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Monday, July 28, 2008

Calling Off the BlogDogs


What does it mean to have an anonymous pity blog to make fun (affectionately) of your rejectors? Does it mean you deserve the karma of having anonymous commenters who torment your regular bloggers (see comments on link)? Probably.  Certainly the agents and editors whose name have appeared on this blog haven't been thrilled to headline here.  So, maybe it is a little of the medicine that I am dishing out.  

But if indeed I deserve a thrashing, others here do not.  

Innocent writers who come around looking for company should be able to lick their rejection wounds in a safe environment and get some support for recovering from the harsh edges of the literary world.  Therefore, I'm asking that you who blog here aggressively, please tame your savage selves and be gentle around the wounded.

I know that this goes against the freedom of the blogging world, but it's been a little rough around here lately.  And I think it's been at the instigation of one or two peeps.  So, just put a lid on the name-calling and insults and the weird entitled attitude, and we'll all be fine.

Oh, and if you want to bash, go ahead and bash me.  I'm used to it and probably deserving. 

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

A possible solution? Don't allow people to post anonymous comments anymore. People are a lot more careful about what they say if they have to put a name to it, even if it is a fake name. It's psychological. "Anonymous" = hiding.

Writer, Rejected said...

Hiding is okay...but bashing is not. I don't think anonymous blogging means that all hell should be allowed to break loose. Also, I'm anonymous at the moment. Am going to come out some day, but not yet. But I still think bloggers can be anonymous and properly behaved....no?

Anonymous said...

Well, thank you for that. By the way, I call people honey, too. And, every once in a while, "lovey," slips out, but I try to pretend like I didn't just say that.

xo, Lily

Anonymous said...

Yep....you deserve it.

Writer, Rejected said...

Touche, Bro; touche.

Anonymous said...

Uh...I guess the summertime blues have evolved since the last time I came poking around. Somebody needs to find Mr. Anonymous and get him some air conditioning.

Warren Adler said...

Attacks on the Internet are sly fun. There is no physical confrontation, and there is satisfaction in finding others who agree with your opinions. And when those who disagree militantly step forward, there are opportunities for even more enjoyable word tussles.

Anonymous said...

Really and truly? Not so fun.

Except maybe it is for those who are shooting nouns and verbs out of a canon.

I for one am glad to see a little regulation of the insane once in a while. Reminds us all that to be our higher self.

And before you get out your semi-automatic adverbs, I'm not saying anyone should curb the disagreement or debate, just the pot shots and low blows.

Okay?

Anonymous said...

WR, I don't think Joy is saying commenters should have to belly up to the bar with their real names, but if you change the settings so that they at least have to type in a name/optional url rather than just selecting "anonymous", it might cut down on some squabbling and maybe make conversations less confusing as you try to differentiate all the anonymice.

But really, at the end of the day, your commenters are all big boys and girls who shouldn't care what anonymous commenters on the internet are saying about them, especially if they are anonymous themselves and reputations aren't at stake. If some nutter goes off picking a fight with you in the comments section of a blog, here's a crazy idea - ignore it. It's nothing worth getting all het up about unless you really don't have a lot going on in your life.

Anonymous said...

LROD: When a blog's very existence depends on angry commenters venting, you are bound to attract just plain angry commenters, whether they are really writers or not. It ain't gonna change, mate. You've created a monster.

E. said...

W,R created a blog for commiserators. Some of them may be angry. But spewing bile at co-bloggers is not an act of commiseration; it's an act of aggression. Particularly when the sputum is called forth in ever bigger globules, irrespective of the actual discussion.

Angry Anon is hijacking every discussion s/he enters; derailing it, willfully twisting others' words and then pleading innocence and victimization. It doesn't work to ignore the comments because there are too many damn anonymice to keep track of.

I think requiring distinct tags may help so we know whose crap to skip.

Anonymous said...

With Blogger, many bloggers screen all comments before printing and don't print the bashers at all, which discourages them and sends them away. It's not exactly "deleting." It's simply not letting the abusers use your blog as a venting platform for their pathological rage. Frankly, it's irresponsible of you W.R. not to do that. You'll never change the behavior of anonymous bloggers. You have to take charge of your own blog to make it more welcoming to types of commenters you want to encourage.

Anonymous said...

In other words, you treat those comments as spam, which they are, and you serve as the Spam Blocker. What's wrong with that? Or perhaps that make your blog less exciting? Too staid for your tastes?

Anonymous said...

Stop hatin'!

But seriously--I second the suggestion to do away with anonymous comments.

Anonymous said...

Or at least put up a comments policy on the sidebar asking commenters to play fair. It's possible to be anonymous and civil. Don't let a few bad apples spoil the venting process for those who can stay civil.

Anonymous said...

I find it very moving to read the angry, mean-spirited comments here and elsewhere. Misdirected anger is one of the main themes of our times (or perhaps any time?). It always resonates with me deeply to get such a visceral look at where our culture's at.

Anonymous said...

Yes, M, but clearly you are a troll.