Internet Trading

I just need to sit down and write. Okay, here goes! Sometimes, when you need to start writing it is helpful to write a beginning sentence even if you don't plan on that being your starting point. For instance, this blog post is not about getting down to writing, though it has been something I've put off for too long. This blog post is about the concept of internet trade. And, no, I don't mean Ebay...

A few years ago I was talking with two men who have greatly impacted my lives. We were discussing the internet. One of the men, Mr. Thomas Pryde (a brilliant musician) explained that the entire internet can be considered one large but reclusive community.

Sure, it can be said that the internet is an open community in a sense. There are multitudes of people projecting their ideas into the internet community. That's open, right? Well, yes, but not open with quality. Many of the internet users with solid quality behind their ideas are reclusive. Major bloggers respond to almost every comment, but many times it is just a simple "thank you." When the comments are interesting however, it is as Mr. Pryde emphasized  "the more you put in, the more you get out."

Serious internet users want quality interaction in exchange for their strongest and most interesting thoughts. A challenged concept is soon a refined concept that both parties can benefit from. If both parties exchange in civil, but meaningful conversation or debate then we have witnessed quality internet trading.

It has been said that the Internet is a place for the sharing of ideas. May I propose that we make the internet of place, not of sharing, but trading? To illustrate the slight difference between the two words let us look at a common thing on the internet. Link-dropping.

Granted, I have clicked some link-drops and found great content. But there are some times when I am rewarded with, well, it's not garbage, but it doesn't meet expectations and the title has often been misleading.

In my mind, link-dropping, especially from people who rarely ever interact within a group, can be considered in the sharing category. They share their opinions, but they don't trade it. They don't put it out into the group and then interact with other members or people online, checking others blogs and writings, gleaning from another person's wisdom while they trade out their own.

Fellow writers, what I am encouraging here is simply a heightened amount of interaction. It shouldn't be that hard. Read the works of other people and provide honest, thought-provoking feedback in the comments. I am sure that trading with the users of the internet will cause more quality interaction to come your way. It is a slow process, but through my observation and experience it has proven true. A good concept to remember in the internet, especially the world of blogging, is what Mr. Pryde said, "the more you put in, the more you get out."

Dear friends, I leave you. Please comment and express your thought or concerns or anger, but please remember I am not accusing anyone by name and I will never call any true blogger's work "garbage." In fact, I try to never call any writing garbage, but even garbage can be refined and made pure.