naming blogs is easy

The first bulletin board that I was really active on took pains to remind users, when they logged in, “You own your own words.” To me, that phrase encompassed everything from copyright to what standards the level of discussion should be at — the idea being that ownership of your words would maybe make you think more about what you posted, make you less inclined to say things like “It’s just an online argument” or spout off ad hominem attacks in lieu of engagement. (It should be noted, btw, that this was a board where you couldn’t hide your real identity that easily, although that of course didn’t stop the occasional troll from paying $20/month and logging on to try and cause drama.) Hell, this whole concept may have played into my “get ‘maura’ as a username on as many online services as possible” obsession as much as my own narcissism; I wanted people to be able to see the full picture of me, for better or worse.

So when I see people say things like “it’s just a blog” I get my hackles up. The whole idea of taking responsibility for what you write and say, no matter what the venue or how much of an idiot you (I) might look like if I say something that has a mistake or a faulty assumption, is, I’d argue, more important now in the “empty peddled snark vs. press-releasey bullshit” era than ever, and it’s probably why I’ve been grinding myself into the ground over the past two (!) years. It’s become more precious to me as I’ve grown older, as others’ words have both taught me and wounded me, and as my words have done the same to my friends and people I’ve never even met. Words have power, and they should be treated like treasures. Own them and, by extension, own your thoughts; own your thoughts and, by extension, own your whole self.

(On the lighter side, I almost called this post “Ownership Society 2.0,” but I nixed it because oh my God, you guys, could you imagine?)