Hostile environment.
Aug. 2nd, 2006 10:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bladesparkIt's interesting, how knowing one's readership affects what one wishes to write.
Up until today I'd rather assumed that everyone who read my live journal fell into one of three categories. Firstly, personal friends of mine, who read because they care about me and want to know what I'm up to. Secondly, people who don't know me but who are friends of friends and who I might well come to know and like if they stick around. And thirdly, fans who I might or might not like if I got to know them, but who at least admire my work and think well of me. And perhaps I might get somebody who occasionally wanders through, reads a post, but moves on without doing much, so they hardly count.
I didn't have to think about writing to that audience, it's a pretty easy one. I just wrote whatever came to mind. I've never been shy about sharing my feelings and thoughts.
But now I find that I've got a fourth group who are reading at least some of these posts, and those are the people linked here by Goober. They appear to be reading to find excuses to make fun of me, and to look for supposed faults in my personality. (Did you all know that my mermaid picture is sad, and sorry, and they were being kind and benevolent by not bringing up all the "problems" it proves I have? I'm actually quite curious on that front, because I can't for the life of me think what sort of probems posting goofball not-really-nudes of myself would be symptomatic of. If anybody has any ideas, let me know.)
The funny thing is that knowing a hostile audience may well be reading isn't making me want to post any less. (You might notice that by the existence of this post.) It's actually engendered a sort of "bring it" attitude. They're quite welcome to form whatever opinions of me they wish to have, but I'd like to think I'm quite capable of holding my own should another "well meaning" attack be launched against me and mine. *grins toothily* So bring it! Yin, Guardian, Aidan, Aidan, Serapha, Flame, and even Angelcat are all ready and willing just now. I think I've got them outnumbered!
Up until today I'd rather assumed that everyone who read my live journal fell into one of three categories. Firstly, personal friends of mine, who read because they care about me and want to know what I'm up to. Secondly, people who don't know me but who are friends of friends and who I might well come to know and like if they stick around. And thirdly, fans who I might or might not like if I got to know them, but who at least admire my work and think well of me. And perhaps I might get somebody who occasionally wanders through, reads a post, but moves on without doing much, so they hardly count.
I didn't have to think about writing to that audience, it's a pretty easy one. I just wrote whatever came to mind. I've never been shy about sharing my feelings and thoughts.
But now I find that I've got a fourth group who are reading at least some of these posts, and those are the people linked here by Goober. They appear to be reading to find excuses to make fun of me, and to look for supposed faults in my personality. (Did you all know that my mermaid picture is sad, and sorry, and they were being kind and benevolent by not bringing up all the "problems" it proves I have? I'm actually quite curious on that front, because I can't for the life of me think what sort of probems posting goofball not-really-nudes of myself would be symptomatic of. If anybody has any ideas, let me know.)
The funny thing is that knowing a hostile audience may well be reading isn't making me want to post any less. (You might notice that by the existence of this post.) It's actually engendered a sort of "bring it" attitude. They're quite welcome to form whatever opinions of me they wish to have, but I'd like to think I'm quite capable of holding my own should another "well meaning" attack be launched against me and mine. *grins toothily* So bring it! Yin, Guardian, Aidan, Aidan, Serapha, Flame, and even Angelcat are all ready and willing just now. I think I've got them outnumbered!