Despite the fact that I believe what I did was necessary I still feel badly having done it if that makes any sense. I'm certain (or would hope) deep inside MD has redeeming qualities, and that is why I extended to her an olive branch. Unfortunately she threw it back in my face. It seems the message was misunderstood or got lost in the translation. So again I say peace Mac Diva. You are obviously not going to change and I don't want to play flung-poo with you any more. All I require in return is that you stop defaming me (I will be watching) so we can part our ways. I wish you all the best and sincerely hope that some day you will get the message everybody around here is telling you.
I have also discussed this matter at length with Eric and come to realize that he isn't going to change either. I'm caught between two unmovable objects and cannot continue under the circumstances. Somebody has to make a stand and I guess it is my time. So my work here is done. A good mediator needs to know when it is time to throw in the towel.
Without an official policy at Blogcritics I can foresee a never-ending source of conflict with MD, and for reasons stated above that is not what I'm here for. For those who still don't understand what I'm trying to say it's called integrity - look it up. Accordingly, my last request to Eric Olsen is that he erase my post about Mac Diva. In return I require that he remove all of her defamatory comments (i.e. racist allegations, name calling, lies etc.) that she has made about yours truly. Failing that I will have to consider my options - legal or otherwise.
But before I go please humor me with this parting thought. It seems reasonable to me that a site like this MUST have some controls in place that have consequences to go with it. Like any dysfunctional family there has to be rules to abide by and keep the peace. Without any such mechanism to control inappropriate behaviour BC will be doomed to become a cesspool of crackpots and neurotics.
I believe that BC is a community not unlike any other you will find walking down a street. The only difference is that we reside in an electronic ethernet. The issue becomes more exacerbated when we are able to hide in relative anonymity behind an internet facade. Unfortunately our true character rears its ugly head when we are cloaked because it grants us licence to write things that we would never have the courage to say in public. In other words many of us just can't resist the temptation and let our lower nature take over.
Article comments
1 - Phillip Winn
I'm sorry to see you go. Fortunately, as is always the case, many others are standing by to take up the slack in your absence, and we constantly have more contributors week to week, not fewer.
Feel free to continue to comment, or not.
2 - Craig Lyndall
BORING! Don't be so serious and self-important. We have seen all this crap before. Don't threaten to leave. Just go. Don't try and become a poster boy by saying maybe things can "get better as a result of an episode involving you." Eff this. I am tired of everyone trying to be bigger than the site. Peace out. Bye bye. Sayonara.
I am sorry to see anyone leave. No really. I don't need to SEE it at all. Just go.
3 - TheRagingCritic
I too am a lawyer. Although I have not read the remarks Mac Diva has allegedly made about the Bloke, mere name calling and racist commentary is a far cry from defamation.
At any rate, best of luck to the Bloke. Believe me, we all hate the law.
4 - Jim Carruthers
Isn't "ethernet" a trademark, and you should be aware of that consigliore?
Geez, I thought they taught lawyers to be a little bit tougher than that. But what do I know, I've only spent more than 15 years online. And I still have my pubes despite many flames.
5 - Mac Diva
As they say down South: Let the door knob hit ya, where the dog should have bit ya!
Raging, you will not be reading anything defamatory I said about the Bumbling Buffoon because nothing of the sort exists. Jealousy can get really strange when a bigot is suffering from it. Typical of my detractors at BC, BB barely exists as a blogger. (Too much work involved, perhaps?) So, seeing someone he considers his inferior do what he can't is a deep wound to his ridiculously inflated ego. He would do himself even a greater service by leaving the blogosphere entirely because he has nothing to offer here.
6 - Joe
Or as we say in the Southwest, as you exit the kiva, don't get hit in the...
7 - Shark
It's too bad, but I don't blame the guy. I considerate it about once a day, and I've only been here a few weeks.
I've weathered some battles in various writer boards, etc, but MacDiva is like a Chinese water torture that constantly drips drips drips ...racist... bigot... doofus......racist... bigot...
doofus...racist... bigot... doofus...racist... bigot... doofus...racist... bigot...
doofus...racist... bigot... doofus...
racist... bigot... doofus...racist... bigot... doofus...racist... bigot... doofus...racist...
bigot... doofus...racist... bigot... doofus...racist... bigot... doofus...racist... bigot...
doofus...racist... bigot... doofus...racist... bigot... doofus...
racist... bigot... doofus
Until grown men are brought to their knees weeping.
Oh, and I just learned that BB is an amateur hacker/psycho/stalker and he knows his way around Portland Oregon. WOO-HOO!
I think I'll stick around a while!
~AHAHAHAHH!
8 - Shark
~GOD SPEED, BB!
xxoo
Shark
9 - Hal Pawluk
Bye-bye, BB, bébé.
10 - Eric Olsen
This is unfortunate, but hardly unexpected under the circumstances. The central problem is that no one person - including me - can dictate group policy to 430 people. I have floated suggestions on how to handle comments, conflict, vulgarity, etc. etc, and every time the near-unanimous majority has strongly expressed their wishes to see minimal interference. If I go against the wishes of, say, 425 of 430 people, then the 425 won't stick around for long.
It is the messiness of free speech, which often yields conflict, even bruised feelings, but I see no better alternative.
I do not agree that we have anarchy here - we have very spirited debate that sometimes veers into open verbal warfare. I don't like that part of it, I don't like to be the target of it, and I don't like when I lose my temper and direct it at others.
In the United States, the law clearly favors free speech over hurt feelings. I certainly understand if the consequences of this are too strong for some people and we must bid them fond farewell.
I always miss people when they go and it makes me sad for a bit, but there is too much going on, too much to do, and too many new people coming in every day for me to have the luxury of dwelling on it.
11 - BB
Dear Mr. Olsen and Mr. Winn:
It was my intention to have NO comments allowed on this post!
Apparently you have locked me out of my account and overridden my settings to allow comments here! Is that your interpretation of playing fair? So much for all of your rhetoric about non-interference!!! If you wish to make a statement you can always do so on a separate post. This is my post and I have the right to close comments if I so desire.
Accordingly, I will appreciate you respecting my intentions and thank you for your anticipated cooperation.
12 - BB
Dear Mr. Olsen and Mr. Winn:
It was my intention to have NO comments allowed on this post!
Apparently you have locked me out of my account and overridden my settings to allow comments here! Is that your interpretation of playing fair? So much for all of your rhetoric about non-interference!!! If you wish to make a statement you can always do so on a separate post. This is my post and I have the right to close comments if I so desire.
Accordingly, I will appreciate you respecting my intentions and thank you for your anticipated cooperation.