"Your Freedom Ends Where Mine Begins, Bub" [NSFW, Language]
Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 1:13 pm
I am getting fed up with the abuse of writers that is going on. I think it is time that us Readers took a stand and made very certain that our favourite authors knew just how much we appreciate their efforts and their sacrifices they make to bring their stories to life. I am sick and tired of idiots who think it is their god-given right to abuse an author - for whatever reason they may make up. It is time they learned that we wont stand by and watch from the sidelines while they dish out their vile abuse at the people that we respect. Only recently was an idiot trashing Warlord in his own mailing list and I jumped on him fast including a simple recitation of the Facts of Life:
1. He's the Author, you're the Reader.
2. You Read what he Writes.
3. There is nothing that says that he has to Read what you Write.
Now I find that two very very good women authors are leaving the online writing arena because they simply have reached their quota on the crap and abuse they will tolerate. I find this very sad and I will miss the contributions of both of them.
Let me share Eon's letter with you as well as the link to find Daniellekitten's letter of resignation. Please take note of the last few paras of this post and take steps to make certain anyone that abuses an author think twice about continuing that kind of rubbish. This has nothing to do with valid constructive criticism, this about abusive behaviour. It Must Stop!
--
Cheers, Ian
1. He's the Author, you're the Reader.
2. You Read what he Writes.
3. There is nothing that says that he has to Read what you Write.
Now I find that two very very good women authors are leaving the online writing arena because they simply have reached their quota on the crap and abuse they will tolerate. I find this very sad and I will miss the contributions of both of them.
Let me share Eon's letter with you as well as the link to find Daniellekitten's letter of resignation. Please take note of the last few paras of this post and take steps to make certain anyone that abuses an author think twice about continuing that kind of rubbish. This has nothing to do with valid constructive criticism, this about abusive behaviour. It Must Stop!
--
Cheers, Ian
Your Freedom Ends Where Mine Begins, Bub
On occasion, people have accused me of being unable to take constructive criticism. Believe me, it's not always easy...There's nothing quite like a bad day with hormones running amok, capped off with most people's idea of constructive criticism. A lot of people don't quite get the constructive part; just because you're not throwing around personal insults doesn't mean you're being constructive. Telling me I'm writing a story simply to "get higher votes from the pervs" isn't constructive, it's rude. (And yes, that's a verbatim quote from someone who couldn't be happy with the fact that I was slaving over several of the stories they wanted to see, churning out numerous chapters a week...no, they had to insult my integrity over me writing Taming of the Shrew, the one story I've done solely for me and no one else. Apparently the 3 or so other stories I was writing at the same time, that were just the sort of stories they liked, weren't good enough.)
Those behaviors can be bad enough. They can and do step over the line. No one has a right to anything out of authors who write for free. No one has a right to abuse them and yes, sometimes people do cross the line into abuse, not necessarily on purpose, in their attempts at "constructive criticism". But then there are those who aim for abuse right from the beginning.
This was brought to my attention today: http://storiesonline.net/library/authorBlog.php?id=3036 [Storiesonline.net is NSFW]
Now, I try not to swear on my blog, but who the fuck do these people think they are? Aside from the pulsating zit on the ass of humanity, I mean. This isn't about constructive criticism or even criticism at all, but abusive behavior that simply should not be allowed to continue. It's hard enough to deal with the rest of your life. No one should have to put up with that crap. But the anonymity of the internet allows for a lot of this sort of thing to go on and administrators on a big site like Literotica will just sit back and allow it.
I should know. I've been there more than once. I haven't covered even half of the personal insults and attacks that have come my way, in the past 3 and change years, in past entries of this blog. I've kept silent about quite a few of the things that have been said and done to me and nowhere have they been worse than at Literotica. As an author I could have complained until the cows came home and it wouldn't have made a difference.
But maybe a difference can be made. If you see these people or any people behaving this way, saying such things that they have absolutely no right to say, report them. If in the past you have seen Scouries or BostonFictionWriter or anyone like them behaving in such a way, report them now. Hell, if seeing this has pissed you off and you need something to do, go make a complaint.
This sort of behavior out of people, on top of a sizable stack of other things, was a factor in why I no longer write online. It was just one more straw and this camel's back couldn't take anymore. And I am not nor will I be the only writer who feels this way, as the blog entry above evidences. We are only human and it hurts when people come after us. We too reach our threshold, our point where enough is enough and we can't take anymore on top of everything else our life is dishing out at us.
It's difficult for us as writers to protect ourselves. But you, all of you, can protect the writers and stories you love. Don't forget that they're human, that they need support and kindness as well as constructive criticism to become even better writers and to continue doing what they do. And don't let asshats like these people destroy that for you. No matter what you do or where you go there will be people who are just jerks. That doesn't mean anyone has to put up with it.
-B
) or other forum members will have their IP, screenname, and email address permanently banned. I won't tolerate that. Constructive criticism is always welcomed, as it should be, but hate mail and flaming is banned. You all know me, and know that I am not above poking fun at someone from time to time. I hope that that's all it seems like on the other side of the keyboard--nothing I say is meant in offense...Except with Spec... KIDDING!!! 
