from Hacker News

Ask HN: Did you ever find it difficult to find your “voice” on the internet?

by whiskey14 on 9/5/22, 10:53 AM with 10 comments

• by mikewarot on 9/6/22, 3:47 AM

  How much deleting do you do? About 50% of my postings here at HN are deleted (by me) once I think about what I want to say, and decide it doesn't really add value. By then, I've gotten the snark or "yeah, but what about X" energy out of my body, it's better for me, and for everyone else when I just back out of it.

  How much editing do you do? I write up all of my thoughts. Then move the words around in the compose box until it looks good. Then, after I hit "add comment" I find at least one spelling error each and every time.

  You've got up to 2 hours here to edit comments if someone points out issues, I try to make good use of that time.

• by brudgers on 9/5/22, 2:16 PM

  I started with sarcasm, snark, trolling, etc.

  It came naturally.

  The thing about those, is that they are writing for an audience.

  They are public performance.

  And that's what writing in public fora is.

  If there's joy in that public performance, then it can become a sticky habit. If you don't find joy in it, it won't stick.

  After a few years, I started developing this punchy style as an alternative to my Kantian inspired circumlocutions I developed writing philosophy papers as an undergrad, perhaps it seems because reading Kant gave me caution regarding the fallibility of my own cognition in particular and all human cognition in general. Which is to say that, the "probably's", "perhaps's", "etc's", etc. are a reflection of my own aperception...of my own reflections on my inner experience.

  Anyway, for me, it's fun to write shit like that and shit like this.

  If it wasn't I wouldn't continue to do it.

  Be yourself. Nobody but you is watching. Nobody but you is judging. And your writing is probably better than you think. Good luck.

• by thesuperbigfrog on 9/5/22, 1:14 PM

  >> recently I've felt that I need to contribute more but I still find it hard to write comments without cringing at my own writing.

  Why do you feel the need to contribute?

  If you want to say something, by all means say it.

  If you are not interested in a given topic, ignore it.

  Just be yourself and focus on what matters to you.

• by Irongirl1 on 9/7/22, 9:54 AM

  Well, I got flagged, told to get a "thicker skin" etc so I just gave up. For me, HN has come to mean "only contribute if you already agree with the position we already hold." Dissent, or a different way of looking at things, will not be tolerated so I stopped contributing and went back to enjoying HN for its article curation.

• by type0 on 9/5/22, 7:58 PM

  If you don't have anything to say, you shouldn't force yourself to contribute

  > The same goes for tweets and any other social media submission.

  Twitter is cringe for everyone writing there and anyone reading it

• by akulbe on 9/6/22, 1:38 AM

  Yes, since things are so video-centric. I used to do some training videos for customers.

  Now it's nigh impossible, as I can no longer speak with my normal voice. My vocal cords are paralyzed after being on a ventilator while I had COVID.

  I would like to "speak" more, but I have to figure out how to do it in writing. I feel like I was much better with it vocally, but for now, that's not an option.

• by swah on 9/5/22, 7:22 PM

  Yes, I post/tweet into the void...