Friday 6 February 2009

Bloggers Make The Bestest Friends!

Aims published a post, on the 4th February, which referred to an article, about blogging, entitled Dangers Online. I read the article and found it quite interesting, if rather too much of a generalisation. I couldn't help but feel a certain sense of horror at the suggestion running throughout, however, that it would be better for all bloggers to return to face-to-face conversation, rather than continuing to interact through the medium of blogging. What an idea! I can hardly bear to consider it! Online friendships are infinitely preferable, in my opinion, for the following reasons:

My cyber friends never stare in disapproving disbelief, if I hit the bottle before the sun's over the yardarm and start slurring my comments.

They don't point and laugh cruelly, when I'm blogging and miss my mouth, whilst knocking back the Gordon's, or when the mayo oozes out of my lunchtime sandwich and trickles down my chin.

They don't appear to mind, in the least, if I tuck my paper napkin in the neck of my jumper, slurp my soup, or wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, whilst commenting on their posts.

They're not in the least bit bovvered when I realise that I probably can find room for a hot chocolate with whipped cream, after just downing a 12 inch pizza, all to myself, followed by a sticky toffee pudding.

They never blink an eye, if I giggle, whilst quoffing a bottle of bin end bargain, spraying droplets of gnat's pee and saliva all over my immediate surroundings, when I'm reading their posts.

My bloggy friends allow me the absolute freedom to scratch whatever I want, as frequently as I wish.

I can be anyone I want be, when I'm in their company - but don't panic, bloggy friends. Fortunately, I've never wanted to be anyone other than myself. No, really.

They never make me feel guilty, if I'm still blogging in my Dora The Explorer PJs, when they call in to comment, at lunchtime.

I don't have to get up off my lazy arse to make them a cup of coffee, if they do call by, or offer to share my last chocolate Hobnob.

It doesn't matter if they pay me a surprise visit when I'm waxing my legs, or soaking my feet.

They never count the cobwebs, or criticise the decor.

I don't have to drive, walk, or even get out of my cosy bed to interact with my bloggy friends.

They don't wince, or whip out their sunglasses, when I wear the hideous orange top I bought from Primark in the sale.

They never stare in shock horror, when I tell them I buy some of my clothes from Primark.

They never ask me to lend them a tenner till payday.

They never interrupt me, or shout me down, when I'm in the middle of a post.

They never ask me a question, then hi-jack the conversation again, before I've made my point.

I can moderate all of their comments.

Their eyes never glaze over, when I start to get boring.

They never laugh, when I forget the point of my story.

Now, why did I start relating all of this? Hold on. It'll come to me, in a minute........ You're not laughing, are you?

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gasp! I will be sending you a copy of Debrett's Guide to Blogging Etiquette forthwith!

(please tell me the blogging whilst waxing is confined to legs? I dread to think of the accidents that could ensue from a bin-end-bottle / bikini-wax / amusing-blog scenario....)

auntiegwen said...

Ah yes, and you forgot to mention the naked blogging, or is that just me ? I jest, far too cold for your auntie x

Mean Mom said...

Mud - LOL! Good, I was thinking of lighting my open fire.

You're right! I'll be much more careful in future! Oooh, ouch - bikini wax....

Suburbia said...

Well, last time I was over I didn't like to mention that you were dribbling mayo, AND that the wine was the £3 for 10 offer that I couldn't possibly let pass my lips for fear of 'letting the side down'!

Goodness, that just slipped out!

.........We are still friends aren't we??!

S x ;-)

Mean Mom said...

auntiegwen - Yes, I did forget the naked blogging. My real friends hate it, when I turn up for coffee, in the Co-op, naked. You lot are so kind, though. You never complain.


Suburbia - Well, you are fortunate that I need all of the friends I can get! The gnat's pee is OK, once you get used to it. I didn't realise that you could see the mayo dripping down my chin. Groan.

Strawberry Jam Anne said...

And, they never mind if you pop into theirs for a bit of company in the middle of the night! A x

Working Mum said...

Hang on, just let me finish this pizza and my third glass of wine...... Yes, you're right, love bloggy friends (scratch, scratch).

softinthehead said...

Hear hear to every word, had me spluttering all over my keyboard AGAIN. :)

Grit said...

how true mean mom! how true!

(erm, i don't suppose you could lend us a tenner till pay day, could you? i wouldn't ask normally, it's just that the plastic fish need plastic food.)

Maggie May said...

Yes..... I can distinctly remember you saying that you blogged naked. All I can say is that your house is a darn sight warmer than mine!
I think it outrageous that we are not taken more seriously in Bloggersphere!
How could I sit around all day in curlers eating chocolate that seems to get everywhere, if you were actually coming round for tea. I'd have to do some housework! No, lets stick to the real friendships that we have in blogging. Can't be bothered with *friends in the flesh*!

Mean Mom said...

Strawberry - That's so true! Now I know that my ordinary friends would never be so accommodating.


Working mum - LOL! You've just confirmed my worst suspicions. ;0)


soft - Yes, I thought I was getting a bit damp, over here. So it was you, was it?

grit - Oh, OK, then, but this is the last time. I'm such an easy touch. I'm sure those plastic fish eat more than real ones would. You'll have to flush them, if they keep going on like this.

