I’ve been using the Internet in some way or another since 1996. In this time, I have “met” a lot of people. Whether they lived half-way around the world, or, 50 miles away, I found it fascinating to chat with someone I otherwise would never have known existed-young, old, black, white, gay, straight. I’ve also physically met quite a few people and what I learned-the online persona, was quite different than who they were face to face.

In the age of emails, blogs and chat-rooms, what we see of a person first are the words he/she types. Words are powerful; they can also be deceiving. For example, if I typed, “I’m so sick of so and so talking about such and such,” how would you perceive the text? Would you think I was angry at the person? Would you interject your own meanings into the phrase? If so, how would you know the tone of the statement? Answer: you wouldn’t, unless I made another comment about how I was being sarcastic, joking, etc. But, if I didn’t add an explanation, you, as a reader of my text, would keep assuming something which wasn’t there. Make sense? Writing in a blog format is a bit easier, I have control over the words I emphasize. Yet, you cannot see my body language, facial expressions, or, the tone of my voice.

Growing up, I was taught not to judge others and I certainly try not to judge another based on what he/she writes, in a blog, or any other platform. I don’t know them. Stephen King writes horror-but, if you have ever watched an interview, took note of his voice, the tone, his body language, you would know he isn’t an ax murderer and doesn’t speak in the same tone as he writes. Think about the blogs you read each day-you form an opinion based on the writing only-but, do you really know the life the person is living? No. None of us do, unless we happen to physically know the person. The Internet isn’t the place to judge someone. Before you cast an opinion, stop and think- how would you feel if someone automatically assumed something about you that wasn’t true?