On Changing the Voice Temporarily for Certain Readers
Before he began blogging for the Democratic National Convention, Michael Feldman, aka The Dowbrigade, considered changing his voice and what he would blog during the DNC. He was worried that the potentially thousands of new visitors to his site would only want a certain kind of convention coverage, not appreciate the kinds of topics he usually chooses, and not like his blog. I was glad to note while reading his convention posts that he didn’t make an effort to change his style. I told him, like I’m telling you, that I think changing the blog’s style while he covers the DNC isn’t a good idea. I thought it would be dishonest, in a way, for him to change his style for the DNC readers. It wouldn’t give them an accurate taste of his blog. They might get used to how he wrote during the convention week, then get a nice shock when they return to find the occasional photo of a topless woman and some of his frank writings about his life. He wouldn’t be true to himself, either.
