I started to do my blog years ago simply to record our son’s
childhood. Almost 8 years of memories.
When I look back on some of my blog posts, it seems so
unreal what has happened to our family.
Our son was a toddler and now his is 11 years old ending the 5th
grade.
During those years, the focus of my blog had certainly changed
because of my strokes. I never intended my blog to be about strokes, aphasia,
etc. I realize that many of my posts are dark and perhaps too personal in
nature.
When I actually post my blog on social media, I realize because
of my “blog traffic” means a lot of people read my blog.
There is a certain responsibility when you understand that
people read your stuff. In the old days, journals and diaries were pretty
private. Now, blogs are “out there.”
Yet, I still include stark and real insights about my life.
As an elected official, I have a sense of responsibility to
be conscious about my views. I never want my post to reflect poorly on the
College of Western Idaho. So too, when my Twitter and Facebook posts are
written, I try to be mindful that “people” rarely understand the difference between
my personal observations and my public
role as an elected official.
The impact of social media is interesting. Unlike journals
and diaries which could be destroyed, social media is “forever on the Internet.”
With the advent if social media in the age of the Internet, what happens now is
reputations are destroyed rather than journals and diaries.
For me it is a conundrum. What should I actually share?
Several years ago, a reporter wrote a story about me. The reporter told me later that he read all
of my blog posts to get a sense about “Mark Dunham.” Many of my blog posts
after my strokes were incredibly raw and angry.
The fact that the reporter used my blog as background for
his story about my was unnerving to me.
My blog is “Out there!”
Yet, I continue to blog about pretty personal things. I have
written less than before because I really do not know who reads my blog. What
is my audience?
And, as my son grows up, I realize he will read my blog at
some point. At one point when the focus
of my blog was my son, I got a weird comment about my son saying he was really
good looking. Pedophile? Local? Russia? Some of my readers are from Russia!
Makes me queasy.
As a safety precaution, should change my blog or delete my
blog?
Again, “it is a conundrum.”
I do experiments. I can monitor the use of my blog though I
cannot identify actual readers. I can post my blog on Facebook and/or Twitter.
Or, I can simply publish the blog on the web without social media. The results are what you would expect. Social
media results get me more readers.
Is this a good or bad thing?
The bottom line, despite my misgivings, I will continue to
blog. Nevertheless, I do not blog much as I used to. And I am reflecting about
the focus of my blog.
What to do?
I will post this on web and Twitter but not on
Facebook.
The results will be telling. Or not.
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