TURNED INTO AN ESSAY...

Over on Livejournal one of my friends Tom wrote about how blogs and the like (because of their place on the net and the anonymity of those who write upon them) has given everyone the opportunity to allow their voice to be heard by a potentially wider audience.

The result of this is ranting. Of which I admit I am guilty but I at least put a disclaimer at the end of most of my rants explaining how I am often not in possession of all the facts and so all of the above was just my opinion. But ranting seems to be the result of blogs and online journals in general.

Here on 'The Pasty' I don't have a comments function so I don't know what people think of my life (as depicted here). But over on Livejournal people can comment on you posts. Which creates not only a community but a sense of 'self editing'. Not taht self editing is a bad thing in itself but it still creates an image of 'the self' and yet another mask we put on to influence the way people see us. Only this one is in the text of a screen.

In the Buddhist sense of the word this can only be a bad thing. In the abstract world of the computer barriers become raised. Not only are these text-based essays a poor form to communicate (unable to hear the intenations in people's voices nor their eyes or hand gestures, etc which I am sorry but cannot be made up for in 'smileys') but there is another 'voice' which we speak through. Our blogging voice.

Now, I talk about 'the truth', I talk about their being no aspect of my soul unplundered and revealed on this blog (given time, Ram is a deep person ;)) but am I not merely deluding you all with yet another voice? I think my other blog is a case in point. It is true that I beleive the things I say on that blog and will fight the fight but it is essentially a rant page.

So, as always, what is my solution? Well, as always this solution will apply to me and I do not expect anyone else to follow it. Besides, we all wear masks, in various different situations anyway, why should the computer be any different?

But I think for me the solution is merely to be honest and so that is what I shall be on this blog at least. I started this blog so that I could
A) Keep people up to date on my life if they haven't seen me
B) To let people know about the 'real' Ram. In terms of my life, my thoughts, etc.

In general this blog is a sourcebook for Ram. I shall endeavour to be honest in all I do as always and strive to be the best Ram I can be. This is where there is more, more information, more background, perhaps more explaination as to who I am.

I hope John appreciates that uber-update! Now I'd better do some work.

Ram.