Prologue:

The thing about blogging that always intimidated me was how very public it is. That and the fact that the Internet is full of trolls. There is not one thought or feeling I've had in my entire life that hasn't changed or shifted. There is not one thing about me that has not been subject to revision. So of course I'm going to hesitate at the prospect of putting these mental drafts out in the world. I mean, if one has a platform on which to say anything they want, shouldn't that make one nervous?

That's the thing about the Internet: it's a public space that can only be experienced in private or even in isolation... which sort of explains the solipsism that we often encounter and experience online. It's as if the Internet takes place entirely in one's head. Nothing feels entirely real does it? Certainly not other people and certainly not what we express about them. Communicating in real time with someone who you can't see or hear and whom you don't have to deal with if you don't want to encourages indifference.

That is why I have decided that, to begin with at least, Inclusive Or will not have a comments section. I would like to have a certain amount of blogging under my belt first. Until then, I'm just not ready to deal with the psychic drain of moderation.

I promise I'll endeavour to be thoughtful and restrained. No rants and minimal stupidity are the watchword of Inclusive Or.