I’m new to this whole blogging thing, at least having my own but I’ve been reading other’s blogs for a few years now.   The one thing that keeps popping up are the blog trolls.   You know who I mean.  The people who leave a comment, usually anonymous and always flaming.   Sometimes I think I need a flame retardant monitor when reading them.

My good friend Prad has his very own troll it seems.   I suppose it’s simply a fact of life that the minute you open yourself up to the public, you invite in everyone’s comments, good and bad.   Well that’s fine.  And honestly, if you can’t take the public criticism, don’t start a blog.   I mean really, if you didn’t want to share your thoughts, comments, feelings etc with the rest of the world, you wouldn’t have a blog.   I include myself in that *you* by the way. 

So, back to Prad’s troll.  What I find more disturbing is this troll claims to be a friend of his.   With friends like that who needs enemies.  Now I have friends who I’ve been unhappy with before but I’d never go after them in public and anonymously besides.   If I have a problem with a friend, I talk to them directly.   I wouldn’t start a flame war on their blog and not even take responsibility for starting it by being anonymous.   Besides, in this day and age if you think you can ever be completely anonymous, think again.   There is always a way to trace and find out who you are.   So why not just be honest and use your name?

As I posted on Prad’s blog, if your going to comment on someone’s blog, use your name.   Own your own words and comments.  Eventually it’ll be found out who you are and then the only person who looks foolish is yourself.  

Between the blogs and flickr and all the other sites where we share the bits and pieces of our lives we have agreed to put ourselves out there.   We want someone to acknowledge us, to comment on our words, feelings, ideas, images and work.   We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t.  That said, we don’t want or need someone coming along and setting up a flame war just for the sake of doing it.   Either put your name on your comment or don’t comment.  If you don’t stand by your own words enough to put your name on them then why should anyone take anything you say seriously.

Ok, I’ll get off the soapbox.

/me waits for the blog trolls to descend.

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