Online tolerance levels

Some people think I self-promote too much online. Those people are not even reading this post and that’s as it should be. Some people rely too much upon snark and too little on the substance they deliver, at least for my taste. I spend little or no time following these folks online and that’s also as it should be.

Differing tolerance levels

What you find funny, I may find outright disgusting. I may write about a business venture I am working on because I believe you will find it interesting. Instead you may read the post and think to yourself that I am doing nothing more than pushing that product. If that’s the way you read many of my posts than I just may not be for you. I’m okay with that.

Blogs are different than news sources. At least I think they are. The tone in which each of us writes is a big part of why the audience comes. I don’t even try to write my posts in a plain vanilla middle of the road way. My goal is the exact opposite. I want you to sense the passion of my position and the state of mind that drove me to write the post in question.

Opinions and perspective differentiate us

Snark or sarcasm might be your preferred and natural tone. I get that, and one of my favorite writers is unbelievably snarky. But she also delivers tremendous substance in every post she writes. My tolerance for snark, or any other tone for that matter, can be quite high when the substance being delivered is well – substantial.

Would you say it out-loud in front of your Mother? That’s my general rule of thumb for content I generate for this blog. On my company blog, I tighten things up even a bit more and ask myself if I’d say it on a podium in front of a group of industry leaders. On the other end of the spectrum, Twitter is a place where I ask myself if I’d say that while sharing a meal with a bunch of friends. So, yes, sometimes I drop a swear word on Twitter because it’s what you can expect from me face-to-face in a casual conversation.

My goal is that there be consistency in my online voice. I create rules like those above so that you can decide if my online voice fits within your online tolerance levels. You need to decide if my tone of delivery is tolerable in exchange for the substance I deliver. What I’d prefer you not do is tell me you don’t like my tone. Just tune out – okay?

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