For a while I thought that we had seen the absolute top form of stupid, insulting, attacking and just flat out mean bullshit when the radfem community went after each other. I was wrong. At least they have an ideology (twisted as it is) to fuel their passion.
MeanKids.org was (I never saw it ‘live’) the sort of idea that probably sounds like a good one when your pumped full of your own ego and believing the hype that the “old media” is trembling before you because you know a little JavaScript and can spell Ajax. Apparently the idea was some sort of anarchistic artists collective. The people involved are supposed to be ‘important artists, thinkers and writers’ according to at least one person.
Frankly, looking through the Google cache at some of what passed for art and satire I am not really sure how that evaluation could possibly still be standing. I’ve am willing to bet there was more art at a Fark Photoshop contest… and the insults are usually more intelligent.
Sometime after MeanKids failed under the weight of it’s own childishness the same core group fired up another website, something referred to as “BobsYerUncle“. It was on that site it seems that a good chunk of the idiocy involving attacks on Kathy Sierra occurred.
By all means, someone clue me in how any of that including the death threats to Kathy and the insulting and ignorant attacks on a pregnant woman (just for starters) represent art? Satire? New media?
Don’t get me wrong… I am no angel. I toss my share of insults around the ‘net. I am not claiming that this is supposed to be some uptight inoffensive wonderland. What I will say is that when the lines get crossed as totally as they did with the Kathy Sierra incident then we need to search our own ethics and decide how we will react.
The “new” world we are building is one that is based on our personal connections. We are now in business with people we consider friends. We claim that these personal connections give us insights the old faceless business world (that never really existed) didn’t have. Now is the time to see if that is true. Find out who these people were. Verify to your own satisfaction if they took actions that you disagree with ethically. If they did then I suggest you…
- Don’t hire them.
- Don’t fund them.
- Don’t invite them to speak at your conferences.
- Don’t go see them if they speak.
I am not a heavy hitter in the new media world. My protests mean nothing. The big boys and girls get more traffic over lunch than I will get in total this month. They have influence I do not. I urge they use it.
p.s. these connections might also mean forgivness if you decide someoen made a mistake or learned a lesson. That’s fine too.
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March 27th, 2007 at 9:28 am
Thank you for your support. The comments made there are very hurtful. The fact that no one involved has given me, nor my wife, a public apology, speaks volumes about their character. Or lack thereof.