This is an announcement post! Mainly with the purpose of explaining why things have been a little quiet on here lately and to ask very politely for your patience, but also to keep you updated on the exciting things that are happening.
First, as InsideOut is nearing its one year anniversary, it is also being completely revamped and renovated. We’ll be moving over to our own self hosted domain [so to everyone on Google Friend Connect, please get ready to follow us through a different means, either by liking us on Facebook, subscribing to RSS feeds, or following by email!! We don’t want to lose you!]. There will be a cool new look as well as hopefully more streamlined integration of all the blogs.
Secondly, we’ll be taking on a few new writers to our fabulous team. So if you are interested or have a friend who might be interested, definitely let us know! For now, let me introduce to you the newest additions to our crew.
1.) Michael Vuke. He is has been writing for us for a little while as our Guys Perspective/ Relationship columnist and is the author of some really popular posts [like the “Don’t Be That Girl” series and “Should I Let him Know I Like him?”] But he recently was gracious enough to officially join our team, and we are happy to get to share his insight and unique perspective with you.
Michael Vuke | Guys Perspective Columnist
Michael Vuke is a rambler. Talk to him for very long, and you’ll find that the conversation flows from one topic to another, anywhere from the latest movies to ancient history to spirituality—and that’s just the way he likes it. He believes you have more fun if you deviate from the original plan and wander about a bit. You can follow him on twitter or read more of his musings on his blog.
2.) Meet The Anonymous. You may know him as the author of the “Beautiful” post; he writes anonymously and [you should be forewarned] enjoys sarcasm as well as deep discussions. We are really honored to have his voice on our pages.
Names are distractions, filtering perception through preconceptions when unbiased exposure to truth/fact is desperately needed. I have – and need – no name. I share my writing because I believe in the transformative power of a living God who uses imperfect tools to communicate fundamental messages. The less of the tool that is visible, the more clearly the message flows. As I walk the path of life, thoughts and ideas present themselves demanding analysis and explanation; my hope is that in sharing my opinions, you may be encouraged, challenged, and strengthened.
So, the big reveal is coming soon. Any comments on what you enjoy about this site or ideas for how InsideOut can be improved?
I really wanted to like MV's posts....I just found them immaturely put. After a few read throughs I could see where he was trying to go with the subjects...I had a few other people read them and got the same reaction....I see that quite a few people enjoyed them so I suppose it's just me:) I know it can be very hard (a guy writing for ladies)
ReplyDeleteMargie K.
Thank you for sharing your opinion, Margie K. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts because I am not sure I understand the point of your comment... It is certainly fine if Michael's posts are not your favorite, but was there something constructive you would like to share? Did you have any helpful suggestions for Michael? Can you give us an idea of more of what you were looking for? Or, Guys Perspective column aside, Is there a certain type of post you would like to see more of?
DeleteThank you for reading!
I love the idea of adding a few guys to the repertoire. Question: with the fellas joining the ranks, will you guys be writing to a more co-ed audience, or still strictly girls? I'd love to know if you have a brother site to refer the guys to; or if this will provide some combo of male/female readership?
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to see the unwrapped version of Inside-Out soon!!! :)
Thank you Samantha, for the great question! Actually, with the reworking of the site and the addition of our guy writers, InsideOut is somewhat unofficially moving away from a strictly girl audience to be more inclusive of ALL our readers (among whom there are quite a few guys!). Since most of the posts on this blog are not truly "girl specific" per se, we would like to be able to include everyone who can find encouragement here. Any thoughts on that idea?
DeleteThank you for comment and for reading! We hope you like the new version of InsideOut!! :)
Sorry! I did like the posts:) I just found them hurtful not only to my feelings...I was thinking about other girls too:) Really it wasn't that bad, I just know people with those "faults" and I felt horrible thinking about those people while reading them:( I honestly am looking forward to his next post though:) It is nice to know what young men think of us silly girls!
ReplyDeletep.s. my pen name is Margie K.!
Hey Margie/Logan (which do you go by? :) ),
DeleteThank you for the feedback! I am sorry if I hurt you (or anyone for that matter); it definitely was not my intention. The subject matter of the "Don't Be That Girl" series was a bit sticky, as I didn't want to hurt people. Because of that, I decided to use hyperbole to take some real life characteristics that tend to drive guys away and blow them up to humorous proportions. The hope was that this would allow those who might possess the characteristics in a small amount to notice it and act accordingly without being mean-spirited.
I currently don't have any more "humorous" styled posts in mind, but if I do some more in the future, how do you think I could go about it without being hurtful?
Michael,
DeleteAs a guy, I shared Logan's reaction to your posts on "Don't Be That Girl", though I couldn't figure out how to word why the posts didn't sit well with me. The word "immature" I think describes it well.
I absolutely think your heart/mind was in the right place, so please don't take any of this personally. I've found that with sensitive issues, humor tends to offend more frequently than careful analysis with a note at the outset that you're obviously dealing with a sensitive issue and that nothing in the post(s) is/are meant to offend. You'll be able to offer deeper and more helpful insight if you're not trying to make things funny.
Secondly, I think it's absolutely important to nuance your arguments. No girl will fit any of the models [good or bad] you listed perfectly and the same can be said for any guy held to a comparable framework. It's vital to acknowledge this at the outset and to develop your points around that reality, instead of laying out blanket statements of right and wrong that leave girls feeling discouraged and guys wondering where they'll ever find a woman like that. If you plan to do any sort of similar post in the future, it might be helpful to condense 5 short posts into a longer post, explaining what the cons of issue X are, the pros, and the reality of balancing between both extremes.
Looking forward to reading more of your posts.
Thanks for the feedback!
DeleteHello InsideOut,
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time commenting on your blog, although I have "lurked" for a little while now. After hearing the comments put out there about Micheal Vuke's posts about the 5 types of girls, I had to read it for myself. I found it to be quite funny, and I could understand where Micheal was coming from. I, too, have seen these five types of girls that he brought to light, and found his description of each entertaining. I, for one, enjoyed it, and think all girls should think about what he had to say. Thanks.
-Kelsey
Just for the record, I LOVE Michael's posts on InsideOut! There's absolutely nothing wrong with humor, wit, and a little bit of sarcasm. The Bible contains so many examples of humor and sarcasm, and I certainly don't think God would condemn us from laughing at ourselves sometimes! Just because something is worded in a funny way, doesn't automatically make it improper or rude. I happen to find Michael's posts funny, challenging, and interesting. Michael, please don't change your voice or style!
DeleteOops! I wasn't trying to reply to you, Kelsey. Internet malfunction, haha. ;)
DeleteI totally agree! I really enjoyed your posts Michael, I found them wise, humorous, and helpful. Thank you for writing and sharing them with us. I think it is important that we remember to laugh, and that we look at life with a sense of humor. So thank you Michael!
DeleteThank you for reading and for your thoughts everyone! Kelsey, we're honored to have you "lurking" around here :)
DeleteThanks y'all :) I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the posts!
DeleteHey! Quick question that's completely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My blog looks weird when viewing from my iphone 4. I'm trying
ReplyDeleteto find a theme or plugin that might be able to fix this issue.
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