Light Refreshments Served

How’s your Summer going? Awesome?
Great.
Have you been doing some activities on your Summer Wall?
Great. Me, too.
Added a few more to your list now and again?
Cool. . .
Oh, what have I added to mine?
Well, (since you asked) the other morning, over Cheerios, Hugh (still 4) said to me, “Mom, I’m going to go easy on you today.” Which unnerved me, but also confirmed some suspicions, and Phoebe (6, so she should know better) said to the home teachers “Well, thanks for coming, now leave!” And Margaret (18 months) thinks it’s funny to scratch me and slap me in the face.
So we’re going to add “teach manners” to our summer list.
And you?

I’ve been thinking about online etiquette lately. Alright, I read something on the world wide web that offended me. So here’s my question: What is online etiquette and does the online community at large accept a given set of standards or, more bleakly, even recognize there are some.

In my research (20 minutes on the internet), I realize that online etiquette is pretty much the same thing as “good manners,” which may be part of the problem. Our “in your face” culture does have a “take it or leave it” policy and we all think everyone should know our every thought, good or bad. Yes, I’m still writing this post. Look at me! I’m ironic.

I try to have good manners, and I try not to write anything that may offend anyone, but we all know that offense is lurking in every corner and can come out of nowhere at anytime. What I’m concerned with is how we train ourselves how not to be offensive if there’s not immediate reaction to something that is offensive or crazy. In public you can say whatever you want, but if it’s mean, strange, wrong, or flat out offensive, you get an immediate reaction. We have smirks, eye rolls, widened eyes, guffaw’s, and spit takes. As I may or may not have revealed on this blog, I like “the facial expression.” It helps me talk less. (Which, lets face it. . . is a good contribution to society.)

So maybe I stop reading some blogs. Maybe I block some facebook profiles. I don’t know. I think, overall, maybe I just get over myself and the pride part of me that wants someone to know when I’m offended, whether they meant it or not.