Having been around here long enough to grow moss (if I didn’t keep moving, I mean), there are some n00bs who want to know how they can become part of the gang.  Some come in through the front door, sending me emails asking questions about blawging.  Others try the backdoor, leaving a comment along the lines of, “I posted about this subject too!!! Here’s my post…”  Well thanks, Skippy, but…

It’s not important what I think (as I’m regularly reminded by my immediate family, extended family, close friends and others whose names I don’t know), since I can only speak to the things that push me to tap on the keyboard from time to time.  But since you asked, let me offer one suggestion: If you care about it, chances are far better that you will make me care.

Most blawgers don’t care.  You write because you think you should, or must, as you’re harangued that the future of the practice of law depends on marketing yourself online.  Do it or die, and nobody wants to die.  Even if your blawg doesn’t have the subtle, “and if you find yourself in cuffs, then you need me, a really cool criminal defense lawyer who’s aggressive yet caring, by your side,” the post borne of necessity nonetheless emits an unpleasant odor.  You’re not likely fooling anyone.

Caring almost always involves having actual thoughts and opinions.  No one needs to have a story repeated in the blawgosphere for the 400th time.  There are more legal news aggregators around than we can shake a stick at.  The niche is full, move along. 

But having thoughts and opinions can be a problem, as anyone who has tried already knows.  First, thoughts and opinions are not always universal.  Have one and someone may disagree with it.  Oh no!  Disagreement is the death of marketing.  Love and happiness is where it’s at, baby.  But if you want to be universally loved, you can’t have any thoughts or opinions.  A vicious circle.

For those of you for whom the words of Sir Joshua Reynolds were intended, thoughts and opinions are a booby trap.  Your thoughts and opinions may be brilliant.  They may be, ahem, less than brilliant.  Consider the possibility that if you put your best and deepest thought online, you may reveal to the world that you’re not the sharpest knife in the drawer.  I realize it’s a long shot, but it could happen.  Just something to think about.

A while back a blithering idiot social media guru informed me that my posts are controversial because I’m trying to gain eyeballs.  Not that I don’t admire people who don’t have a clue what drives me informing me of my purpose as much as the next guy, but he was wrong.  I only write about things that matter to me.  If it should be controversial, so be it, but I care enough about it to put it into words.

If anyone bothers to read it, I hope it’s because they care too.  If they don’t, they’ve wasted their time.  I would hate to think that I am the cause of anyone wasting their time.  If my writing doesn’t make you care, then please spend your time doing something more worthwhile.  And if you want others, including me, to spend my time reading what you write, then make me care.