Context and Blogging

Context is so important on the internet.

The textual world of the internet is a different animal entirely from the acoustic world, where voices carry emotional cues to help us understand each other.

Therefore, the way that words are used becomes far more vital in conveying certain messages. It is difficult to understand a blog at first, largely because one doesn't know enough about the speaker. You read a few messages, perhaps the comments, read the About page. Soon you are able to hear the "voice" of the blogger. But it takes a bit of effort; you don't simply perk your ears and check out their shoes. You have to read a fair amount before you know where a blogger is coming from..

This characteristic is like a thin protective layer over our online thoughts. If someone is not really reading your blog, they can't immediately know what you're all about. It's not as easy as, say, looking at your fat ass spilling over two plastic seats at a basketball game to know you shouldn't be eating that extra hot dog. One actually has to connect on a verbal level to connect at all.