Comments on: Fracturing Foot-In-Mouth http://billwardwriter.com/fracturing-foot-in-mouth/ Bill Ward's blog of all things genre Fri, 11 May 2012 17:17:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Bill Ward http://billwardwriter.com/fracturing-foot-in-mouth/comment-page-1/#comment-2562 Bill Ward Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:44:00 +0000 http://billwardwriter.com/?p=2123#comment-2562 Good advice -- I stick with the more 'general audience' approach myself. Good advice — I stick with the more ‘general audience’ approach myself.

]]> By: steve davidson http://billwardwriter.com/fracturing-foot-in-mouth/comment-page-1/#comment-2561 steve davidson Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:34:41 +0000 http://billwardwriter.com/?p=2123#comment-2561 I think one of the issues is that many folks for whom "blogging may be dangerous" came into it midstream, with little or no thought to possible future consequences. These days, someone starting out fresh, I'd recommend that you figure out what your audience is FIRST. If you want a "general audience" - stick to talking about your writing, friends, neat things you've found on the web, etc. In other things, subjects that will not piss off members of a general audience. If, on the other hand, you are playing to a particular constituency that holds strong views and are happy restricting sales to that group - have at it: you'll make your core audience happy that you are a public face for their (extremist) views, and the folks you'll be pissing off wouldn't be buying your stuff anyway... I think one of the issues is that many folks for whom “blogging may be dangerous” came into it midstream, with little or no thought to possible future consequences.
These days, someone starting out fresh, I’d recommend that you figure out what your audience is FIRST. If you want a “general audience” – stick to talking about your writing, friends, neat things you’ve found on the web, etc. In other things, subjects that will not piss off members of a general audience.
If, on the other hand, you are playing to a particular constituency that holds strong views and are happy restricting sales to that group – have at it: you’ll make your core audience happy that you are a public face for their (extremist) views, and the folks you’ll be pissing off wouldn’t be buying your stuff anyway…

]]> By: Bill Ward http://billwardwriter.com/fracturing-foot-in-mouth/comment-page-1/#comment-2559 Bill Ward Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:14:47 +0000 http://billwardwriter.com/?p=2123#comment-2559 I can only imagine if Harlan Ellison had emerged during the age of the blog . . . Your example of Gaiman reminds me of another aspect of this, how very well-established and popular entertainers can get away with far more than the midlisters. Not that 'GRR Martin isn't your bitch' is all *that* incendiary, but still a peon might have caught some clack for it, while Gaiman would clearly have to turn into a baby-eating cannibal or something to alienate his fanbase. I'm not actually saying there is anything wrong with that, if anything we should be more forgiving across the board unless we are talking about truly heinous behavior. Luckily, my own tendencies are to avoid arguing about most subjects because, in my experience, it is very seldom that a person emerges from a debate with their minds changed anyway, so what's the point? To prove I'm right? Life is too short. I can only imagine if Harlan Ellison had emerged during the age of the blog . . .

Your example of Gaiman reminds me of another aspect of this, how very well-established and popular entertainers can get away with far more than the midlisters. Not that ‘GRR Martin isn’t your bitch’ is all *that* incendiary, but still a peon might have caught some clack for it, while Gaiman would clearly have to turn into a baby-eating cannibal or something to alienate his fanbase.

I’m not actually saying there is anything wrong with that, if anything we should be more forgiving across the board unless we are talking about truly heinous behavior.

Luckily, my own tendencies are to avoid arguing about most subjects because, in my experience, it is very seldom that a person emerges from a debate with their minds changed anyway, so what’s the point? To prove I’m right? Life is too short.

]]> By: NewGuyDave http://billwardwriter.com/fracturing-foot-in-mouth/comment-page-1/#comment-2558 NewGuyDave Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:39:34 +0000 http://billwardwriter.com/?p=2123#comment-2558 Or you could go nuts on a fan and look unprofessional to a lot of people, like some think of this post in Neil Gaiman's journal. http://journal.neilgaiman.com/search/label/George%20R%20R%20Martin Personally, I think blogging is dangerous and I try to stay away from sensitive issues and potentially offensive comments. Does that make it bland, sure. But am I safe, you bet. Or you could go nuts on a fan and look unprofessional to a lot of people, like some think of this post in Neil Gaiman’s journal.

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/search/label/George%20R%20R%20Martin

Personally, I think blogging is dangerous and I try to stay away from sensitive issues and potentially offensive comments. Does that make it bland, sure. But am I safe, you bet.

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