You know, no one pays me for this blog. Some of you have generously contributed to me through my Paypal link because for some inexplicable reason you enjoy my writing, but otherwise the costs for this come out of my own pocket. But I don't mind -- I have always wanted my own website (well, ever since Algore invented the internet anyway), and to have people read my writing and get something out of it. I thank you all. But I do this primarily for my own benefit, and I am under no illusion that anything I do here is feeding the starving or enlightening the unenlightable. I wouldn't do this if it were a grim duty. That's not how I operate. I don't care about site stats, or Why We Blog discussions, or Changing the Face of Media with blogs, or any of that mishegas. It's by me, for me, and if you enjoy the words I throw up here, great; if they don't satisfy you, then go away and bother some other part of the internet.
See, I had been letting all the nasty backtalk about bloggers by certain other holier-than-thou bloggers get to me. So I came upon yet another of these Bloggers Don't Care arguments, this time from someone I previously thought was reasonable, and I responded to the plea. Unfortunately, instead of sweating for hours over the Perfect Post Guaranteed to Offend No One and Enlighten Everyone (and Just Look At That Shine!) I tossed off a quickie post, because I had to go to work (yes, on Sunday) and I thought that saying something was better than not saying anything at all. So I come back home and open my comments to read that I did not use the Correct Words, and furthermore I have committed the Sin of Stereotyping (every time you do that an African child falls down dead), and therefore I have forfeited my right to complain about British journalists who can't use the phonebook to find a decent restaurant here in the States. In other words me and my clodhopper blog boots have stomped all over (totally arbitrary and imaginary) offended Members of Various African Nationalities All of Whom Differ From One Another Unlike Americans Who Are All Alike.
So. Okay. I'm not worthy. I'm a stupid middle-class bint who shouldn't talk about things she doesn't understand. I get it. Writing it down. Having it tattooed on my forehead so I will never forget the shame.
NOT. Screw this, I'm out of here. I don't have time to devote myself to anyone else's pet cause. I will not be helping anyone "get the word out" about any fucking thing. I left my home town in part to get away from people like that -- people who complained when I helped them do something because I didn't help them the "right" way. Was the help important or wasn't it? Coming from me, I guess it wasn't. So I stopped helping, stopped being an always-criticized doormat, and got called a selfish monster. Fine. I will be what I am.
By the way, I have taken the Paypal link down. Having a "donate" link up does imply some sort of obligation exists between reader and writer, or so it seems to me. I want as little obligation as possible to exist between me and whoever surfs by here. You don't have to read this site, I don't have to write it, everybody is apathetic if they can't be happy.
Posted by Andrea Harris at February 16, 2003 10:29 PMPut the link back and let them vote with their wallets. Any donatation is tacit approval of the site in general but not an obligation to cherish each of your thoughts. Nor do you owe the contributors a thing other than a quick thanks and the intent to keep being you.
Screw the diversity of Africa. It all has one thing in common: greater misery per capita than other continent on the planet. That's not a status to wear with pride. If I lived there I'd be trying to think up some sort of 'Mouse That Roared' strategy that would get the US to take over a big chunk and enforce rule of law long enough to create a nation to lead the continent.
Posted by: Eric Pobirs at February 17, 2003 at 03:44 AMMaybe you should put up a PayPal link to NOT blog. Yeah! For every $20 a day, you promise not to post. You'll be RICH!!! ducking
Mr. Farber, I'm still officially a newbie for another 11 days or so, but isn't it proper etiquette to NOT trash someone who's trying to help? Oh, wait, that goes for real life, too!
Andrea, we really need that Guinness/Becks fest someday soon...
Posted by: Solonor at February 17, 2003 at 08:09 AMI disagree about the Paypal link implying an obligation between reader and writer. That would be true if you were talking about a required subscription fee, but a donation link is just like a street performer putting down a hat for people to drop change in. Everybody's free to ignore it and you're free to ignore any complaints. I've been thinking about putting a Paypal button on my blog. Just haven't gotten around to it yet.
Posted by: Lynn S at February 17, 2003 at 09:08 AMNot that I think it's relevant to what I've been noticing going on in blogdom the last few days (including with me), but it just now occurred to me to check, and the moon is full.
