I farted around on the Twitters too much yesterday, a state of goofing off that was a result of my feeling giddy as the semester winds down, and my feeling arrogantly that I had something to add.
The universe does not reward arrogance — at least, it doesn’t in my neighborhood. I tweeted a link to the post about terrorism having no religion, which yielded me this:
Terrorism has no religion” Yes it DOES. It’s called ‘Islam’. You blind stupid pig-headed liberal scum.
Because that retort was out of the blue from someone I’ve not met yet, I wasn’t hurt or even all that angry, save for the part about Islam. I figure if someone starts with name-calling, they are not a worthy opponent. I retorted something arch and snotty which I typed with one hand because I was holding my lunch sandwich in the other, and then I blocked him forever and ever. Easy-peasy. I never broke a sweat.
But you know what? For a brief moment, I was back in the newsroom where over the years I attracted my share of feeder fish who refused to recognize my genius no matter how hard I tried. A few of those trolls followed me over here. Dealing with the lil’ band of trolls drove me to distraction. It was like swatting flies from in front of your face. Flies don’t have the good sense to leave where they’re not wanted, and neither do trolls.
The difference today is that I no longer get emotionally engaged. That was my downfall with the earlier trolls. I actually, on some level, cared about what they said. I’d try to reason with them. I’d try to humor them. I stayed in conversations with them far too long because on some sad level, I thought we could come to some agreement and be friends.
Well, shit on that noise.
I’m older now. Life’s too short. I haven’t lost my compassion. I haven’t lost my empathy, but I have precisely zero fucks to give if someone is willfully stupid. I shake the dust from my feet (that’s in the Bible!) and I move on. And I’m grateful I’ve learned that lesson.
Dating Jesus 
I can imagine what’s going through the mind of many of your readers, (or at least one): She’s learned that lesson?…and yet…leftover remains?”
Trolling has acquired such a bad name over the years…thanks to people like NickDeBabylon..who…if he practiced what he preaches would not need to resort to ad hominem attacks and name calling to realize his goal. But that would take more effort than most of today’s trolls are willing to expend. The temptation to denigrate rather than illuminate is just too great. Instant gratification has its upside, I suppose, but the art of trolling suffers because of it.
I wish I had a dollar for every website and blog I’ve been banned from over the years. I’d buy a carton of Pall Malls.
While I don’t think I fit into the willfully ignorant category any more than I would fit into the apostolic category, I am grateful, as an old troll, for the opportunity to exploit liberal tolerance wherever I can find it. There’s so little of it left.
Ah, but you’re not a troll. Disagreement does not mean trolldom. It means we disagree. And we can even exchange a hearty up-yours because (I hope) we have attained a level of trust over the (ulp) years that allows us to part paths every once in a while because in the end, we’ll get back on the same path until we hit another fork and then we part, and then we get back together and then… You can disagree with me. You can hate something I post. I can accept that, and we can move on. I am under no delusion that everything I post here is right and righteous. I try to stay as close to possible to honest and that’s all I can ask of myself.
Hate is something I reserve for things much more important than blog posts. I love and respect you too much to attach “hate” to anything you write or post.
We disagree. We’ll always disagree..because…not only are we so very different…but…I’m just generally disagreeable. It’s what I do. It’s part of being a troll. And even though you have succeeded over the years in tempering my attitude, my basic nature remains. Who’s that tripping over my bridge!!!
And I appreciate your defense, but there’s a lot of websites, blogs and comment box mavens that would disagree with you about whether I’m a troll or not. I may not fit the NickDeBabylon mold, (
I might if I was limited to 140 charactersno I wouldn’t), but it doesn’t take much effort for me to stir that out of a comment box swirly. (Pointing out that 99% of my commenting…such as it is these days… takes place on “liberal” or “progressive” sites.) In fact, it’s become so easy I don’t much do it anymore. Unless it’s demanded by my devotion to certain topics…healthcare fer instance. (Twisting the ad hominem attacks out of “progressives” can be fun and informative.) In some locales, the mavens see me coming and warn off the nubes. Others, the more proactively moderated sites, just never approve my comments. (They’re still hackable…I won’t say how.)I have a pretty high tolerance for disagreement, and absolutely none — zilch — for trolls. I know what I’m talking about here. As for being disagreeable, you’re pretty entertaining about it, so how could I call you a troll?
You can’t. Because you’re uniquely kind and compassionate and…face it, folks…I am a genuine fucking sweetheart. Bona Fide.
It’s a rarified combination.
Horseshit, kind, but thank you. And yes. You are a genuine fucking sweetheart. No argument there.
Maybe it’s the healthy thing to do. Despite it, I have been influenced by you to speak up and fight against what is not just. I am grateful for that. I am also thankful for the influence both you and leftover have had on my awareness and views. I have learned so much from you both.
Oh, I’d never say turn your back on a decent fight. I luv ’em. But when it’s an obvious troll? Shit on that noise.
I have to agree with that. There’s little use in any exchange with the NickDeBabylon types. It’s much more fun to see it lurking below the surface and squeeze it out.
This week I am grateful for socialized medicine. My Medicare card arrived. Thank you, Lyndon Johnson!
Amen!