phragmentation

I learned not to disagree with people you don't know in online forums. even in a forum where supposedly you have some core values in common. i also learned that taking offense at something someone writes in a vent, and then expressing your opinion about it, just opens you up to virulent personal attacks by the venter and her sympathizers. I learned that the right to vent is sacred above all other rights to represent other points of view. i learned that a community that i thought was open and alternative is really cliquish and unbearably self-righteous. you'd think after 15 years of internet experience i would have learned this by now, but i guess i was naive to think things had evolved.

[ronnie Larsen on Wed, 30 Aug 2006 at 08:54:32] we want details! give us details. enquiring minds want to know!ronnie

[ca on Wed, 30 Aug 2006 at 18:59:13] ugh, it’s such a stupid pathetic story. basically i overreacted to someone’s venting about a mother who works so much that she can’t keep track of her kid’s birthday invitations. the venter was so put out that she had to follow up so many times with this “crappy” mother (whose family was on vacation at the time) that she felt justified in posting not once, but twice, about how inconsiderate this other mother was to her because after all the venter had gone to the trouble to make special food for this particular invitee who has severe food allergies.

[ca on Wed, 30 Aug 2006 at 19:01:28] she got a bunch of love fest “omg you’re fabulous and beyond reproach” responses, and then i posted… well, i think you’re wrong… and explained that while a family’s on vacation they’re likely not to respond to invitations and maybe she wasn’t such a crappy mother after all. i guess my writing skills aren’t so good though because then i was pretty much crucified by the rest of the mutual admiration society for being so cruel and negative to the venter.

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