| Posted: 15 November 2010 at 2:40pm | IP Logged | 12
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Most mornings, there's a refrain around my house: "Stop treating Internet
comment sections* like they're a real thing!" Morning shows like Today
and GMA are horrible about this — they talk about the "controversy"
surrounding an issue, then quote someone from an online comments
section. As if you can't pull a quote from a comments section that
supports just about anything you want to support. As if it's a quote from
a reliably rational source. I mention this because — while I feel that the Internet is, on the whole, a
force for good — I also think it's a giant repository for crazy. Being able
to determine actual opinion from willful doucebaggery is, unfortunately,
an important skill when it comes to this phenomenon. When news shows
use comments sections as sources, they know they're doing it, and they're
seeking to stir up trouble. I think most people know this, and those who
choose to get churned up by trolling are, frankly, looking to get churned
up. Which brings me to this thread. JB, I get that you're angry, and I
understand why — I think anyone with more than a little familiarity with
this forum can see the nuance in a lot of what you post. But I would be
dishonest if I didn't say that I think you take random Internet comments
too seriously — and the perception it creates is that you're picking fights.
Bitterly, even. I'll give you an example: the other day, I posted a link to a Letters Of Note
article that re-posted your note to Chris Claremont re: the creation of
Kitty Pryde. Their article was complementary, gave credit where credit was
due, and was generally a nice thing. Below that, there was an obnoxious
post in the comments section. Anyone reading it would know that this
person was trolling, that he or she was your basic asshat. Yet your reply
to my post mentioned only the obnoxious comment. Frankly, it seemed to
me like you were looking to get pissed off. There is, of course, flip side to all of this. Artists are a cantankerous lot -
- a strong point of view is part of the job. (Imagine if Hemmingway, half a
case of wine into a day, had this kind of direct access to the outside
world!) I didn't post this to change your mind, or to change your ways --
only to give you my opinion as to why "Bad Byrne" stories seem to catch
fire, and why the word "bitter" keeps cropping up. I don't think you're
bitter, but I do think you occasionally behave as if you are, and as if there
is no one out there waiting to take the bait. That may be unfair, but that's the way things are. *Edit to clarify: There's a difference between comments sections and
Internet forums (fora?). Subtle, but real.
Edited by Sean Blythe on 15 November 2010 at 2:41pm
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Topic Closed)
