You’re right about post-writing. In the months since I wrote the post about NYE ‘04, when I’ve re-read that post, I realize that I come off pretty darned flip. That wasn’t how I heard it in my head, but I can see where someone might read it and think “trollop!” Sure, I can tell them “that’s not what I meant,” but I might have just done a better job writing it in the first place.

The only problem I have with that is that proof-reading takes the joy (and spontenaeity) out of blogging! Eh, whatever.

That said, writers do need to take responsibility for what they say. I remember well that MIM incident, and what irks me about MIM in that case is not that she made statements with which I disagree, but that she didn’t really take responsibility for the inefficacy of her communication. Anyone who’s been on the internet for more than five minutes has experienced the net denizens who get all, “But you misunderstand me!” Readers do bring their own preconceptions to any “rhetorical artifact” (sorry for pulling out the academic term, there, but it’s really the best one to use in this case!) so misunderstandings can happen. But another thing that happens is that writers jot off posts without thinking about how inflammatory or hurtful they could be. And then afterward, they get all, “But that’s not what I was SAYing!”

On the topic of mother blogs, I’m a dooce devotee all the way. But everyone is, aren’t they?