Social media & trying to have a voice
There are many people on the internet who have a voice.
My little voice was being threatened by a peon who NEVER read an entire post I made and I was threatened in a way I could not believe.
It is the post I cross posted below about me not buying any music any more. Reposted with a link here. I would NEVER outright slander, hurt or harm anyone. However, I was continuously being disrespected on certain parts of the web and with that type of harassment especially as a black woman I felt it was time to go.
I thought long and hard for 8 years before blogging because I had a feeling this would happen.
It did.
I never became involved with social media to become a celebrity or to even have any type of web presence.
It is not worth me trying to explain anything to anyone but the people who know what went down know exactly what happened, and I did get an apology but I refuse to be disrespected on any levels anymore.
What happened was a catalyst of 12 years of issues I have had with the internet. Further, the post was not about any of them. I NEVER NAMED NAMES. Never in life have named names when I am annoyed to that level unless the person outs themselves on my blog for people to know that they despise me or disagree with me.
I knew about the dangers of the internet for YEARS and this is why I never blogged. I see the same ignorance, hate and disrespect everywhere. This is a main reason why I went to law school because I experienced the same hate 12 years ago online. Now, it is WORSE and it is not getting better.
It is not worth my brain cells to continue to write about myself because it was never about me I was writing about, but sharing about how I feel about the world. There is a lot of good but then bad too. That is life.
We all deal with depression
We all got issues
We all have hang ups
Thanks for those who reached out after I deleted my accounts on twitter and myspace.
Sorry to my friends at MOG where I gave no warning and I just deleted my blog because I was so mad from that idiot who came on my blog and disrespected me there last week. I knew it was time to leave from MOG some time ago so thanks to that individual for giving more reason to say to hell with it.
Blogging is all about being respectful to others (in my humble opinion) and I tend to attract people who are very disrespectful towards me despite all the "niceness" I give online. I know that is life but you have no idea of the insanity I have encountered this past year.
My Last.fm profile/blog will stay and I am debating about this blog too. Blogging has taken up a lot of my life and it is not worth it on some levels. I know people claim you can make money through blogging but I tell you I doubt someone like me could make money from blogging because I know I can be too radical at times. So, it is best that I eventually leave for my own sanity.
I only started blogging on VOX because of how I wanted to show my support for certain individuals but I see how dangerous it can be to out here alone and without support from a team of people who can help you truly support the people and causes you adore. I signed up purposely for Vox too so that if you want to be mean to me, you have to set up an account and curse me out.
Thank you for lending your eyes and ears to me. It is much appreciated. I am not giving up on VOX because there is a full year for the Presidential elections. So, I am here for support. Music entries will continue for certain artists who know I adore them. It is all in support of them and their causes and not about me trying to meet any of them. I only want the music.
A lot of people misinterpret what I have said about Prince and assume I am totally in love with him. It is about his music! I appreciate his voice in the music industry. Further, I don't blame his management for taking down his website either. I respect what he is doing. I wish I could have told him to not even start a blog or a song of a week because you see how music addicts like myself want more. [I recently ordered another 3121.com perfume set so you see the support and financial $ he has received from me. I respect his art and what he is doing no matter what anyone says. So go ahead and call me crazy too!]
Other people who I shared my support for know I have their back and I still do, but I have to protect me, myself and my sanity.
My own family does not even know how to use a computer or even read my blogs so it is extremely hard for me to explain a lot to them of what I have experienced. They want me off the internet for good unless I am employed in this field.
So this is my long winded vague not specific entry of why I took down myspace/mog and twitter. And, I have no regrets in doing so.
Now, if something happened to my last.fm journal I would be physically sick! I take more pride there than anywhere.
Thanks for listening, reading or even considering what happened to my presence on myspace/twitter yesterday.
--> cached version of my myspace blog, mog blog and twitter:
SerenityLife = Activism
2Serenity on MOG
JennTaFur on Twitter
[see your information is never lost]
--> cached version of my myspace blog, mog blog and twitter:
SerenityLife = Activism
2Serenity on MOG
JennTaFur on Twitter
[see your information is never lost]
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Comments
IMHO the opposite is true, I think you could probably make a great deal of money through blogging because of the positions you take and argue factually and passionately. Statistically speaking yours is a unique voice on the web and we need more not less. Vox is not a platform to make money for the bloggers. I would suggest one of the many other platforms that allow running ads and sponsors and more importantly have better control of comments and access. Vox is more of a community platform and has it's place, but if you also want to eventually make some money for your efforts, you will have to choose another platform.
You know where to find me, so Holla' whenever ya need
Peace and Love ~Vox
My take: back off from all of it; the hassle and upset simply isn't worth it.
You know, you CAN restrict content here; you can even restrict your entire blog. AND you can kill the RSS feed that Vox has enabled by doing the following:
1. go to Change Your Design (link is now in upper right corner of your blog page)
2. Click on "Customize sidebars"
3. Uncheck the "subscribe module" option
4. Refresh blog to see if it's gone
An RSS feed will show restricted posts in most (if not all) feed readers, so you *definitely* want to get rid of it. (I think....)
Hey Lil Sis....
The Internet, more so than life itself, is what you make it. The immediacy of the Internet (especially social media mechanisms), magnify and amplify things far more because of the way such mechanisms are designed. People often act out in ways that they wouldn't in real life because they can "hide behind a computer screen". I wish you the best in whatever online endeavours you continue, but always remember this - "interaction" of any form is just that - action between (inter) two entities...it always takes no less than two for this to occur. I try to remember that in my travels on the net, as well as off. Being nice as well as being radical (as u say u can be) always draws some sort of reaction, be it good or bad. You have a tremendously good head on your shoulders and a giving spirit...no matter what, don't forsake that.
Best,
F!
I so agree with the previous comments of both e2c and fresh, you can make your vox very private and keep unwanted people out, I really like that about vox, and people do tend to hide behind the computer, these same people who bully online if you saw them in person would not be so quick to do the same.
I personally have had much hurtfulness from the internet too, but i refuse to allow these peons to run me off the web that I pay for just like them.
I hope you will not close your vox and if you do find the need to leave, keep my snail mail info on hand,. love ya sweetie. take a break and breath.
Please feel free to shoot me a PM, too!
You know your my lil sis and you have my IM addys and whenever you need to hit me or the wifey we are here for you. ^_^
I was not pacing myself right. Information overload. But, I see I am not as into "social" media as most. I think my fit was what I had in the past which was reading the paper and other educational sources.
Sometimes I need to turn my light bulb switch off because I tend to love to learn and share that love but it is hard to teach when people are not receptive to you. This is part of why I said just to hell with social media yesterday. I am burned out!
Music journals are my solace and therapy. I love listening and writing what I feel when I listen to music and I will continue to do that but otherwise other issues I cannot jump into because it is just too draining.
Thank you for your thoughtful comments as always!
Thank you for the love. If Vox begins to get to that myspace feel. I will take the precautions to do what I have to do. But, if someone wants to come on here and make a true idiot of themselves with me. I will allow it and let them see what a moron they look like. I just do not have the energy though to blog as often as I did.
Yesterday was a wake up call for me! ;)
In the end you have to do you. Know that those who hate are only spreading what they feel towards themselves. Even if it is a personal attack and I know it hurts keep in mind that in some form they are hurting too.
But do what you have to do. You are missed on Twitter and thankfully you're keeping Vox and Last.fm
Keep doing what you love. Just avoid the places where ignorant folks congregate online. And so you know, if it ever came down to you feeling threatened by someone online, anonymity is merely an illusion. Under the right circumstances, you can find out who's behind an online presence. Trust in this and I got your back.