their adventures in life, to share knowledgeable ideas and facts. Some people make blogs to express their personal sentiments, emotions and opinions.
Blogging is my way of expressing my dramatic sentiments in life. It is also my way of escaping from my depressions and loneliness. But I am not an addict blogger. I post blogs when I am in the mood and when I have enough money and time to rent a computer.
YES, Blogging can ruin our lives, for instance; our personal privacy is at stake, knowing that the public could read our blogs and access our account easily by just clicking the links to our site. In worst cases, some people would use our blog to destroy our credibility just for the sake of fun.
Like what had happen to Liza and Ann their blogs were used against them.
As an advice, we must be very careful and responsible for every blog we are posting. Think twice and go over and read your blog before you finally save and published it. It is okay to post your opinions and sentiments in blogs but still we have to observe our right to privacy, do not post everything on it, keep those information that are really personal.
Remember: not all people are kind and could appreciate your blogs.
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