I don’t delete comments on this blog unless they are hurtful to others – nothing racist, nothing about my family, nothing against a certain group of individuals. Also if you write about something that may embarrass or offend another I will delete it. But go ahead and critique my outfit, say I’ve gained weight, or that you disagree with my post. I have chosen to put myself on the Internet, and with that you have the right to your opinion. And even if you write a comment saying I am stupid, fat, ugly, or annoying I will post it – you have the right to your opinion since I made the choice to put myself out there.
But do realize that you’re not completely anonymous. All these comments above come from the same IP address, and as you see, this same IP address has been leaving non-constructive comments for over a year on my blog. I also like to see that this commenter replies to her own comments, acting as though he or she is different individuals. This is just a snippet of what she has left. And yes, all of these comments have been published on my blog and this person will continue to be published on my blog if she or he decided to leave a comment.
Per Wikipedia, “An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label assigned to each device (e.g., computer, printer) participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.” And so dear Ella/Ainsley/Meredith/Andy/Sandy/Lizzie, your computer is letting me know you are all the same person, and you need to get out and find a new hobby.
It’s fine to not like me, I do not expect the whole world to. I don't blog in hopes of winning some virtual popularity contest. There’s a lot of things about me that are really annoying – you don’t know the half of them because you don’t have to deal with me on a daily basis. But to keep coming back to the same blog over and over and over again, thinking up new names and email address to leave comments that rarely give food for thought, constructive criticism, or a well-crafted opinion is a pretty lame hobby. Read a book, volunteer in your community, invite a friend for coffee, or if you really do think your style is better than mine… show it with your own blog. And go ahead, link to it in my comments, I'd love to check it out.
I’m not calling out just this one individual, but all of you who “hate read” blogs. I’ll admit, I do occasionally check out a train wreck online, and yes, I occasionally visit GOMI. There’s some crap out there on teh interwebs, and talented people who snark on that crap. But the mean-spirited comments that lack constructive feedback are so lame. If you think I have fat legs, you’re not the only one – I fully agree. Telling me they are fat doesn’t change things, but telling me what you think I should wear instead could make a difference. I have often changed my wardrobe or purchased new things based upon reader comments and feedback. Go ahead and snark, and go ahead and snark on me. But do it with style and intelligence. If you can’t manage that and don't understand how the Internet works, I recommend you get yourself a new hobby.
Love,
Alison
