Quanto costa ...

... generosità?

Yesterday's anonymous meme brought the predictable fallout, As I said to a friend of mine who was hammered viciously, but who is at least smart enough not to take it personally: anonymous people on the internet are rude cocks. WHO KNEW?

That said, I also asked her why she hadn't just asked me to poke her in the eyes, because it would have been more fun. At least for me!

Some people were lovely and kind and made each other feel happy. Others were honest and thoughtful and raised issues that they thought were important, but in reasonable ways. Still others were rude cocks. (I AM SHOCKED!)

But you're always going to get that last set. And it's ridiculous. If I went mad and said "tell me what you don't like about me", it would be a pointless exercise. I know the answers that people would give. I know me a million times better than anyone in lj land does, and that includes people who I count as good friends, several of whom have that title IRL.

This is true of everyone, so why hand the ability to be unkind over to other people? Is it masochism? A misplaced sense of toughness? Too lazy for a spot of self-abuse (not that kind of ... oh, all right, whatever kind you like.)

I just don't get it.

It's like some of my RL friends who like to cause maximum carnage when they are upset and drag as many people as they can down in the crossfire or morass. I find that mentally exhausting with them, and they are all people who actually have bought me drinks. Why would anyone play that game with virtual strangers?

deense, who lives near me, and I were talking about why people react so strongly to others in fandom. She started off by saying that people in fandom are easily excited. 'OMG! I like X and you like X! Let's talk about X! And then we can write fic!' So they start off with this fun sense of bonding, but after a while they're all 'HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE Y? What is WRONG with you? Crappy X lover!' And they confuse one shared interest with genuine similarity.

I agreed, and said that what I saw last night went a step further. People had this insane sense of self-decreed entitlement and authority. 'It is,' I said, 'as though you have this great relationship and then he comes home to meet your parents and he's all "YOUR PARENTS ARE NUDISTS?! How could you not have told me this? Our relationship is built on lies! Vile spawn of nudists and their corrupting exposed bits!!" except, instead of actually being your boyfriend, this is the person on the bus with whom you have a great smiling and holding a queue spot for relationship, and you're left gaping and asking: "Why are you in my family home?"'

Aside from this, I had a moment of panic about the appallingness of my Italian, so I purchased several books and CDs, and a giant dictionary of doom, and a children's book to practise with. There were a lot of books about, but I was tremendously lame and was unable to resist purchasing the one that began:

Gli abitanti de Little Hangleton la chiamavono ancora Casa Riddle, anche se erano passati tanti anni da quando i Riddle ci abitavano ...

I will pick up some Dante when I remember how to read Italian beyond textile articles.

Quanto costa ...

... generosità?

Yesterday's anonymous meme brought the predictable fallout, As I said to a friend of mine who was hammered viciously, but who is at least smart enough not to take it personally: anonymous people on the internet are rude cocks. WHO KNEW?

That said, I also asked her why she hadn't just asked me to poke her in the eyes, because it would have been more fun. At least for me!

Some people were lovely and kind and made each other feel happy. Others were honest and thoughtful and raised issues that they thought were important, but in reasonable ways. Still others were rude cocks. (I AM SHOCKED!)

But you're always going to get that last set. And it's ridiculous. If I went mad and said "tell me what you don't like about me", it would be a pointless exercise. I know the answers that people would give. I know me a million times better than anyone in lj land does, and that includes people who I count as good friends, several of whom have that title IRL.

This is true of everyone, so why hand the ability to be unkind over to other people? Is it masochism? A misplaced sense of toughness? Too lazy for a spot of self-abuse (not that kind of ... oh, all right, whatever kind you like.)

I just don't get it.

It's like some of my RL friends who like to cause maximum carnage when they are upset and drag as many people as they can down in the crossfire or morass. I find that mentally exhausting with them, and they are all people who actually have bought me drinks. Why would anyone play that game with virtual strangers?

deense, who lives near me, and I were talking about why people react so strongly to others in fandom. She started off by saying that people in fandom are easily excited. 'OMG! I like X and you like X! Let's talk about X! And then we can write fic!' So they start off with this fun sense of bonding, but after a while they're all 'HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE Y? What is WRONG with you? Crappy X lover!' And they confuse one shared interest with genuine similarity.

I agreed, and said that what I saw last night went a step further. People had this insane sense of self-decreed entitlement and authority. 'It is,' I said, 'as though you have this great relationship and then he comes home to meet your parents and he's all "YOUR PARENTS ARE NUDISTS?! How could you not have told me this? Our relationship is built on lies! Vile spawn of nudists and their corrupting exposed bits!!" except, instead of actually being your boyfriend, this is the person on the bus with whom you have a great smiling and holding a queue spot for relationship, and you're left gaping and asking: "Why are you in my family home?"'

Aside from this, I had a moment of panic about the appallingness of my Italian, so I purchased several books and CDs, and a giant dictionary of doom, and a children's book to practise with. There were a lot of books about, but I was tremendously lame and was unable to resist purchasing the one that began:

Gli abitanti de Little Hangleton la chiamavono ancora Casa Riddle, anche se erano passati tanti anni da quando i Riddle ci abitavano ...

I will pick up some Dante when I remember how to read Italian beyond textile articles.