Thursday, October 22, 2009

T - The Terrified Blogger

So here we are, mid-semester, and all 75 CreComm students (as well as some of our instructors) are entangled in the wonderful world of blogging!

I love the fact that I am required to have a blog for school; extra marks for something that I love doing, and have been doing for years anyway?! (Heck yes, I'll have an order of that with a side of awesome!)

There is however a downside to this blog-mania that has taken over Red River College.
You see, since I am in CreComm, and professionalism is of the utmost importance in this program, and in the 'real world' outside of this program; I am now terrified to write anything that I might be too risky, too 'out there', too 'unprofessional'...Yep. I am now essentially too scared to write anything that is actually interesting...
My blog now, I will admit, is a little bland. It's like to oatmeal of blogs; decent, but nothing to get too excited about. (Seriously, how many people wake up in the morning -- besides me -- and say; 'Heck yes, I'm having oatmeal for breakfast! -- I suspect that the same amount of people log onto their computers and say: 'Heck yes, I'm going to read Shelley's blog today!)
Ugh! (A big fat "Ugh" at that!)

Years ago, before I realized that there would be any recourse for my blogging actions, I wasn't afraid to put my thoughts out there in the unforgiving abyss of the Internet...Heck, I actually craved a good scandal on my blog. However, once I became a student, and was warned and informed by so many people in the professional and academic world of the ramifications of putting myself out there, I got scared.

And now, I am beyond scared; I am terrified!


I don't want to miss out on job opportunities because of what I have posted on the net; I sure don't want to have to eat my words, or have someone use them against me; and I sure as hell don't want to seem ignorant, or ill-informed to -- in my mind -- the millions of people that might, and probably, read my blog! Yet at the same time, I don't want a blog that is just so oatmeal!!
I want a blog that stands out; and I want something that people will actually read, and enjoy reading; and most of all I want to be able to blog without the intense paranoia that I am essentially screwing up my life and my potential career by what I post! -- I miss the freedom that I used to have as an "ignorant blogger".
Ugh, what a conundrum!

I guess I should find a balance. (At least that's what all the people who have peace of mind about what they blog about would tell me. But frankly my dear blog-friends) I just don't know how.

Suffice to say, I am still indeed trying to make my blog awesome, funny, clever, well written...etc, but I think it will take me a little while longer to break free from the terror that has been embedded in my thoughts by people who feel so inclined to warn me about recourse for my blogging-actions.
Well, now that I am panic-stricken, and about to have an anxiety attack about what I have posted on my blog thus far, I must say, I still really do love the idea that we are blogging in class!

Thanks Kenton!
The joy of tech courtesy of www.theeastvilliageidiot.com

3 comments:

  1. It's just one person's opinion but everything you have written so far has been professional and entertaining. I understand that it must be nerve racking not knowing how your professors and those in the position of hiring from the pool of CreCommers would respond to your blogs.

    You are doing fine.

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  2. Good work. Don't be afraid - just keep on doin' what you're doin'.

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