Category: Writing

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

Because of the snow over much of the US yesterday, I received several visits to my How to Drive in Ice and Snow posting from people doing Google searches on How to drive in the snow.

I gather that the fact my tongue was planted firmly in cheek while writing this post wasn’t completely apparent, because a reader left the following comment:

I was driving and certainly I was on top of that black ice you can’t see. Car started to spin and when I open my eyes my car was stopped by two others cars inside an auto shop. Nice try to tell people what to do in a snow storm. If a driver is not experience in driving in hazard conditions not tell them what to do. You know how teenagers are and they will go out there and practice what you guys are telling people to do. Be a little more responsible when posting things that young people could read.

That got me to thinking that a lot of my posts could influence young people to act in a contrary manner. For instance, there’s probably a teenager out there right now telling their Dad not to vote for George Bush. Ever. And there might be a teen girl who doesn’t blush and giggle because a group of boys whistle at her as she walks past.

My own irresponsibility shames me.

What we need is a weblog posting rating system — just like the ones the movie, music, and computer game industry use. You know, the ones that attach a Mature rating to a computer game about stealing cars and killing people, which parents then ignore because Joe Jr. keeps nagging them about it?

So here’s my proposed rating system. Please feel free to extend the list as you see fit:

G – Highly innocuous content unlikely to offend — or inspire — anyone

PG – Some independent thought could result from this posting, use caution

R – Post includes coverage of violent topics, such as war

ISM – Post uses language that some readers might find offensive or lacking in humor

TECH – Post contains technical material that may not be suitable for young children and people who go “Gah! Not Again!” when they see acronyms such as: RSS, RDF, XML, XHTML, and CSS.

WAR – Post is about the War on Terror. May not be suitable for those with a low burning point and a heart condition

ME – Post is about me and may not be of interest to people who aren’t interested in me

INTL – Post contains a lot of big words and covers a lot of really intellectual stuff that might cause real pain to some people.

CAT – Post contains some reference to cats. Use ~Cat when referencing dogs or kids

BLG – Post is about blogging, and my not be of interest to people who don’t like to read about blogging

SEX – Post contains material related to sex. Additional ratings associated with SEX are: SEX-R — risque; SEX-M — really risque; SEX-XX — Suzy down on the farm stuff

WTF – Used to gently remind the reader that not everything they read on the web is real

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

I woke up this morning and looked out the window to streets white with snow. Now I feel in the mood for the holidays. Not enough to shop or decorate or anything, but a winter holiday mood nonetheless.

I went looking for my version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to post again this year, and came upon this chestnut I thought I would share with you.

I wonder what ever happened to debate? Or disagreement? Or even getting pissed at another person and coming out swinging — in writing that is.

Weblogging is a natural forum for debate: Person A says something that person B doesn’t like, Person B responds, Person A counter-responds, and the weblog readers add comments or sit on the sidelines, rooting for the champion of preference.

This type of communication isn’t bad. It isn’t evil. It isn’t even counterproductive, particularly if both participants care deeply about what they’re saying and it shows in the thrust and counter-thrust of exchange.

Yeah, I like to debate, and I like to argue, and occasionally, I even like to agree. Regardless, I find it stimulating to get into a written exchange with someone who will give as good as they get, who won’t back down, who will argue passionately about their beliefs or views or opinions. And even tell me to go to hell, as long as the “go to hell” is well written. If they’re a better writer or debater than I am, so much the better.

I search the weblogs seeking Rousseau and Descartes and instead I find Casper Milquetoast.

Down to my last few pennies, literally, and half a book to rewrite before my next advance when fortune smiles on the Very Worried: I just got a gig that should last at least a couple of months.

Now if I can absorb all the new RDF changes into the book fairly quickly and get the advance, for the first time in almost a year I won’t be worried about money.

You’ll have to excuse me if for the next few days I turn into a blithering idiot from the relief.