Not Fahrenheit
Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 05:10PM I'm beginning to see why Joseph was blacklisted (big friendly grin back atcha)
Seriously, though, so many questions and accusations -- so many, in fact, you forgot to address my most salient points.
And after I went to all that trouble.
One thing I can easily address and this has to do with blacklisting, moral compasses and my huge love for openness.
It's the old thing about I support your right to say what you want to say, but I don't have to let you say it in my livingroom. The internet is a big place and you can start protests all over it. No one can silence you. If a site wants to choose who they allow and who they don't allow, I have no problem with that because you can't be silenced. Not every site wants to be a socal gathering place or den of loud arguing. That's fine. Say it elsewhere. I can live with my love for openness and my respect for private restrictions. I'll sleep just fine and my morals will survive.
Let's see -- oh, yes, I contradicted myself, very well, I contradict myself (I forget who I need to credit for that, but I didn't make it up). Great minds reserve the right to contradict themselves :). I think it's because I know how you feel, now, about buzz-like demonizing terms like "mob" and "personal attack" so I thought that spoofing-lampoon-like-attack would be more what I had in mind. I hate McCarthyisms, too.
As for generalizations -- guilty. I hate details.
Reader Comments (5)
Mike, I respect you greatly for taking a stand but you are not duking it out with ld when are are debating with Joseph.
I am also reminded of your idea of building an online reputation and I fear that this battle hasn't helped you in a positive way, just my opinion.
Thanks, Howard.
Ok, Howard, I've had time to think -- just got back from a meeting and didn't know how to take your response. At first I thought it was patronizing, but now I realize you meant it well and are giving me advice you think will help me.
All I can say is that people will take me or leave me as I am. I can't be otherwise and I'm not a politician.
I see myself as having a discussion with Joseph, that's all -- not duking it out. As for reputation, if I can have a reputation as someone who speaks his mind in honesty with a good sense of humor, then I'm okay.
I have a strong enough self esteem that I can stand up to resistance and take what comes my way. I don't care if people disagree with me. Popularity is not my goal.
I appreciate it, Howard. Really
As Popeye says -- I yam what I yam and that's all that I yam. I ain't afeered of Joe, though.
Mike, I'm generally not patronizing so I re read my comment and figured out I can't write - are are - wtf?
But you are right, it is a discussion, not a fight. From disagreement comes learning.
My point is I would hate to see how the search results analyze this incident.
You are right.It doesn't look good. I made the mistake of getting in the middle of something I shouldn't have gotten in the middle of. At first, I thought Joseph was asking me how I felt about the whole deal and I tried to be honest by saying yes it was personal, then got trapped in a definition of "personal" I never intended -
The problem is that I'm much more liberal when it comes to these online exchanges. I guess it is becasue I have been involved in heated exchanges in forums that went way further than this, in the early days of AOL, around 1996 before Google concerns. There were some tough customers there, but we all managed to get it out and come around to an understanding.
I was saying, yes, the attack was personal, but then so is half the stuff that followed. Yet, it was more satire and spoof than a personal attack where someone accuses you of child molestation or being a horse thief. It's like the pot calling the kettle black. I didn't know I was on trial or I would have prepared my answers better. I will be more prepared next time, and if I have an exchange with Joseph, I'll give more complete, clarifying answers.
I thought I had explained myself fully, but obviously I had left a few sentences hanging, not fully explained, that could be used against me. Thanks.
This is the problem with communication online. I was just trying to be objective, but I failed to realize the emotional history between all the players. You live and learn.