Cyber vs real selfs.
When we interact Online there are no visual clues — no body language, facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice to transmit meaning.It all depends on our words and the meaning put into them by the recepient.While our blogs should and I feel indeed do reflect our concerns and attitudes,I would like to know how far your online and real worlds coincide?
I gather that Blogging is increasingly about making money and getting readership-all bloggers are under increasing pressure to create a charismatic online presence. Does the desire to market put a strain on your true self??
PS: In real life I am playing the ponderous bureaucrat trying to act my age-I think my blogs are a rebellion against that.But does that affect my authenticity??
Hey varsha, that's a great topic to discuss !
first, our true self gets exhibited in our blogs, howsoever we try to portray it the other way around. ( or else you have split personality!) My blog shows the real me, which i cannot afford to show in the world i live. btw, we are in the same profession varsha!!
second, u r bang on right. I started to blog for the sheer pleasure of writing. But I am realising its a whole new world out there to be understood. rankings, followers and money, suddenly, i feel i am in the rat race, and thereby stressing myself. I have to get over this.
thirdly, no, i don't think, we are not authentic when we exhibit that aspect of our personality which hardly comes out. We are authentic in our expression, only thing is we are selective about the place where we should be what?!
hope i said enough!
Dear Tanu!
Thanks! for the crisp and clear thoughts-i get so introspective and self-flagellating at this perceived dichotomy in the two lives.
But you are so right-in real life we are playing so many roles-and while blogging we should strive to shed all external pressures and just BE.A blog is like "A Room Of My Own" where I can drop masks under the benign anonymity of cyberia and invite like-minded folks.
And belive me real life and blog life do intersect at some point-when I did not write I was more preoccupied with sweating the small stuff.It has made me a calmer more balanced person in real life.
But even if its blasphemy-let me get this out-
ranking-followers -money-sitestats It all distracts me from the act of writing and discovering myself through writing.
Mehfil shayar ki deewani ho,to bahut khoob ittefaq hota hai,Shayar,mehfil ka deewana ho to uska ilm khak hota hai.
I think I have opened a Pandora's box here and I am getting ready for cat-calls and hoots from the Geeks.
Tanu WTF? Et tu a part of bumbledom??
I do want real life to intersect with cyberlife here!!
Hmm...
I think to some extent everyone is different on their blogs than they are in real life - more coherent, more open, and more interesting - mostly because they're not always afraid of who is watching them and judging them. I think till that extent, its alright for the two worlds to not collide. (For example, I am certainly a hundred times more confident about airing my opinions online and thus definitely more convincing)
But deliberately acting different on the blog is not good. Your online personality cannot contradict your real personality (not the face you show people you know - but your core values) to a great extent, or else in the end you can't keep up the facade. My thoughts.
You are so right Sakhi-being online has great advantages as long as we are honest to ourselves.
But apart from that blogs do afford the pleasures of an alternative identity-where we can be our ideal selves.
totally different...............
Is it possible??Some concerns of yours must be spilling on to your blog?
I don't know if its right or wrong, but my blog reflects the real me! Initially I shared a lot of info about myself, but now i refrain, though the idea of blog and posts remain the same!
my cyber image of you is witty,whacky,irreverent adolescent-the cool college-going dude.
hi Varsha,
I think one can easily judge by single glance, what a blogger wants to say and his inner quality can be understood by a single line he has written.
If he has copy pasted most stuff then what ever are his own written words they will
surely express his true self in one form or the other.
Money oriented blogs will have mostly links filled in them in a meticulous manner.
They are truely professional blogs.
regards
pramod
I don't know whether this applies to all.Some blogs are personality oriented others are more abstract.
First of all i would like to thank Varsha to bring us to notice where r we heading.I actually felt that and agonized and sometime amazed at the influence of blogging in my life.
I want me in my blog and that was the sole purpose but after seeing so much commercialization in emotion thing I got stuck here and again thanks to VARSHA I am back again and my vision is very clear again.
FOCUS is the key word.
Arre Pratibha ji-kya baat hai!
Itne ahsaan ka ilzaam mat deejiye!
aap likhte rahiye khush rahne ki khatir;
padhne waale khud-b-khud rasta dhoodh lenge.
wow !! prats ...
thanks varsha ji.I really liked the way of inspiring me.awesome lines
To a major extent.. yes. My real self does get reflected in my blog. Infact some of my blogposts were a result of conversations I had on those topics wit friends. A case in example is my latest post.. Someone read n mailed me askin whether i truly believe in the things i have written? The answer ofcourse is.. I am , to some extent, able to do it.. but am nowhere near the level that would give me total peace.. so, tryin hard on tht front
The problem starts when we are unable to align our real and online selves...
Anyways............
@Varsha..
What impression does my blog give abt me ? Would be interestin to know..
Rebel without a pause !
But kuch criticism nahin hai.Every young person needs to go thru this phase.
Seene me jalan,aankhon mein ek toofan sa kyon hai?
Truly .. Every young prsn also needs to realise tht fire in the heart shld never fizzle out... else the 'rebellion' dsnt matter a bit !
Thanx for visitin the blog n comment
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