Thanks to everyone that commented on my last post. I honestly wasn’t looking for validation or pats on the back (they were nice all the same) but wanted honest feedback on what I should do. I value my career too much to jeopardize it by having colleagues be offended by anything I wrote in one of my many rants so I’ve spent a lot of time mulling over my options. I thought it was ironic that this wake-up call came exactly one year and one day after I started this blog. Karma coming to give me a kick in the pants, perhaps?
Anyway, as I was wading through the multitude of posts on my Reader list I found myself asking, “do I really want to drop out of this community?” The answer to that question was a resounding “HELL NO.” The answer would have been “HOLY FUCKNOLY, NO MOTHERFUCKING WAY,” but I didn’t want to stand on PhysioProf’s skinny white toes with that one ... particularly as he threatened to find me and kick my fucking ass if I disappeared. The thought of not having the opportunity to interact, albeit electronically, with my favorite bloggy peeps just made me sad.
With that decision made, I’ve spent some time trying to figure out how to continue blogging and toyed with the idea of a subscription-only blog but then decided that would be a total pain in the ass for everyone concerned and would restrict those who stumble across my blog looking for help. I even thought about informing Dept Chair about my blog but she already thinks I'm a first class nutter (mostly in a good way) and I don't think seeing this would help.
So after much deliberation, these are the new blogging guidelines I’ve devised for myself:
1. I will restrict any comments about my work environment to my own thoughts, actions and situation rather than talking about others. If I haven’t already done so during my house cleaning frenzy this week, previous uber-snarky posts will either be edited or deleted.
2. As I’ve already done this year, I will not blog about my undergrad students except when they do something absolutely fantastic and/or when they tell me how wonderful I am. Expect a few posts about the former and a gazillion on the latter. Clearly I haven’t been as restrictive with my grad students and I need to stop ranting too much about them.
3. Point #2 also applies to my new postdoc, who seems to be fantastic btw.
4. I plan to try to heed the advice from other, somewhat wiser bloggers and only write posts that reflect what I would say to people face to face. This obviously means I can continue to rant about the D.F.F. because she’s a dumbfuck but I plan to cease and desist from blogging/ranting about people that piss me off. Hmmm ... that’s going to be difficult.
5. The Farm Animals have been driving me up the wall about coming out to play so they may end up taking over my rants for me in the future.
6. I should stop blogging at work. I need to stop blogging at work. I will stop blogging at work. I might stop blogging at work, maybe.
Hmmm ... this is going to harder than I thought. What the hell am I going to blog about? Well, I am seeing Hot Doc this week ...
In return, I expect that my readers (all 3 of them) respect the fact that I wish to remain pseudonymous. If you know (or think you know) who I am, where I am now or where I’m from, by all means email me to let me know how goddamned clever you are but please keep the coveted information off the Interwebz. Unless you’re in my murky circle of trust,* I wish to maintain my mystique and if you can’t and/or won’t respect that then you’re not welcome in my furry little corner of the blogosphere.
And to Juniper: you can email me anytime you like and for any reason. I don’t give a rat’s ass if you’re a PI or not. I’m always available if you need to talk. Well, except if I’m on the couch inhaling a bag of Doritos ... then you’re on your own.
* Those who already know who I am or who commented or emailed to say they wanted to keep in touch regardless of whether my blog continued or not are already considered to be part of the murky circle and I would love to catch up with each and every one of you IRL if the opportunity ever arises.
A day out
1 day ago
Pffffff, all 3 readers my ass. Typical diva behavior *harumph*! You had better not leave or I'd start a petition to inundate you with plastic farm animals until you came back. Crisis averted!
ReplyDeleteWow I am glad to hear this!! I didn't get a chance to comment yesterday because I was too busy to read any blogs. But I would sorely miss your posts and compatriotism if you decided it wasn't safe!!
ReplyDeleteThe things you describe above for yourself are the same things I try to stick to for my own blog. I decided early on not to rant too much about those directly connected with me and my lab, since I would feel terrible if anyone read that stuff and didn't trust me as a result. I HAVE the rants, believe me, but they stay in my head and/or over the phone to family and close friends.
Yay, you will be staying with us!!!! Wooooooot woooooooot!
ReplyDeleteAnd Hermie is right. I am certain you have AT LEAST 5 readers, give yourself some credit!! Tee hee. :P
I'm so glad you're deciding to stay! Hooray! I think you can still rant - just don't mention the specific person (although I'm sure your loyal readers will recognize who you are talking about ;))...rants are sometimes the best parts of blogs! It makes the TT life seem more "real", you know?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, good to hear you'll be sticking around!
Yay!
