be nice on the internet week.

 how's this for ironic:

today is the first day of be nice on the internet week and it's also bachelor monday. 

advertisement compliments real simple's facebook page.

things got a little bit dicey last week and before this week's re-cap post, i want to make a few things clear about being nice in my corner of the internet.

i believe we all have the right to say what we want on the internet. in our own venues.
when we're visiting other venues, no matter how appealing it may be to speak our mind so freely, we are invited guests and should behave as such.

i see the blogging community as a place wherein we uplift, celebrate, and cheer one another on. blame it on the lopsided number of positive comments we receive as bloggers. those sweet little boxes are full of complimentary yes-men who encourage our every move. 

show me a blogger who doesn't appreciate that! 

given that this is my venue, i hope that this can be a place where my readers would do as i would do:

i would never, ever, never use the comment box to invade someone else's space to openly, passive aggressively, or anonymously disagree with them. 

i read a lot of blogs - some of which i visit for nothing more than a good eye roll - but i appreciate the entertaining read and then i click on. if this is that place for you - please do as i would do. 

this text box is a place where i spill my guts three times a day. sometimes on things as personal as religion or cancer, and sometimes on things as pointless as polka dot masking tape. i respect the vulnerability of other bloggers who do the same. 

the blogosphere has introduced me to amazing friends from all over the world, has widened my eyes to a variety of viewpoints and motivated me to leap seven times beyond my sphere of creativity.

while all of these things add value to my day-to-day enjoyment, i recognize the internet is not reality.  there are far more important things, real relationships, that are not centered in the world wide web.

and so, as i continue to write, i invite you to be nice on the internet - this week and next.