Why subscribe to TJEdOnline.com?

my_two_cents@diplomacy.me www.diplomacy: Writing for the Internet

by Joni Beals

The internet opens up a whole new world of information—and as we enter this world, we may have to reevaluate our diplomacy skills.

The opportunity of engaging face to face gives you the advantage of shaping your message according to your audience’s reaction. The joke, the humorous jab, the opinionated response, the overly confident airs all can be forgiven if your persona connects with your audience. We engage written audiences in a different realm.

When writing we choose our audience and use writing tools to persuade, entertain, and inspire action. We still write to a specific audience. Most writing published on the internet still follows the same protocol, but is it effective?

Political writers often write to directly attack an opponent. This adversarial method is designed to draw attention. In this mass of information, the juicy, the off-color, the violent, all attempt to shock its reader into hearing. Controversy is the funnel ideas are sent down to connect with people—they irk people purposely to get them to listen to us. This tactic is all about exposure. But conversion requires something more— diplomacy.

In order to reach the general audience available to us through the internet we’re going to have to learn a new language--a  universal language that will allow our message to be understood by all.  The direct attack may still have its place, but the internet is the place for the Fabian strategists.

The universal language of the international community may need to be more subtle. The diplomatic writer may have to stop jabbing his opponent with his sword and instead offer the world a cup of tea. The universal language may not yet be love, but for now, the World Wide Web may settle for beauty.

The connection with the Eastern, Oriental World, may force us Westerners to soften the edges of our opinions a little. That doesn’t mean we can’t take a stand for our beliefs, it just means that as we face a wider audience we’ll just have to step up a notch in our diplomacy skills. With a wider audience comes more people to offend.

This is especially important if you believe that your beliefs, or opinions, or philosophies actually are for everyone. If your message is only relevant to the select few—the experts, your peers, your inner-ring—than you can afford to use the conventional writing tools, but if not, than maybe it’s time for different tools.

www.diplomacy requires the recognition of general principles—even if you’re selling a specific product. We must no longer think in terms of convincing someone that this product or idea is for them, but we’ll tape into the universal power of the internet only when we discover what applies to all of us in general. This will require more liberality for other’s opinions, while bridling our own.

Now there may be a time to put your pen down and pick up your sword. But that is the time for action. Some people confuse their pens with their sword. We can afford to be more liberal with our words and more respectful with our language. And in so doing we will connect with our own humanity. We’ll recognize general principles that apply to all races, creeds, and nationalities, and as we do, we’ll rediscover Natural Law—man has a universal nature guided by universal principles and we can guide our actions accordingly.