So What You're Saying Is...

A crime novelist, Patricia Cornwell, recently made a donation to John Jay College of Criminal Justice in the generous amount of one million dollars. In an interview with the associated press, at which she discussed her motivations for the donation, she was asked at some point a question about mistakes she had seen made by law enforcement at crime scenes. Of course she answered the question with some general mistakes she had witnessed during the research for her novels.

Of course, bits and pieces of the extensive interview have been circulating on the internet and in newspapers, but much to the dismay of Patricia Cornwell, many have chosen to use the bits and pieces that could lead to the public misconstruing her intentions with the donation and to assume she is criticizing the field she has so passionately written about. And as the article A $1 Million Donation to a College, and$250,000 to Explain It points out, she felt the need to run full page ads in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today explaining her motivations and addressing the potential misunderstanding.

This just shows how easy it can be to misunderstand what someone is saying. Especially in blogs like on ProgressiveU. You understand what you are saying, but sometimes it will read much differently to others who come from a different background. No one shares the exact same religious beliefs, education level, regional exposure, life experiences and so many other factors that lead to someone's individual point of view.

Although we are luckier here for the fact that all of what we choose to write is in a blog, not just bits and pieces chosen by an outside individual, this situation could lead to a good lesson. Be careful of what you type and what you intend by it. Sometimes a very general statement can sound like a direct attack to someone else. You cannot please everyone, but there are some tips that could lead to less aggression being aimed at you or even the boycotting of your blog:

1) Use none specific pronouns and nouns. Instead of "you" (which sounds direct) try using "we" or "they" or other inclusive nouns that point at generalities.
Example: You shouldn't vote for _________ because.... Sounds like you are telling someone what to do. Try: No one should vote for __________ because...
2) Explain your thoughts clearly and thoroughly. If you say something and then leave out good reasoning it seems as if you have not done any research or like you may pick sides on a whim. Links and references are your friend!
3) Use proper spelling, grammar, contractions, and capitalization. First off, you seem more intelligent if you sound like your English teacher. This is especially true in titles. When you write your title in all lowercase, misspell a word, or break a rule of grammar your argument suddenly sounds like it is coming from third grader who has yet to be taught that lesson.

These are just some things I have witnessed on some blogs popping up and has been a deciding factor on if I read a post or not. The title is so important because you have to get them to click on your post before your argument has purpose. Citing your sources (and having them in the first place) gives you a solid ground to build on that is a lot harder for someone to knock your opinion down.

Attacks are not fun (unless you are into that kind of arguing, in which case please look into the debates because that would be perfect for you) and avoiding unnecessary attacks are well worth it. It is one think to start an intellectual conversation or even debate, but giving anyone a reason to not want to read your blogs is not helpful.

Think about it...