Anonymous Comments

In May, I will have been blogging here for 9 years.   In those years, I have met some amazing people, had the opportunities to be exposed to some fabulous products, and shared my family's life with anyone who happened to stumble across my little patch on the Internet.

I've been online since there was an online to be on.  I started when it was all bulletin boards and DOS and things were black and green and white. It's been amazing to watch the changes and advancements that have happened over the years.

There are fantastic, wonderful people to connect with online.  There are also mean, spiteful people.  Just like in life outside of a computer screen.  The problem with a computer screen is that it is easy to be anonymous. It's also easy not to understand the breadth of someone's life that they may choose to share pieces of online.

For the first time in 9 years, I've disabled anonymous comments.  I plan to leave it that way.  If you have something to say, at least have the honor to admit who you are.

To the anonymous commenter that left a comment earlier today -- I think you're a coward.  I also think you're wrong in some of the things you stated.  The rest is your opinion, and you're entitled to that and I can't say your opinion is right or wrong, even if I disagree with it. Some of your comments were out of ignorance, and some were out of mean-spiritedness.

Anyone who truly knows me knows that I do not -- would not -- exploit my children.

I was asked to the Volvo event precisely because I am a blogger.  Volvo employees extended the invitation and we were thrilled to attend.  Since I was invited as a blogger, the expectation was that I would write about our experience.  Which I did. The video posted was by Nate because he loves cars and because he loves to make videos.  Not because he happens to have a stutter.

I expect nothing further -- and received nothing more than a fun test drive -- from Volvo.  They know about the post, and thanked me for sharing it with them.

In the 9 years I've been blogging I have been approached by countless brands and PR firms.  Some I work with, some I pass.  I only choose to work with the ones that I am interested in.  It's been a great experience and my family is grateful for the products and activities we've been able to enjoy as a result.  But, I'm not getting rich or famous by blogging -- I'm definitely WAY DOWN LOW on the totem pole of rich or famous bloggers.  I don't blog as a business -- it's strictly a hobby for me.

I wonder if you understand blogging (and what it has become over the last 9 years) and I also wonder if you understand SEO and key words.  Since I've been blogging so long, my blog comes up quite often in Google searches.  I know that by posting about our experience playing in a Volvo, I will ultimately appear in someone's search results.

And, that person may not be familiar with my blog, or my children.  I wonder if you were offended by my last paragraph -- which was directed at this type of reader.  The ones that appear one time as a result of a search on Google.

You, dear anonymous coward,  have no idea the number of heinous, rude, cruel and obnoxious comments that are posted on Nate's stuttering videos on YouTube.  I delete them as fast as they appear.  I keep the videos up because I also receive a number of wonderful, warm and thankful emails as a result of those videos.  It's a tough balance, but I've made the decision (along with Nate) to keep them up so they can help those that it does.  And, we'll ignore the rest.

Just like I plan to ignore you as soon as I hit post.