I guess it started back in 1872. A famous spot called Speakers' Corner located in Hyde Park, England. The ones who were word-worthy and brave enough to face old English hecklers, stepped up on the soapbox, (yes, a small wooden box that soap was shipped in) and with the confidence of a seasoned preacher... spoke.
To this day men and women alike profess their beliefs to passers-by on that very same corner. I'm sure many views were heard there, and I'm sure some were noteworthy and I'm sure some were pompous. (Pompous... I just like saying that word... Pompous!) Pompous or not, it wasn't always easy to exercise your right to free speech.
From the early 1900's up to the 60's many fought to protect or reclaim their right to soapboxing. Some passionate protesters even lost their lives for the right to step up on that little wooden platform.
So, here we are today, where we can simply log on to the cyber-soapbox; be it a blog like this one, or a social networking device like Facebook, Myspace or Twitter, (I still don't get twitter, maybe someday...) What freedoms we share in this wonderful age of limitlessness and communication. Well, wonderful to a point.
Facebook... I love Facebook. What a great time I have had contacting old friends and family. To be able to chat with a high school buddy and watch how people carefully choose the profile picture as not to expose the 40 pounds gained since commencement. I like being able to share with people what my day was like and how excited I get when my team had a good weekend. I love to banter with my co-workers about firehouse life on my Facebook wall, or make plans to ride on weekends.
The Facebook wall is simple, but too often people don't understand it's concept. It starts with "whats on your mind..." or "write something..." then ends with "make a comment." For some, it seems that my wall, is their soapbox. Well its not. That's why it is called, "my wall". Please reserve your soapboxing for your own wall. Or even better, find a medium such as this one. Google's Blogger is the home of many fearless modern day cyber soapboxers. Here you can have your own journal of passionate thoughts that flop around your head, and when one of the thoughts puffs out of your brain, blogger is a good place for it to land.
One word of caution goes out to some; if you post something on your blog it should stay there. After all, this is a journal... your formidable soapbox. In the old days when a man got up on Speakers' Corner and proved to the world that he was a friggin idiot, the damage was done. So be careful what you say... always. You see, here as well as in old England, your comment doesn't fall off the bottom of my wall, and unless you delete it, what you write is how people will form their opinion of you... forever.
To this day men and women alike profess their beliefs to passers-by on that very same corner. I'm sure many views were heard there, and I'm sure some were noteworthy and I'm sure some were pompous. (Pompous... I just like saying that word... Pompous!) Pompous or not, it wasn't always easy to exercise your right to free speech.
From the early 1900's up to the 60's many fought to protect or reclaim their right to soapboxing. Some passionate protesters even lost their lives for the right to step up on that little wooden platform.
So, here we are today, where we can simply log on to the cyber-soapbox; be it a blog like this one, or a social networking device like Facebook, Myspace or Twitter, (I still don't get twitter, maybe someday...) What freedoms we share in this wonderful age of limitlessness and communication. Well, wonderful to a point.
Facebook... I love Facebook. What a great time I have had contacting old friends and family. To be able to chat with a high school buddy and watch how people carefully choose the profile picture as not to expose the 40 pounds gained since commencement. I like being able to share with people what my day was like and how excited I get when my team had a good weekend. I love to banter with my co-workers about firehouse life on my Facebook wall, or make plans to ride on weekends.
The Facebook wall is simple, but too often people don't understand it's concept. It starts with "whats on your mind..." or "write something..." then ends with "make a comment." For some, it seems that my wall, is their soapbox. Well its not. That's why it is called, "my wall". Please reserve your soapboxing for your own wall. Or even better, find a medium such as this one. Google's Blogger is the home of many fearless modern day cyber soapboxers. Here you can have your own journal of passionate thoughts that flop around your head, and when one of the thoughts puffs out of your brain, blogger is a good place for it to land.
One word of caution goes out to some; if you post something on your blog it should stay there. After all, this is a journal... your formidable soapbox. In the old days when a man got up on Speakers' Corner and proved to the world that he was a friggin idiot, the damage was done. So be careful what you say... always. You see, here as well as in old England, your comment doesn't fall off the bottom of my wall, and unless you delete it, what you write is how people will form their opinion of you... forever.
4 comments:
What have I done this time?!
Oh my dearest brother Jed. I cherish your comments and opinion. Don't let my bantering ever hold back your soapboxability. Let her rip!!
Groovy entry about all the different sytles of internet speak....
I'm on facebook now too.. and finally back to bloggin more.. look me up on facebook if you , I'm Julie Ratledge
P.s. you should probably read them most recent blog entry to 'the hippie and the preach' for an update'.... take care friend...
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