On Being Nice

One of my primary rules for email and message board posting is this: Be Nice. I'm not directing that at everyone else, though I do think everyone else should abide by it, but I'm directing it at myself. The internet is a place where the person on the other end of the conversation is completely faceless and often times nameless as well. It is VERY easy to come up with a rude response to a...shall we say...poorly worded statement. I've done it myself, and, unfortunately, I'll probably do it again. Some forums seem to encourage this type of behavior. I've started to avoid those types of forums.

My thought process goes something like this: I've posted here before, so people probably know I'm a Christian by my user name. I must assume that at least some of the people here know that I'm a Christian, so I have to write accordingly. Simple enough? Well, not always. Hitting the "Send" or "Publish" button can be done much too easily. I read a blog recently where the author stated that he doesn't go back and edit his blogs. Boy would I be in trouble if I held to that rule. I've edited and deleted blogs after they've been posted. I've been pretty good with keeping my email straight, which is a very good thing, because once you hit send, its gone and there's nothing to stop the person on the other end from seeing it. That is also the case with some forums. Of course, the basic idea behind this is to think of others more highly than yourself. By doing this, you will always treat those who read your comments with respect, and they will always think you're nice...and that's not a bad thing.