Jun 19 2008
Me in my own yard
Why is it that when Blogger A ventures somewhere in Webland—like, oh I don’t know, a fan forum of a bestselling author, let’s say—and expresses an opinion that any thinking human being would realize is going to cause offense among the members of that particular community, Blogger A remains righteously adamant that she is exercising her First Amendment Right to Free Speech, and the members of that community who respond in a negative manner are a bunch of Rabid Bitches, and the author is Queen Evil Bitch for failing to control her minions, for whom, at some point, she has clearly assumed all moral and legal responsibility…
… but when Blogger B ventures to Blogger A’s territory and expresses an opinion that doesn’t harmonize with that community, Blogger B is a “troll” deserving of a slow, painful dismemberment?
Kneel, Blogger A. I hereby dub thee Cartman of Hypocriteshire. Rise and go forth, for without thy disingenuous stirring up of shite and subsequent bemoaning of the sewage that hath mysteriously been slopped upon thine shoes, the online romance community would not be what it is today.
On second thought, as long as I have this sword in my hand…
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June 19th, 2008 at 6:51 am
I was hoping you didn’t see that.
June 19th, 2008 at 7:10 am
If I went to…
the Republican National Convention and screamed “Rich old white dudes suck!”
… or…
a Garth Brooks concert and screamed “Hillbilly music sucks!”
… or something to that effect, I would expect to get my ass kicked. Even if I were to experience complete etiquette failure, that expectation would be prohibitive.
There is no equivalent consequence for out-of-place web shouting, however, which is why the environment is home to such frequent, robust outbreaks of asshattery. What are you going to do about it, respond in kind? Yeah, people do, despite seeing a million times how effective that is.
In Real Life, I am Speak Up Girl because in Real Life, about 80 percent of idiots will shut up when confronted. Web Life appears to call for a different strategy. If you ignore these troublemaking trolls, you deny them their source of nourishment, and they’re forced to go elsewhere to find it. Maybe if everybody stopped feeding them, they’d all starve to death and we wouldn’t have to be bothered.
The one workshop I’d really like to see and get everyone to attend: How to Ignore People You’d Rather Slap into the Next IP Address.
Hmm…
June 19th, 2008 at 8:20 am
I’m tempted to ask for a link, but please don’t supply one. Impotent rage fucks with my productivity.
And I’m liking the workshop idea. RWA would never go for it (because that wouldn’t be NICE) but I’m betting RT would jump all over that shit…
June 19th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Try http://www.anyauthor.com (don’t click that—stupid WordPress autoformatting). You’ll find an example, I’m sure. (Trish and I were actually thinking of two separate things, which just goes to show you it’s not exactly an isolated incident.)
It’s not like I’m suggesting everyone keep their negative opinions to themselves, but won’t you please dump them somewhere they’re going to be welcomed? There are a few places with a fairly well balanced tone and an abundance of places that dive right into the mudslinging. Both would be delighted to have you join them.
But when you take a dump in the middle of a perpetual lovefest and smear it all over the person paying for and maintaining that space, you clearly have an agenda, and do not look me in my cyber eye and try to tell me otherwise because I will laser beam your untruthful ass. In this situation, the only reason to be the lone voice of dissent is to get all eyes on yourself, which is juvenile. (And if I’M calling you juvenile, your condition is beyond pathetic.)
Yeah, I know, it’s not NICE to stifle the expression of shit-spewing, hypocritical, self-righteous bungholes. I’m thinking online workshop. You know the comments would be flooded with examples, so workshop participants would get hands-on (or, more in keeping with the spirit of the exercise, hands-OFF) experience.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Or we could all just hold hands and walk into a chopper blade, as Hawkeye suggests.
The fuckwittery wearies me. I don’t even have the energy to confront it anymore. And that’s just sad.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:35 am
Or hold hands and sing “Kumbaya.” I just want peace, man. (Or at least some respect for peaceful territories while the rest of the web blows itself up for fun.)
June 19th, 2008 at 10:46 am
“No peace without justice.”
Yeah, like THAT’s gonna happen.