I Know How The Invisible Man Felt
Just what the hell does it take to get anyone to pay attention? I'll answer my own question.
Unless I say something blazingly stupid or delibrately antagonistic (usually if it's in the latter category, it's also in the former) no one gives a shit what I say in the blogosphere. Reminds me of an old saying.... "If you think no one cares, try missing a car payment." Why is that? I'm no genius, but the people I interact with in the real world occasionally occasionally credit me with some amount of useful insight. But not in the blog world.
I'm not talking about here on my own blog. It would be gratifying if people thought I was interesting enough to read, but I know most of my posts are inconsequential and overly wordy. I'm more concerned with comments I make at other places. I routinely read a lot of local blogs, and occasionally comment. Like this bit over at Tiny Cat Pants. Apparently I'm racist, but no one wants to tell me why. I specifically asked several people and only one took the time to respond.
So please, anyone, tell me why I'm ignored. Is it because I refer to myself with the same initial as our unpopular president? Is it because I never say anything worthy of comment? What? Because I don't comment often? Well I could debate the chicken or egg on that all day.
Unless I say something blazingly stupid or delibrately antagonistic (usually if it's in the latter category, it's also in the former) no one gives a shit what I say in the blogosphere. Reminds me of an old saying.... "If you think no one cares, try missing a car payment." Why is that? I'm no genius, but the people I interact with in the real world occasionally occasionally credit me with some amount of useful insight. But not in the blog world.
I'm not talking about here on my own blog. It would be gratifying if people thought I was interesting enough to read, but I know most of my posts are inconsequential and overly wordy. I'm more concerned with comments I make at other places. I routinely read a lot of local blogs, and occasionally comment. Like this bit over at Tiny Cat Pants. Apparently I'm racist, but no one wants to tell me why. I specifically asked several people and only one took the time to respond.
So please, anyone, tell me why I'm ignored. Is it because I refer to myself with the same initial as our unpopular president? Is it because I never say anything worthy of comment? What? Because I don't comment often? Well I could debate the chicken or egg on that all day.
posted by W at 10:39 AM
10 Comments:
Because you can't prove a negative.
In the absence of cold facts: ie. you, W., refused to hire a man solely because he was black, we are left with perjoratives that cannot be explained.
Which is why no one is trying to explain your racism to you.
Besides, they're all to busy trying to explain mine to me. Which I hope they can do because until today I had never even thought of myself as racist.
As with most labels, W., this one should be taken with a massive hunk of salt. What is a racist? What makes one racist? I prefer a definition that is far more egalitarian than most, so I don't think that being called a racist is necessarily the same as being called a bad person.
Anyway, W., I think that would be a great way to deal with the issue. Next time someone calls you a racist (or implies that you, as part of a larger group, are by default a racist), ask them for their definition of "racist." If their definition acknowledges the existence and/or biological/scientific legitimacy of the concept of race, then you can tell them that they are themselves racist.
I read your blog from time to time and I always enjoy it.
I understand that you were honestly seeking for the people involved in the thread to respond to you and share their explanations and answers. But, I think that perhaps you were looking at that thread as a discussion and it really wasn't. This was a written argument between a lot of people. Rather than discussing, sharing an educating, this was a situation of opinion and argument. I am sorry if you felt left out or bulldozed over in the process instead of educated and shared with. You asked a valid question and no one answered you. No one was interested in answering anybody at that point, they were merely slinging opinions back and forth.
I give props to you for sticking up for your question and posing it again and again, but I don't think you'll get an answer. Gandalf Mantooth would probably give you the best discussion on the topic, he writes well and seems balanced and fair in his outlook on various topics. Everyone else is pretty much arguing from their opinions and ideological positions just for the love and sake of arguing.
I don't mean any of this as a criticism of the thread or the blog process, but a spirited argument is different than and edcuational or sharing discussion.
Being called racist by liberals is like "good morning or "what time is it?"
"Hi, how are you?"
"OPPRESSOR!"
Don't sweat it. I always like your comments. They're an island of logic in a sea of emotion.
Thanks for the comments everyone.
This post was really about more than just the racism discussion at Aunt B's. That racism discussion was just the final push to get me from thinking about it to posting about it.
It's something I've been noticing for a long time. Few people respond to what I say when I comment on other people's blogs.
I was just wondering if I'm boring or less insightful than I think or I smell funny or what. I realize that probably sounds like some kid that wants to be the center of attnetion, but I'm seriously just looking for constructive thoughts on why no one wants to talk to me.
Well, obviously it's because you smell.
You need to write more. There are many times that I chack to find there's nothing new.
Another thing I've learned is that I will often write (I think) a well thought out, insightful post, and get zero response.
Then I'll write some flippant little comment about my dog, and EVERYBODY chimes in.
Sometimes people are busy, and not up to diving into a battle.
Thanks Sara. Finally someone is willing to admit it.
Exador, what surprised me was the response to your back problems.
Not related to this but your comment on my post about the top 11 of Star Trek...if you're a resident of Nashville or Davidson County, the library has the DVD season sets you can check out one disc at a time...
Just thought I'd help you out there...
Yeah, the response was so intense it downed to other bloggers.
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