blogging

Time for a little blog etiquette. Whether you read a blog or author one (and, let's face it, it's like being on a reality show -- pretty much everyone's doin' it these days.), it's good form to remember your manners. Just because you can hide in cyberspace, doesn't mean you should, nor does it mean you can be a jerkwad on either end.

If you're reading a blog...

• No bad mouthing in the comments. Intelligent discussion, yes; name-calling, no.
  
• No cyber-stalking. You know, linking off to other poster's sites, finding their email, then spamming them. No one likes being cyber-stalked and pestered.
  
• Don't be a "concern troll" -- one who posts inane comments that have nothing to do with the topic at hand. Usually really stupid comments. Example: On an entry about Michael Jackson's death, someone posts: WHAT ABOUT WORLD HUNGER YOU SHOULD BE SAVING THE POOR COUNTRIES?
  

If you're a blogger ...

• Return the favor. Don't ask someone to link to you on their blog if you're not going to link to theirs.
  
• Give credit where it's due, especially if you use someone else's smarts. Interviewed someone? Had a guest post? Give 'em a plug -- name their blog, movie, art gallery whatever, and for the love of pete, effing link to them. It's frustrating to share your expertise, only to find that the blogger didn't give you credit, or at least a link.
  
•  Nothing is private, and nothing on the web ever dies. So think twice before using your blog as a platform to bad-mouth the potential employer who didn't hire you, or your cheap bitch of a sister-in-law who gave you used socks for christmas.