One of my visitors in the past 24 hours came here by conducting a search for Cooper's Corridor.
Now, I've no intention of dredging up blogosphere crackpots and their exploits. It really was a shame that Cooper didn't exist, and i prefer to think that he does, in some form, just not the great image we'd all bought from Jo the crazy.
But it made me wonder how and why someone would go to the trouble of creating a fake persona to present to the blogosphere, and the world. That can't be easy.
Sometimes, like maybe today, I find it difficult to come up with the energy, the interest, the rage, whatever it takes that day, to come up with a post. I can't imagine the amount of time it might take to find a ready-made post that could even conceivably be used as one's own. That person needs a job.
I will say that I have had my share of run ins with the internet crazies. I've had comments that were so deluded as to be nonsensical, I've had others take my emails and post them in an effort to hold me to public ridicule, they, of course knew nothing of my "family" so their attempt at ridicule fell totally flat. But there is an element of protection one must always keep in mind when talking about personal stuff on the internet. That very same person accused me of hiding behind a computer. They're obviously so crazy as not to need to fear anyone or anything.
I do tell personal stories, but I usually change names or just use initials or refer to people with pronouns etc.
I started out with my real identity on my profile, and after reading about others experience with such honesty I went back and changed some details, omitted others and left what I thought I safely could.
I re-read some of the comments left on Joe My God about Cooper's Corridor and thought to myself that it must be pretty easy to get caught up in a blogosphere existence. If one has the time.
I choose to go outside everyday and live my life. You know, like interacting with...people...and stuff.
I'm quickly coming on the season I like best, the holidays, when I get a break from virtually everything. Next week is mine, and then two weeks at Christmas. I'll lay about, read a lot, ride a lot and probably make some pots. There'll be some socializing, it IS the holidays after all, and I'm staying in town this year.
I'm feeling some guilt about not being involved in activism locally so I might...and I say might put out some feelers in that area, we'll see. If it's still the same old people, doing the same old thing, or worse yet, new ones doing the same old thing, I may just pass and let the youngsters carry on. I'd like to get involved again though, I think I still have things to contribute.
Oddly, there I feel I can drop my anonymity and be an identifiable voice. Sad that the blogosphere can't provide that.
