I love a lot of things about the internet.
I also really hate some things about the internet.
At the moment I’m pondering one of the biggest reasons that I particularly dislike the internet, as seems to often be the case with the internet, it is also (in some ways) one of the things that makes the internet so great.
That thing? The freedom of the internet.
The freedom of the internet is the thing that makes the internet so great. It’s ths freedom that gives people who wouldn’t normally have a voice the ability to speak and be heard. It also allows a stay at home mom to create a business that allows her to stay at home, raise her kids and run a profitable business.
The fact that anyone can do anything on the internet is incredibly powerful.
However there is a dark side to this freedom, it can create a place where bullies and thugs can and do thrive. It creates a place where illegal business can happen and people can be taken advantage of.
So why am I thinking about freedom and the internet more lately? Because I’ve had to deal with more crap recently than at any point in my “online career.” Why is it worse now than it used to be? Because I’ve been creating more content recently that people actually pay attention to. As long as you create content that no one sees, no one cares. When people start to notice, they like nothing better than to start picking you apart.
It’s tough though, it hurts every time I read a comment where someone attacks who I am or what I’ve done. Sometimes there is a nugget of truth to what they are saying, but often times they are just full of hot air.
I work hard at the things that I do on the internet, trying to make the best quality content that I can. Most people are appreciative when they learn how to do something from a tutorial I’ve written or recorded… but all the good feelings that come from those comments can be completely swallowed by one guy who just wants to comment and let me know that he didn’t learn anything and he doesn’t like me or the way I explain things.
I know I need to have a thick skin about things… If a person doesn’t want to feel any opposition, the internet really isn’t a place to be sharing things. However I honestly don’t understand some peoples seeming fascination with putting others and the things they create down.
What does the internet need? More people who think before they speak… not fewer people speaking, just more people who think before they say things.
But perhaps just as important is the need for humility. The internet needs people who are willing to admit they don’t have everything figured out and who are willing to be wrong and admit it.
Seriously people, we’ve heard it before…
If you don’t have anything good to say… don’t say anything…
That goes for content creators and for those who comment on the content they create.