The Canaries Are Dying

we lose another blogger -- something is wrong

from JoeUser Forums

        Well, we lost another blogger. WrecklessEric has deleted all his articles and dropped out.

        In the old days, miners would carry canaries into the mines with them as a gas meter. The poor little feather balls were more sensitive and more quickly subject to the effects of poison gas than their much larger human companions. If the canary died it meant there was poison in the air and time to beat a hasty retreat.

        We've recently seen a flux of articles about how nasty things are getting around here, how certain individuals pollute the experience and make others feel worthless. While there is a certain ebb and flow to this sort of thing, I think this may be far more serious than the norm. Bloggers are dropping like canaries. And not the toxic bloggers either.

        Others have criticized the criticizers. It's the old blame the messenger routine. "As long as I keep my head buried in the sand, as long as you don't rock my delusional little boat then nothing is wrong. You are the problem! You are the problem!" Well, you know the old saying -- "If you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem" -- and you my ostrich feathered friends are part of the problem. If only you were a little smaller you wouldn't find it so easy to dismiss and dis. You'd already be laying legs up on the bottom of your cage.

        There's something wrong here. The canaries are trying to tell us that. This is more than just the normal comings and goings. This is death whispering in our ears. These aren't people leaving because they lose interest or find other things more pressing. These are people leaving because of the nastiness. If the good people continue to leave while the "evil doers" flourish things will only get nastier and nastier till only the hateful survive.

blogging
12,783 views 54 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top

You got an insightful for this one.

The atmosphere on this site IS toxic, and is becoming more and more so.  I don't know how or why...well, I do have an idea......but it's getting to be more stress than I want to deal with.

 

Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
It's getting toxic because people are suggesting it's toxic...

Why didn't you use that clever little brain of yours Smartaz to write one of those brilliant humorous articles you are so good at? It would have helped to improve the mood around here.

I can't help but feel a little toxic myself for going against the grain... I am not going to change for JU though, and I dont want JU to change for me... just all sing happy songs ok?

BAM!!!
Star Control: Origins
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top

i hope my comments are still welcome after i most uncermoniously jammed my foot in my mouth in my blog. i can only offer my apologies. please let me know if you'd prefer i refrained from commenting in future. this would in no way affect the respect i have for you. thanks .

by the way gene, one of my hopes for blogging was to never become the sort of person who made stupid throwaway comments that may cause harm by just assuming understanding on the part of the reader. as it seems i may have become that, i will add no more than to say i'm very glad you published this, i am in full agreement and i'd be pleased join you in your call for calm.

vanessa XX
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
You have summarised the atmosphere here perfectly, numerous bloggers have left such Anthony R and Tech Cat who are good chaps, but have been forced out by the mindless peasantry that are attempting a coup. We are part of the hall of fame, and apparently the weaker bloggers cannot stand it. That is why they have formed a grouping, whereby each member only visits the other group members blogs. This ensures that the weaker members rise in the rankings whilst those who do not spend all day on JoeUser fall in the rankings. It is sad that this once great site has taken this turn for the worse.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
Smartaz I'm sorry if the comments in my blog offended you in anyway, my intention when writing the journalism article wasn't to offend anyone at all.

I can't help but feel a little toxic myself for going against the grain... I am not going to change for JU though, and I dont want JU to change for me... just all sing happy songs ok?


Not toxic, just stating an opinion, *thinks of happy songs to sing*
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
You got an insightful for this one.The atmosphere on this site IS toxic, and is becoming more and more so. I don't know how or why...well, I do have an idea......but it's getting to be more stress than I want to deal with.


It's toxic because people are feeding into the idea that it's toxic. if those who don't want to buy into the toxic attitudes would not post on the sites of those they find toxic, and would stop them from posting on our sites, then they would only have each other to converse with....problem solved for the rest of us.

I am not going to change for JU though, and I dont want JU to change for me...


There ya go....we all have the right to continue to be who we are, period. It doesn't mean we have to deal with those we don't like, but we DON'T have the right to expect them to leave....nor should we go running off with our tails between our legs because they continue to post in what we may consider a "toxic" manner.


Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top

Bear in mind that when you write an article you do NOT have to have it show up on the forums as well. That is an option.

I don't read all the blogs but most of the nasty things I do read are in controversal areas.  If I write an article blasting Michael Moore, for instance, I fully expect to get blasted in return. I have a thick skin.  And if someone steps over the line, I just black list them.

I think what we'll probably end up doing is for premium members they'll be able to set up an "ignore user" option so that if they want to avoid someone, they can just put them into an ignore list and anything that person writes won't show up.

Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
BTW, can anyone point me to one of these toxic posts?
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top
Link

Brad, I would also like you to consider the comments made by this person on this article, they are clearly out to cause conflict.
Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top

It's not so much the posts that are becoming toxic, it's the thread that are following the posts.  There are a few people who insist on making it personal, and that's tiresome.  There are also a couple of bloggers who will follow you (that's the collective 'you') around on other people's threads and bring up old arguments that are totally irrelevant to the thread and the article....and they're usually about things that are personal.


The personal attacks are what are tiresome. 

Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top
I agree with Dharma, I do not like to see personal attacks on good men like Madpoet, even if they are hidden behind so called "satire"
Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top
There are a few people who insist on making it personal


The blogger I have highlighted is the biggest culprit for this practice, she has taken it upon herself to try and claim my metaphorical "crown" that I wear. Clearly a troubled individual, she must be very intimidated by me.
Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top
I agree with Dharma, I do not like to see personal attacks on good men like Madpoet,


And here's where we run into a problem...everyone sees the situation differently, and sees different people at fault....so if everyone would just not respond to the people you think are in the wrong, then for you the problem would be solved. It's all about making JU the best possible experience it can be..but you have to do it for yourself....because for TPTB (the powers that be, for those unfamiliar with the acronym) to make it good for YOU might make it bad for someone else....
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top
so if everyone would just not respond to the people you think are in the wrong


Would the world be a better place if Britain and America had not stood up to the Nazis? Sometimes you have to join the battle, and I hope you will join us Maxwellians, PoetMom, for we must fight the good fight.
Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top

I agree with Dharma, I do not like to see personal attacks on good men like Madpoet


I think it best for all concerned if I bow out of this debate now.

Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top
I hope you will join us Maxwellians, PoetMom, for we must fight the good fight.


Thanks for the invitation, but I'll have to decline. Just think of me as Switzerland in this "fight"....completely neutral....
Reply #18 from JoeUser Forums Top
I notice I am the only person defending Madpoet from the despicable bullying he is being subjected to, truly shameful!
Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top

Reply #18 By: Sir Peter Maxwell - 7/4/2004 1:41:03 PM
I notice I am the only person defending Madpoet from the despicable bullying he is being subjected to, truly shameful!


Ahem. See my post defending MadPoet, timestamped an hour before your above quote.
Reply #20 from JoeUser Forums Top
I hate to be the voice of reason here, but perhaps there's some fault on both sides. Fighting the good fight doesn't necessarily mean one has to stoop to the enemy's level. Of course, feel free to ignore my poor ignorance in this matter.
Reply #21 from JoeUser Forums Top
I personally think we are giving this *fight* more attention than it is worthy of
Reply #22 from JoeUser Forums Top
Fighting the good fight doesn't necessarily mean one has to stoop to the enemy's level


To achieve victory you must be prepared to stoop to whatever level necessary, war is not a noble thing.
Reply #23 from JoeUser Forums Top
And the ostriches will out.

Look, the canaries are dying whether you want to pay any attention to it or not. You can use logic, you can rationalize, you can kill the messanger all you want. The canaries are still dying.

You can pump the poison out of the mine or you can stand around and wait till it creeps up your nostrils, down your lungs, before you look around in vain for someone to help you to the shaft elevator. Your choice.

The bell has been rung. Ignore it at your peril.

The alarm has been sounded. What you do with it is your business.
Reply #24 from JoeUser Forums Top
Draginol
BTW, can anyone point me to one of these toxic posts?


I can think of at least 5 toxic posters off the top of my head. One of them, St. Ying, has already been banned, but he is still a good example of the type of thing I am talking about. They are allowed to move at will from thread to thread spewing venom and hate for far too long. He and his ilk have no apparent desire other than to insult and ferment discord. Could you at least half the time it takes to rid the site of such people? (If there are others living in a permanent state of negative user score, they might be good place to start cleaning house. Maybe that could be one objective criteria for when someone has stepped over the line?)

Another example might be when a post is so egregious your corporate partners put pressure on you to remove it. I don't need the word N****r (or any variation thereof) appearing all over my side bar. This may be "my blog," but I have no control over the kind of garbage that shows up next to my name. It cheapens the entire site. If I were a new user, and my first exposure was to see that and stuff like "Jesus Hates Bald Pussy" plastered all over, I probably would have kept on moving. We now have the "adult content" label but something needs to be done about certain titles.

By the way, could the titles of adult content articles show up in red? or have a flag next to them or something? Currently the only way to know they are adult content appears to be to click on them. I'd like some advance warning, that way I could make a more informed decision about whether or not I wanted to look at it.

(I don't have a problem with the actual article "Jesus Hates Bald Pussy," I'd just like to not have it appear in my side bar -- essentially "on" "my site.")
Reply #25 from JoeUser Forums Top
(I don't have a problem with the actual article "Jesus Hates Bald Pussy," I'd just like to not have it appear in my side bar -- essentially "on" "my site.")


I'll second that one, and the idea of knowing beforehand that an article contains adult content.