This has been a hard week for me as a member of the Internet community. I get hundreds of emails every day from various lists, nearly all professional writing related. Very few have anything to do with me, and I can see why it's been relatively easy for me to give up television these past few months - the drama on email loops is unbelievable!
   Also, it is very depressing, and I think it's part of why I didn't really write the first few days after I got home from my trip. When you are spending a couple of hours a day flogging through flame wars, scary personal problems and emergency project emails, who has the energy to get any writing done?
   I think for me, I need to stop doing email first - a habit I got into after working in Corporate America and then running my own business. Yes, I'll do a quick check on my BlackBerry, in case there are any real emergencies (who knew we had them in Publishing too, but we do) and then focus on exercise or writing first, instead of email. That way if I only have a little time, it isn't wasted. And I'm a lot more cheerful as well.
   As for me, you can call me the Lurker! I think it is safer to say as little as possible over email or blogs. I never know how the day of the person reading my email is going, and how they might take my words. I don't want to become the cause of hurt feelings, attacks or even a flame war. I don't have the desire for that.
   We're all just people, frail and fallible. Remember that when an email has upset you, and try not to snap back. Try not to use profanity in blogs either! You may be depressing the hundreds of people who are reading your words, not to mention there are consequences of them judging you.
   Have a great weekend!