A little rage

Every now and then, I feel the world is utterly lacking in vitriol. So, here's a little soapbox ranting for the cheap seats. Are we all paying attention? Do all children have splatter-shields on to protect them from flying spittle? Good. Let's crank this puppy up.

If you're going to criticize a blog, do it with a little good spirit. Although it's always fun to completely put down a stranger behind your veil of anonymity, you should be a man and consider that this other person had the guts to come out and say something to the world. Perhaps he or she didn't say it the best way it could have been said, but anyone deserves points just for saying something. The basis of this blog, for instance, is the notion that any thought, no matter how random or obtuse, may be worth preserving. Of course it's rather arrogant to assume that people will be actually interested in me, but arrogance is fun. As is cannibalism. But before we get too far off topic, let's get back to the issue at hand.

Specifically, my goat was gotten by the fact that my good friend's first post on a popular steampunk blog received a rather biting comment from a fellow with a moniker which I'll admit already shows that this person admits the unusually harsh content of the remark. I won't repeat the comment out of deference for this person; I wouldn't want my own comment over-analyzed on a blog without my knowledge, so I won't do it to this person. I'll merely say that I felt personally hurt by the comment because it implied the post was below the standard in quality set for the blog; I think that, even if a first post fails in living up to one's expectations, one could at least give a critical comment and wait for a second post before reaching for the torches and pitchforks. Yes, I take that kind of thing personally. No, the Lord Admiral and I are not the same person.

That being said, this person does make a legitimate point about the reduction of the post having led to a bit of decline in its quality. Damn the common man who can't read better than a chimpanzee! Let's put some meat on these cyber-bones!

Yes, you can attach cyber- to anything.

Mmm, cyber-pizza.