The Blogging Experience
BetterMost continues to experiment with the concept of independent blogging by our individual residents in threads they essentially own and control to report on their lives, experiences, challenges, and more. It's a concept that can be liberating and maddening at the same time, because each person's blog is essentially their own home and property here in the community.
Sometimes things can get controversial in individual blogs, and it's always important to remember that these differ considerably from our other forums here because the owner of the blog can determine what messages can stay, and which need to go. At first glance, this would seem to remove any concept of freedom of speech and expression within a blog, because the author can censor whatever he or she wants. But actually this isn't the case, because any blogger here can raise any issue they like in their own blog. As long as the first and most important rule of BetterMost is never violated -- no personal attacks, discussions can be free-wheeling and debates can develop over issues raised in different blogs. And if someone wants a post or reply removed from their blog, they have the right to ask for that and you should avoid taking that too personally. In fact, you can still voice your opinion on an issue removed from one blog by posting it in your own. Just remember not to personally attack anyone in the process.
The freedom and power Our Daily Thoughts provides is a double-edged sword, because the community here can observe all actions, good and bad, and will often develop impressions of people based on how they conduct themselves in their blogs (and visiting and replying in others). The best impression you can make is to be tolerant of diverse opinions, try to be respectful in presenting your own views, and know when to stop kicking an issue to death. If I find someone's views intolerable and completely out of the realm of what I personally find acceptable, I'm not forced to spend time reading them, and nobody else is forced to either. I think it's always important to spend your time here focusing on the things that provide you enjoyment and fulfillment, and to avoid those things that distract or prevent you from finding that enjoyment or fulfillment.