March 23, 2011

• On Polished Posts vs. Raves and Rants

  When I get an idea for a Xanga post, it may stay in my head for days before I actually post it. It thus gets some time to marinate and age well until it comes forth freshly seasoned for your blogonomical consumption. (Whoa, "nom" can also be seen as an abbreviation of gastronomical. MIND. BLOWN.) I do love writing a post where I feel like each word was already written, and I am merely changing the font color to make it visible for all.

  The problem is that often a highly polished post gives no room for reader interaction. It seems at times that the more well-written a post is, the less likely it is to actually create a good conversation. At times on the web, there's an amusing phenomenon where having slight errors and inconsistencies, or publishing something that isn't quite airtight in its arguments, actually creates a better post. As people rush to debate and correct and polish, they co-create with the original writer, and it provides a possibility for a better post than what might have occurred otherwise. Raving and ranting, even though it may seem juvenile, can actually help create truth and uncover hidden frustrations and feelings.

  However, there's a point at which unpolished posts create harm. For example, writing a post titled "Why are Greek People so Argumentative!" and then babbling about it would be a poor use of ranting (example as well of the UCLA video that offended Asian folk). When writing about an ethnic category or type of person, ranting and using a broad brush creates an unfair feeling of cruelty and judgment. If one is going to tread on such areas, one should be classy enough to create airtight, reasoned arguments. It's exactly why I don't read some of the more popular bloggers. They intentionally slur groups for pageviews, and then act as if they are creating art or discussion instead of just manipulating and offending for amusement. Rudeness, even when hidden behind humor, is rudeness. I'm reminded of Solomon's proverb that "Like a madman who shoots flaming arrows, arrows, and death, so is the person who tricks his neighbor and says, 'I was only joking!'"

  In the end, I decided to private Monday's post for now. I do sometimes think I should be a little more emotional and direct in my posts. Those of you who know me off Xanga know I can be quite opinionated at times. But words have power, and although too much polish can be intimidating and perfectionistic, too little polish can be offensive. It's a delicate dance, but one worth undertaking, just as the chef attempts to perfectly time when the dish is removed from the oven. Seasoning one's speech with salt and avoiding idle words can become frustrating at times, but the peace and joy that result are well worth it. So back to the kitchen it is, with the tap shoes on and the apron at the ready. Thanks for reading this rather self-centered, mundane take on the writing process.

  • 11:03 am
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