Dear Blog:

At the end of the semester, I think maybe we should take a break. I just don’t see where this relationship is going. I didn’t always feel this way. At first, I was enticed by your mystique, seduced by your interactivity, and wooed by your vast social network. You were so easy to spend time with, Blog. You were right there on my computer whenever I had something to get off my chest. And you always made me feel like I could let my guard down and open up to you about whatever was on my mind. But the more time we’ve spent together, the more disenchanted I’ve become with the terms of our relationship.

You should know that it’s not you, it’s me. Well, maybe it’s a little bit more you than me. Lately, I just get the sense that nothing is sacred to you, Blog. There’s no sense of intimacy or boundaries. Every time I tell you what I'm thinking, you share it with the world. And I'm not sure that I'm ready for that kind of exposure. I used to think I could bounce ideas off you, but now my ideas are bouncing all over the internet. Suddenly, complete strangers are weighing in on my posts. Everyone has an opinion. I know that what I'm saying isn't always right or true or even all that enlightening. The hope is that eventually I will get to something deeper, something maybe not even I know is there, something that will allow me to open my eyes and see a situation from a new perspective. But I no longer feel that same freedom of expression and exploration. My entries aren't just for me anymore--they're open to anyone who wants to read them--and with this broad of an audience comes a certain sense of responsibility, one that I'm not prepared to commit to just yet.

From the very beginning, you’ve always been very open and honest with me about all of the people that you interact with on a regular basis, but I’ve found myself really starting to dislike sharing you with strangers. At times, it feels like some of them don’t even value you, Blog. A majority of the postings are filled with poor spelling and grammar, scattered thoughts and sentence structures, and uninformed opinions stated as fact. Some of them don't even take the time to formulate clear and concise entries or reread to make sure there is some sort of clarity in their thought process. But I know you, Blog. This probably doesn't bother you like it bothers me. Your primary concern is that these people have a forum, making sure that everyone’s voice is heard, and I respect you for it.

But be careful, Blog. The empowerment that you have given to all of these people might one day be used against you, and I would hate for that to happen. I genuinely do wish you well, so please listen to me when I tell you that there are people out there, people like Andrew Krucoff and Chris Gage, who will use you simply to get reactions out of other people. They will exploit you for their own personal motives and endgames. All you ever really wanted was to create a community where people could connect and discuss and get a conversation going. But that openness and interactivity that you love so much will soon be distorted by someone like Krucoff and his isolative ideas involving password-protected invitation only blogs or subscription paper blogs. Can you imagine someone not being allowed entry because of status or social standing? These ideas are against everything you stand for, Blog. You would never think to deny anyone a voice or an opinion. In your world, there is no such thing as the cool kids’ table. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate, which is something you should fight to protect.

I do hope that we can stay friends. I really do think you have a lot of tremendous qualities to offer, Blog. And I’m sure you will go on to make many people very happy. But at the end of the semester, I think it’s best if I go back to my paper journal for awhile. I can’t say that I won’t regret my decision and that one day I won’t come crawling back to you. Maybe once I get some things worked out on my own, then I’ll be ready to give it another try and we can go back to sharing my random thoughts and opinions with the whole world again. But until then, I think this time apart will be exactly what we both need.