Hitchhikers' Guide to the Blogosphere

I've been talking recently with some NEW readers to my blog about the nature of the whole blogging thing. We talked about how it was a good medium for logging what happens in my life and yet how it also dissipates some of my writing away from other projects such as the novel(s) I've been writing. However the biggest issue for a lot of people is about how you know what to write and what NOT to write in view of who might be READING the blog.

It's an interesting question.

As a person in ministry and someone with what could be considered, in some ways, a public role I have to think very carefully about what I put on the blog and, I must admit to you, my loyal blogees that I don't write about EVERYTHING in my life. There are a few things which get missed out quite deliberately.

How do I judge what I can and can't include? Well as a youth worker it's not too difficult.

I think to myself...

Would I be happy with my young people reading this?
Would the congregation be happy to read this?
How would the most sensitive person I know feel about it?

Yet it's more than the audience response alone. It's an interesting Christian reflection, as well, in the mode of loving your neighbour: What would the people I'm writing about think?

Obviously I don't want to flatter people or make out that they are amazing (though with most of the people I know that's tough because they ARE FABULOUS AND WONDERFUL PEOPLE!) and nor do I want to say horrible things about people but how much is "telling it like it is" only the truth from my perspective?

I think that's why I like the opportunity for people comment so much. You can get feedback on what you've said and especially what you've said about people.

So to the other bloggers out there....

How do YOU decide what does and what doesn't appear on your blog?