It's High School All Over Again

Great post over on Halley's Comment (New Kids On The Block) yesterday about exclusivity and how it affects us both as children and as adults.

This is something I have been thinking a lot about with respect to the "blogosphere," as well as other forms of social networking: There's a definite clique that forms, prohibiting the input and disallowing for the naivete of newcomers.

I have witnessed blogger attacks that are, frankly, unnecessary. Immediately, I am reminded of the little guy that gets sand kicked in his face, or the whole "star quarterback" mentality.

And while it occurs in the personal realm, too, I have found the need to create a tighter circle amongst professional bloggers even more ferocious. Some "gurus" are treated like Moses coming down from the mountain. Newcomers comments are treated with disdain - "the audacity of trying to infringe on our group!"

It's really silly and limiting. I wish adults would think about the packs they form and allow for some wiggle room. Maybe you or I don't have all the answers. Give someone else a chance to speak, and you'd be surprised how much you'll learn, if not about the topic at hand, than most certainly about yourself.