<shrug>
Posted by: Kevin McGehee at February 17, 2003 at 10:08 AMAndrea, you have my sympathies and my support. Mr. Farber's complete lack of graciousness speaks for itself. And he can take it from me: regardless of the reactions of his State Department buddy, Africa is FUBAR, in the original, strong sense and connotation of that invaluable acronym. Not because of AIDS, either.
Posted by: Francis W. Porretto at February 17, 2003 at 10:09 AMI guess I'm missing something here. I didn't find your post to be offensive, nor did I find Farber's comment to be offensive. You think Africa is FUBAR; he does not. So you guys disagree. Stranger things have happened.
Posted by: James at February 17, 2003 at 11:56 AMYou will never win when the sensitivity police arrive. However, they only matter if we let them matter. Keep writing. Put your paypal link back up. And fuck'em if they can't take a joke.
Posted by: Yahmdallah at February 17, 2003 at 01:01 PMMaybe you should disable the comments section too, if you're going to be so thin skinned. Everyone doesn't have to agree you know. Take a xanax.
Posted by: Laura at February 17, 2003 at 02:47 PMAnd you can fuck right off, "Laura," if you don't like it. You sound, kind of, I don't know -- thin-skinned. Cunt. (You aren't insulted by that, are you? I mean, you need to develop a thicker hide! Twat.)
Posted by: Andrea Harris at February 17, 2003 at 03:20 PMYou're such a bitch, Harris.
I like that in a blogger.
Posted by: Moira at February 17, 2003 at 03:34 PMAnd I'm in ExtraBitch™ mode today. What can I say -- sinus infections and the sight of millions of idiots with their stupid signs has that effect on me.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at February 17, 2003 at 03:41 PMI should mention in this context that I have friends at State, too, and they can't tell their ass from a hole in the ground, either.
Posted by: David Jaroslav at February 17, 2003 at 05:47 PMGee, I hope Farber never reads Kim du Toit's essay: Let Africa Sink. :)
Posted by: rinardman at February 17, 2003 at 07:45 PMFarber doesn't seem to be above whoring his blog, both PayPal donate and subscribe buttons on his site. Maybe that is the price for holier-than-thou attitudes.
Andria, in the words of Michele, whence (?) I came, FUCK EM.
It's your blog. If they don't like it, they can go away...in silence.
Posted by: irabk at February 17, 2003 at 10:50 PMI love it when smart women swear. It almost makes me feel like one of them.
You get 'em Andrea!
Posted by: Dawn at February 18, 2003 at 05:20 PMI am thrilled, delighted and RELIEVED to find such uppity, fine people as yourself, Mrs. Dutoit, Rachel, Jane Galt, Instapundit, Emperor Misha I, etc. on the Web!
I work in a very lefty-liberal-bleeding-heart-singing-kumbaya organization (it pays the bills) and I sometimes find it difficult to keep from screaming, Screaming, SCREAMING!
Knowing you folks are around (and reading your blogs) helps keep me sane.
Go get 'em, tiger!
Posted by: Tish at February 18, 2003 at 11:21 PMI'm more than a bit taken aback to see all this. It was nice to see the sensible remark from "James," whomever he might be.
I sure didn't think I was "trashing" you, Andrea. I'm sorry that what I wrote made you feel that way.
On the flip side, now that I've read that I'm the "sensitivity police," "fuck 'em," I'm a whore, holier-than-thou, etc., well, gosh, how lovely.
I just thought we were talking about Africa. I kinda don't see how you got from my commenting on the topic, and saying that you were over-generalizing to, well, your characterization of what I wrote. Oh, dear. Oh, my. Oh, well.
I've already said I was sorry for offending you, and I'll leave it at that.
Posted by: Gary Farber at February 20, 2003 at 02:09 AMIn retrospect, I probably should not have left comments open for this rant. I wasn't trolling for insults on you to make me feel better. And I'll be putting up the paypal link again (removal of which had nothing to do with you; it was more of a 'discomfort with the worth of my writing' thing than anything) so I'll be joining the ho brigade myself in some peoples' eyes, I guess.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at February 20, 2003 at 12:34 PM