[Dean's World] Dean: The Weird Blogger Experience

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Posted by Dean:
The Weird Blogger Experience
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1159862248.shtml


   Imagine you wrote something on your personal weblog that you knew was
   fairly controversial but was in your mind defensible. Maybe you wrote
   500 or 1,000 words to state your opinion, then wrote a few of your
   blogger friends to ask what they thought about it, then went to bed.

   When you woke up, you found that there were hundreds of comments left,
   and 20 trackbacks (like oh, say [1]this thread), with each of those
   trackbacks containing further comments from people who either thought
   you wrong or thought you right.

   Without invoking any self-pity--none is required--wouldn't that be
   both a source of pride and a source of panic? "Oh they all thought I
   was that important?!" is surely one reaction. But another is, "Holy
   crap, I have to answer all these people?!!?"

   This is an overwhelming position to find yourself in. When was the
   last time YOU said something you knew to be mildly inflammatory, and
   then had thousands of people divying up sides: anti-you vs. pro-you??

   Again this is not a call to self-pity. No pity is required.

   On the other hand, I must say that "Well Dean YOU did not answer MY
   specific points!" is incredibly self-important. The ass who says,
   "You're wrong because you did not answer MY SPECIFIC POINTS THAT I
   LAID OUT FOR YOU IN DETAIL!!!" is someone who, frankly, deserves a
   kick in the gonads. Very hard.

   I ask for absolutely no pity. I just ask for some recognition that I
   am a mortal human with all the frailties and limitations that come
   with that. You get in my face and I'll get back in yours. I used to
   reposses cars out of the cities of Detroit, Inkster, and Highland Park
   Michigan, and have faced death more than once. Don't f*ck with me
   because I don't take well to being f*cked with, and I'm not afraid of
   anybody. You get in my face, or worse, threaten my family, and I am a
   nasty motherf*cker who will enjoy hurting you, and if you f*cking
   forget it once I'll make sure you don't forget it a second time.

   But if you give me respect, I'll give you respect back. You want to
   argue with me? I'll argue with you until the cows come home. You want
   to tell me I'm wrong? Well heck you may be right. Just don't be dumb
   enough to think I'm omniscient, okay? Because I'm not.

References

   1. http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1159404710.shtml