It seems like I keep running into conversations about Netiquette in very odd places. In a conversation with Joe last week we were discussing the blog "lurker." I've been guilty of this, although mostly on author blogs and mostly because I don't want to be that fan who attaches -wa after my name on Scott Westerfeld's blog). At the same time, I recognize that everything I type is available to anyone who stumbles across it, and I should always assume a certain level of unidentified readers.
A discussion on a message board I read recently resulted in a list of member blogs to which someone asked if he/she should get permission before linking someone on their blogroll. My gut reaction was "YES," but mostly because I always wonder when Google Analytics tells me 18 people from Santa Fe logged in yesterday and I'm not sure that I even know one person in Santa Fe. Likewise, another discussion board revealed that for those of us with recipe blogs, certain magazines will come after bloggers who modify a recipe and include a line like "inspired by ..." This really shocked me. In my mind it goes against the concept of blogging. I would never copy another person's idea or words, but blogging is about connecting those ideas (and seriously how many can you say bring water to a boil and add...?).
I'm curious how others view netiquette. I use initials, but anyone with half a brain could find out who I was in a matter of minutes. Mostly I do this so that if my students google me, my blog is not the first this that pops up. Do you lurk? Do you "hide" your real identity? What are the new netiquette rules in your mind?
3 comments:
I always default to calling people by their online nickname, i.e. whatever they've chosen to call themselves on the net. Seems a safe assumption.
Seems to me that linking to someone is only ever doing them a favor (with a few extreme exceptions), but I largely consider the entire idea of blogrolls and sidebar links irrelevant. I live in a world of aggregation via RSS, FriendFeed.com, Socialthing.com, Twitter, etc., and so it never even occurs to me to use those features at all, let alone use them resopnsibly.
Just my $0.02. :)
I lurk when you are sleeping; I lurk when you're awake; I lurk if you've been bad or good; so, just lurk for goodness sake...
I had not heard of such a problem, but in my opinion lurking isn't a problem until a)It goes on a for an extended period of time, or b)it causes mental anguish to the reader.
@rakicy are you referencing specific incidents? :)
I agree there is a difference between lurking with malicious intent and lurking because you don't know what to say.
Post a Comment