Mean Mom said...

Maggie - You're right, of course. I do blog naked, but I don't want to keep reminding everyone. ;0) I try not to repeat myself, although I'm not sure I always succeed, these days, I'm afraid.

The article would have put a lot of people off blogging, I think. No one HAS to bare their soul, and nothing was said about how much fun you can have on your blog. We have such a laugh at times and I don't think the humourous side of blogging was mentioned at all.

Yay! Bloggy friends rule!

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

Blogging in the scud? In this weather? Yes you are officially doo lally dear Meanie! Good heavens even with several layers of mountaineering gear on I still have nipples like toothpaste caps - yer a hardy one, I'll say that for you!

Mean Mom said...

Letty - Thanks for your comment! You weren't logged on as yourself, again, so I haven't published it. That red wine must be good stuff!

Mean Mom said...

MOB - LOL! What a graphic picture you paint!

Irene said...

I consider my blogging friends the best of friends for all those reasons and more and I am sure that if I got to meet them in person, I would like them equally well. It all has to do with personality and we find each other quickly on the Internet with a smile of recognition. I, for one, would love you to pieces.

Letty - A Little Girl With A Curl said...

oh wow! This post was brilliant, and expressed all the reasons why I love (most) of my blogging friends.

As you know (!) there have been the odd, very odd, exceptions.

I may even print this post out and show it to Husband, to prove why I stay up here so long, in my Jammies or my Primark top, or my Primark Jammies, drinking the fruit of the vine and laffing like a loon!

I am not crazy, it is just the funny blogs which make me laugh, and sometimes cry.........

Letty ;0)))))))))))))

Although there is the worst scenario, after a few (or more) glasses of serious red wine, I comment - then the next morning I look at said blog, and wonder who on earth wrote that boring comment.

Only to find out it was signed by ME!

Happy Weekend!
Let x

aims said...

Oh MM!

I come out with a rant - you come out with laughter.

Bless you!

Dusty Spider said...

Yes I was laughing, forgive me. You know I always take you very seriously :-) Flick xx

Letty - A Little Girl With A Curl said...

forgot to say I love, love love the Beryl Cook pic on this post!

Wasn't she the best?

love Letty who is kinda weeping with laffter, possibly too much wine and too many sons home, who make me laff too!

Jennysmith said...

Oh yes MMM, i have been so pleasantly surprised at the deep and sincere friendships I have made cyber-wise (including you) since i found out what bloggin meant.

No, i don't get any of that competitive shit or boasting that i do with the majority of my mates or....well, i could go on.

People don't always get blogging so they tend to be caustic about it. so many articles slag it off.
they just don't understand xxx

Mean Mom said...

The Finely Tuned Woman - I feel that I have been very lucky to discover such a great group of people and I know that I would love you too, if we were ever to get together. I tend to feel that we would spend a lot of time laughing like teenagers!


Letty - Yes, sorry about your exception! Nice to know that someone else shops at Primark! ;0)

You haven't made a boring comment yet and I do love Beryl Cook's pictures. It's a shame she's maligned by the art critics. She was great!

Mean Mom said...

aims - I hoped that you would call in to read this post and that you would at least end up smiling a little! Really, these people don't have a clue! I thought about leaving a comment at the end of their article, but if I let everyone know that there is something to be learned from blogs such as yours, or that some of us actually manage to have a bit of a laugh, occasionally on our blogs, our special corner of the blogging world might have been spoiled for us. Hope you are feeling a bit better about everything.


Dusty - I knew someone was laughing and I should have guessed that it was you! It's such a pleasure to have you commenting again. I do hope that you are able to return to blogging again.

Mean Mom said...

Jen - I do have friends who hi-jack the conversation and who even talk over me, at times! The writers of the article claim that blogging is attention seeking, but isn't conversation much the same sort of thing? Otherwise, what is the 'shouting other people down' stuff all about? I suppose James thingy was trying to drum up some interest to try and sell his book. Presumably, telling everyone that we are all a bit 'screwed up' generates more interest than saying that we're all having a jolly old time.

the mother of this lot said...

I agree. The best kind of friends.

Robin said...

Oh Mean Mom, you are my BEST friend too. NOW can I borrow twenty til payday (ten won't do this week.)

sallymandy said...

MMMM: Hi, I just found your blog and I love it. It's hilarious. I thought I was the only mean middle aged mom. Well, not really. But I'm glad they make them in the UK too and not just where I live, in the red house on Beckwith Ave.

Looking forward to reading more...

Liz Hinds said...

Absolutely. In fact I'm glad you listed all those points. I hadn't realised before just what a wonder blogging friends are. I shall herewith and henceforth abandon all real friends (I'm sure I did have one once upon a time) and concentrate on those that really matter.

Actually, seriously, my blogging friends do see more of the real me than real people do.

Mean Mom said...

the mother - Glad we're agreed!


Robin - For heaven's sake, what are you doing with it all? ;0)


sallymandy - Thanks! No, you're definitely not the only one.


Liz - Yes, I think that this is probably true for all of us. In my case, mainly because I can't get a word in to say anything!