Do you ever run into an ethical or good-manners consideration with your blog. Last week I put up a picture I found on "google images" to inspire stories with my challenge. But in thinking it over, I decided it was not the right thing to do. Why should I steal someone's picture to star in my challenge? Why imply that this guy is the star of our stories?
I also posted a piece about my Dad that when I thought about it was too personal. I took it down.
Do you ever take down a post because something like this comes up? Where is the line in people, topics, events you blog about? I have taken down many posts over time. Some were too angry, some inadvertently were wrong-headed, some too personal. Some might embarrass family members of friends. How about you?
(I just painted my front door this color. Didn't realize where I had seen the color before until I came across this photo from Tucson. Too bright? )
21 comments:
Funny you should ask, Patti. I took down a post on John Locke last night. My thoughts are similar to several authors and though there is nothing wrong with expressing anger about buying reviews... well, I decided to send Mr. Locke my post via e-mail. One on one. Enough dumping in public.
Yes, I have written things and posted them and then decided they were too personal and removed them. Of course my followers had already read them, but the general public didn't. I've also spent a long time writing a post and then deleted it without posting it for much the same reasons. And once in a while I decided I just said something thoughtless or stupid and took that down too.
And it is often late in the night ideas for a good post that I take down the next day. Once in a while one slips by me and I have taken it down even with comments on it.
Sometimes I see people are reading it wrong. Misunderstanding it.
And I almost always remove political rants because that draws in people looking for a fight.
That is bright. But bright is not a bad thing, and blue has always been my favorite color.
Jeff M.
Yes, I've taken down several posts over the years. One was a link to a picture of a big hole in a city street that I thought would make a great story idea. But people had died when the hole was created and it seemed very thoughtless on my part to use someone's misery for a story idea.
Another was a post that I wrote in response to some comments I'd read but took down a half hour later because it felt more like a personal attact than a response to the thoughtless comments he'd made.
Some days it's hard to find the perfect line of thought and even if you do find it, people don't always read what you've written the the same way you're seeing it.
Oh, that John Locke. Took me a second there.
Jeff M.
My blog centers around books, CDs, DVDs, and TV shows. Once in a while I might post something of a personal nature, but that's rare. So far, I haven't taken any post down. I work ahead about a week in posting so I have time to revise and fact-check before the post actually appears.
I usually catch myself in the middle of writing it if a post is no good. Rants, or too sharp of an opinion, that's usually my pitfall.
I stay away from politics. Can't convince anyone anyway...
I'm troubled by self-censorship.
I've written a numbers of rants that I have deleted before they could be posted. It's carthetic.
Aside from politics, I try very hard to not post anything negative about anyone; for the most part, that's how I live my life.
But politics...ah! I usually avoid it but from what little I've posted, people can recognize for the flaming liberal that I am. I used to be a conservative (back in the day when that word meant keep what works and change what doesn't) but somewhere along the way that definition changed radically. Now there are just too many times when my natural cynicism and snarkiness collide with my natural sense of empathy -- so once in a while I vent on the blog.
I don't think I've ever deleted a post once it was up.
I can't comment on your door. We once painted our house Barbie pink on the advise of our three-year-old granddaughter. We kept that color for several years until she outgrew that stage.
I don't think I've ever taken a post down, but I have discarded quite a few during the drafting or editing process for various reasons.
I have deleted a few posts because they seemed silly after a while. I don't think I have personalised my posts, in terms of family, views and experiences, unless they were related to books, music and cinema. I keep my blog light.
Like others, I gave my blog a very specific subject (wildlife/zoology observations and photos), so I manage to avoid those situations that I'm sure I would otherwise run into of becoming too personal. And I *think* it also helps me avoid offense, although the posts I label as "misanthropy" probably fall into that category... And yet I don't remove them...
Regarding pictures, I only use the Creative Commons stuff from Flickr. It's really quite helpful.
I like the door color. Years ago I read an article by Alice Walker about painting her door...I think turquoise and maybe purple? Kept the article for years and always was very envious of that door.
Michel
Not too bright, no--the color, I hasten to add. (My parents, in their second Fairbanks house, whimsically painted the garage door in the image of the Alaskan flag, so you can see where I come by at least some of what you experience under my byline.)
Among personal matters I try not to share too much more than my opinion in most of my posts, and avoid, for the most part, too much description of personal experience, particularly beyond my response to the artwork or other subject in question. When I've done more, I try to keep it honest but positive.
I don't think I've deleted anything, but I've certainly revised...and not nearly enough, too often. I hope no one's been too hurt by anything I've written...if they choose to take disagreement, however, for insult, there isn't much I can do about that.
Patti - I like that colour! And honestly, I've never taken a post down. Not to say I've never questioned the wisdom of one or two things I've written, but I've never removed a post. And I almost always take my own blog 'photos just because of the whole ethical consideration... And because I enjoy it.
Our whole house is that colour, though not the door! Capri blue. Hence the blog name.
I've not taken anything down as yet on either blog. I very rarely post anything personal, except maybe some work related stuff. On Blue House it's mostly reviews and observations, nothing overtly political. I spend a bit of time crafting reviews; it's only fair to readers and authors. On the other blog, I'm pretty careful. It's academic and inherently political, journalists read it and bits of it can end up in newspapers. Once it's out there it's impossible to get back so it has to be quite well framed. If I update the post in light of interaction, I note that's what I've done so people can see how the post has evolved.
In a word, no. I'll delete a sentence or two, but not an entire blog post. I have the opposite problem anyway--posting something at all. I'll bet it's been a month since I have. The guilt is killing me.
Oh, and as for the door, I'd need to see it against the rest of the house. On its own it seems a bit much. But then, my sense of fashion died with pegged pants and Beatle boots.
I've never taken a post down. I've started writing several that I never put up.
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