On starting a blog

Hey, I'm a 20-something human who spends a lot of time on the internet, so I've started a blog. Props for originality right?

Actually, I've always had a bit of terror regarding posting anything online that even strays beyond emotional content such as 'happy birthday'. Given most of human knowledge exists on the internet, if you post something you think is factual online, and it's wrong - you have NO real excuse, beyond poor searching and research skills.

You, by very nature of the fact that you're posting online, had access to all the information regarding a topic. In all likelihood, you could also access the generally accepted truth about that topic.. and to your eternal shame, you didn't look at it.

Ignorance on the internet usually means you will be corrected. Sometimes this is funny - for instance, the website 'Let me google that for you' ; http://lmgtfy.com/ - a highly recommended way of dealing with questions that people could answer themselves with a simple search.

Maybe it's just my imagination, but more often that not I tend to feel corrections from strangers online seem to be coupled with outrage.

You mis-attributed a quote online? Well, I guess it's all over then. You had ONE job Jack.

Notice how I didn't say "Corrections online are usually coupled with outrage". That may be wrong, and I have no way of surveying the internet to see if that is, on average, true. If I did however claim that it was, and received angry replies... well... erm....

Worse still - posting your opinion online. Oh Jesus, the terror. Offline, in normal conversation, it's so much simpler. I, as a mere mortal human being, am not expected to know all of human history. Online, posting about any topic I'm aware that I am in all likelihood ignorant of over 99.9999% of all that has ever been written, considered and known on that topic.

Morpheus pls

Maybe it's just that I like being correct.

Having said all this, thinking about my posting anxiety in a logical way shows it's pretty irrational. If I post something online and it's wrong - whether it be on Facebook , Reddit, or (if I'm having a particularly wild evening) Youtube comments - I will almost certainly be corrected.

Surely that's only a good thing. Ignorance has been lifted, and I now walk away with a more accurate understanding of Ant man's origin story. Everyone wins...right guys?

Anyway, I'm going to continue to post here. I'll try my best to make it as correct as possible, and occasionally enjoyable to read. There will be mistakes, and my opinions may change with new information, and I'm really really sorry about that. It's the scientist in me.

Notes:

http://lmgtfy.com/

A great discussion of being wrong on the internet , from two youtube educators - http://www.hellointernet.fm/podcast/1