Some years ago I started a Facebook page after encouragement from work colleagues. After a while I realized that I hadn’t much to say. Now, those who know me would contend that I am definitely not short of an opinion as I often have to point out the blindingly obvious to them. My conclusion was that the medium was not conducive to the things I would venture to say. I could not convince myself that the mundane items that were up for discussion would benefit from anything I could add – why add my banality to the rest?
Later I was tempted to try again as Mrs W pointed out that there was more there than looking at pictures of food that people were eating and that it was a case of choosing carefully. Additionally, if I was to undertake a business then neglecting what could be a powerful tool to promote said business would be silly.
So, back again I went and as well as a personal site there is one for Blue Key. For personal use I am convinced. There are plenty of useful sites out there providing snippets of information that fit your tastes. Thus I follow Huffpost, Another Angry Voice and others to get a view on event different from the main stream media. I also have fun because there is frivolity to be had for those who delight in puns, for example.
But, then there is the tryany of words. I write tryany as I feel as if I should be declaiming (must declaim?) to the world, if only to show my existence to potential customers. Regarding the whole internet as a way to connect I still find myself thinking, ‘what have I to say that will be of interest?’. Looking at this blog it can be noted that I am not exactly verbose so why not? The publication of material is free, the audience is not guaranteed but I cannot be corrected or edited – I write as I wish with no one dictating content or context or opinion. Part of it, I must admit, is that though being grey in beard and having no fear of computers, phones and so on I am not of the generation that has grown up with this facility and thus I find it an effort to overcome the reticence to opine. In my grimmer moments I imagine that I am so accustomed to keeping quiet when faced with managers and their egos (and fear of reprisals) that I have lost courage to utter, speak and give forth my voice.
The hard place (near to the rock above) is ‘what if I write something that is going to upset someone?’. I have heard it said that employers look at the social media of prospective employees and even distrustful if someone does not have a profile somewhere. Certainly when writing a previous article I gave thought that the public sector may not like some of the sentiments expressed and would I be erasing future opportunities with contracts with some council.
And the conclusion: it is a nightmare, you are damned if you do you are damned if you don’t. The downside for the world at large is that there may be more coming from this author as I attempt to shout out ‘I am here!’.
