Street Cred

Bo.okFa.ce (BF) joined 2 worlds for me. 1 -Bloggers I support/received support from 2- people that I have met in actual locations. (keeping generalization simple)

When I first joined BF, I wasn't aware that these 2 worlds would collide. Then the requests started trickling in. I was in a weird place (just given birth, working out career plans, daycare vs no daycare, OMG I am pregnant again, Wait - I'm a Mom now, WHAT?! ...etc Definitively a Very New Life. I wasn't comfortable blogging nor did I have enough time to write coherent, mediocre blogs or be supportive on others' blogs. So BF it was. I thought it was going to be a new way to keep up. Over time, I found my share of things about BF that made it much less "fun". Blogging Was Fun, Informative, Educational, and Supportive. 99.9% of the time Blogging had given me such a rainbow and butterfly feeling or explanded my knowledge or understanding of something. Quite educational and entertaining. In a postive way. BF has become drab, trite, spiteful, mean, passive aggressive .. None of the things I had received when blogging. I naively thought that I could experience the same camaraderie that I received/gave when in a blogging community. But, There are Different rules and standards. Believe me, There are.

Since I have been blogging much more, I have been wondering if more people involved in my local life have knowledge of (or found) my blog. I am learning how to be comfortable in my life and by doing so, I do not make blogging a secret. I also do not make it a focus of conversation. If asked, or if on topic, I will freely "fess up" to blogging. I usually will share the url if asked. I think it's accountability. I do not mind. I just would like people to treat the knowledge respectfully. That is where it slightly weirds me out. Since I AM a worrier by nature, I Worry that things will get taken out of perspective or used against me.

This is where I beg reader to participate in comments. I am interested in your situation. Do people in your local life know you blog? How did you handle it in the beginning? How did you find out people in your local life found your blog or knew you blogged? I have noticed that many of the blogs I follow now have their own BF page in their Blogger Identity. Is this to increase exposure? Has this transition helped the comments on your blogs?

I enjoy good discussions. Let's Discuss.

Also, If you have not yet, Please go and read Stirrup Queens new posts about Blogging and Social Media.

All around the Limbo World

Gonna do the Limbo Rock. Are you singing it yet, because this song and Won't you be my neighbor" are on repeat in my head these days

More bullets Because I still cannot make a coherent thought

• I wanted to do Calliope's Summer Camp .. I have missed 5 days, I may jump in soon
• I am STILL living under the roof of my parents and Nerves are getting pinched (everyone's)
• We are not saving as much dinero as I expected. (Car A/C went out, Repairing Credit, 3rd Bday, storage rental, upgrade cell phones/plans, eating out due to trying to give everyone space, having to travel to my nieces first bday and get a hotel)
• Hoping Time is on Our Side when it comes to having clarifications show up on our Credit Report
• Have I mentioned 4 Adults, 2 Toddlers Under 1900 sq ft and a Mutant Mosquito Infestation that is limited our outside time
• MY 17 yr old SIL - that was a FIASCO! She kept saying that My MIL told her that not all babies grow the same way and that maybe eventually there would be a heartbeat if they just gave it time. Again, a very touchy subject and lots of lies, nastiness and crap came out of a terrible situation. My poor SIL was bleeding and still would not give up the hope. I mean Hope that like should be rewarded and my MIL should be punched in the face for such delusional BS she fed my SIL.... We also found out that my 17 yr old SIL intentional tried to get pregnant w her 24yr old Live in Boyfriend ( they live with my MIL and MIL's 39 yr old BF - she prides herself for being a Cougar) Oh I could dedicate a whole Blog to My Inlaws

I have many blogs in my head but right now the loudest post is about social media. Let's see if I can articulate this:

I am just going to spit it out and work from there - IMHO, Of all the social media networks, BaceFook has seemed to have the most impact on the majority. As bloggers we already knew that some people misrepresent themselves on the internet but it wasn't the norm. We all knew that there were people following our blogs but there was still a lot of anonymity.

Bacefook came along and suddenly, everyone and their great-grandmother had a BF account and started making connections. Bringing to light that the internet can be "personal". We, as bloggers, also knew well before BF came along, that the internet can be personal and bring people together for a good cause and support system. But the average was made more aware.

My point to all of this is that BF upped a game that a vast majority did not know was being played. Nor, IHMO, did they know that there are understood rules to play/participate. So, there were plenty of people running around playing/participating a game they know none of the rules to. I am sure you can come up with some of the rules I am referring to. People became exposed to blogging..or the Underground as I call it.

All of this rambling to declare that I find an enormous amounts of Fouls being committed on the internet all revolving around a certain Social Media network. It gave a huge population a little taste and a lot of information that makes them dangerous.

I should state that I adore social media. I love blogging, tweeting, I enjoy supporting and learning - but I do not love being made fun of, back stabbed or judged because of others perspectives, ideas or thrill of voyeurism. For me, BF has made me more confident in the decisions I make and the fun I participate in and with whom I invite into my world. What about you?