ReplyDeletePhew!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely glad to hear it.
And I think the idea of Animal Farm meets PiT's dept to convey the needed rants is spot on! Release the cows..and sheep...and whatever other animals you have available.
Good decision.
ReplyDeleteJust to go OT slightly, I'm in R01 hell again and haven't eaten properly in a couple of days. I just wrote "food decision"... time to turn off the PC and get some Fried Chickins...
Glad you're sticking around
Hooray!
ReplyDeletew00t!
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteThank FSM!!!! I've noticed a sharp decrease in the number of new posts that have come up since DGT situation became known. I've been hoping that our little community did not die along with her blog. I am so HAPPY to see a new post from you.
ReplyDeleteI have been flabbergasted to read comments suggesting that so many bloggers have not thought these issues through. Really.
ReplyDeleteYay!!!!!
ReplyDeleteDM: it's not that I hadn't thought these things through, it's more that I've considered my blog to be somewhat akin to complaining to a group of friends ... and that if someone stumbled across it and recognized themselves in one/several of my rants it would be similar to them overhearing a private conversation I was having with someone else. Naive thinking? Definitely.
ReplyDeleteWe all blog for different reasons. Your blog provides/shares information with other scientists. Mine documents what it's like to make the transition from postdoc to junior faculty from a more personal perspective ... which is heavily impacted by interactions with colleagues, school politics, etc and it’s difficult to discuss the transition without at least touching on these. Regardless, you were right to caution me about these issues as/when you did and I'm extremely grateful for your advice.
woho!! I am so happy. Lots of good decisions and I will most likely try and heed them too :)
ReplyDeleteI made similar guidelines for my own blogging (back when I had a blog) and eventually decided it was not very interesting or honest anymore. And if it wasn't something I wanted to read, I didn't want to write it. I wish you well in finding a better balance than I did.
ReplyDeleteYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!Of course I don't want you to endanger your career. (Or to feel as if you're endangering your career.) I want you to wildly succeed and earn tenure and become full professor and all that good stuff. (Especially since you probably won't ever be Dr. Deadwood.) But. . . I AM SO THRILLED YOU DIDN'T LEAVE!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI dislike the prospect of scientists feeling obligated to blog diplomatically. I understand why some bloggers have responded this way to the (unfair) takedown of DGT's blog-- especially industry scientists and professors. I also understand why some bloggers want to impose a rigid boundary between their blogosphere life and their meatspace life. Still. I dislike it.
Employers who get their undies in a twist because an employee described her experiences as a scientist on her PSEUDONYMOUSLY authored blog need to get with the program. Unless the scientist is divulging trade secrets or libeling coworkers or otherwise breaking the law-- which was NOT the case with DGT-- then torturing your employee or colleague just because you can't take criticism of your management or teaching style on a fucking blog amounts to curtailing someone's right to freedom of expression. Dude, when people say shit about me that hurts on a blog, I just whine and cry like a biiiiiiiiiig baby about it on my own. I still respect their right to write whatever the hell they want in their own personal space or wherever they're invited to. This is not seventh grade. People are going to criticize you. People may even dislike you. Get over it.
DGT was constructively blogging about her job. She blogged a lot about ways to improve herself as a scientist. You could argue that blogging made her a better employee-- it provided her with a way to vent that hurt nobody (no, seriously. It didn't) as well as suggestions from people in the know. No one really has the right to prevent her from doing this on her own time by ordering her to take down her blog altogether.
If the vast majority of scientists start feeling compelled to blog diplomatically, how will we be able to use blogging as a way to get a fuller picture of what it's really like to be a PI or a corporate scientist or a government scientist or whatever? Not to mention the stilted writing that often results from oppressive self-consciousness and self-censorship. It's a quality issue, man. I deeply resent this whole affair.
Whatevz. I'm glad we still have you.
An exponentially heartfelt thank you, by the way. I will do my best not to encroach on Doritos Time. :)
I cannot believe you even considered depriving your faithful readers from the sheer awesomeness of the Farm Animals. And I'm not even mentioning your witty writing.
ReplyDeleteGreat news PiT! I came to this late - I read your first post and then was relieved to immediately read this.
ReplyDeleteI don't count myself in this, but I think science bloggers are in the vanguard of something that is very important for the future of science. I mean this especially in the context of the social support networks that are vital to the spirit of many of us doing science. What a great resource they are when people can go to blogs like this and others and ask questions that are important to their work and their personal and professional development and get candid answers. Blogs like yours and others around here, give me and countless others much needed perspective. They also give science a desperately needed 'human face' - even if it must be anonymous.
Good luck with blogging and all!
ReplyDelete