Caspar's Blog

Caspar Commented on Aarrgh... nevermind. by Caspar

2008-10-19T07:33:13Z

I really don't have anything to say here. I just didn't want you to feel left out because you're the only person I haven't either replied to or mentioned in one of my comments so far. "Thanks for not being a jerk" fits, I guess. :-)

Caspar Commented on Aarrgh... nevermind. by Caspar

2008-10-19T07:30:55Z

Um... are you that sad to see me go? Or that disdainful of my seeming overdramatism?

Caspar Commented on Aarrgh... nevermind. by Caspar

2008-10-19T07:29:42Z

Thanks for the advice, though I would like to employ a possibly-irrelevant analogy here and say that when you're telling a joke and the other person has no sense of humor, it doesn't really work. Actually, I'm pretty sure that wasn't really all that relevant. But whatever. And, just for the record, it's a lot earlier than the time stamp says it is where I am, so I'm not really up at 3:30 in the morning (not that much of a junkie!).

Caspar Commented on Aarrgh... nevermind. by Caspar

2008-10-19T07:24:51Z

I'd like to clarify that I'm still going to be visiting TPM, by the way; it's just I'm a wimp (exhibit number 1: I've been on here for a day or so) and can't take the constant negative comments anymore. If I decide to post some more, then I'll do that; it's just I don't see myself doing that again in the near future. And another missive to Ripper McCord: all the commentators on your similar comment who said something along the lines of "good riddance" without evident humor suck :-).

Caspar Commented on Aarrgh... nevermind. by Caspar

2008-10-19T07:13:05Z

Thanks for the support, but the followers/recommendations thing really is not why I'm leaving (I just mentioned that in passing to make "my lone follower" feel more unique :-)); though actually, I have two now (Thank you, Ripper McCord!), though that, as I said, is beside the point. What really gets to me is just the people who can't take the time to be polite (of which you are definitely not one, for which I thank you).

Caspar Commented on Aarrgh... nevermind. by Caspar

2008-10-19T07:08:05Z

Thank you. I'm always glad to see someone who hasn't decided that anonymity means they can say just anything.

Caspar Commented on Aarrgh... nevermind. by Caspar

2008-10-19T07:05:51Z

To those who have been nice to me, for lack of a less weird way to put it, thank you. But people seem to be missing the reason I left: it wasn't because of any treatment that I believe was extremely out of the usual, but precisely because I don't believe this treatment was unusual. There were a couple of people who offered constructive criticism of my ideas and/or were supportive in general, but others just seemed like they enjoyed being rude online. And I'm not trying to be some sort of dramaqueen or something- I don't expect everyone to come weeping to my side and beg for forgiveness or anything like that; I was just offering an explanation for why I'm not going to be blogging here anymore, and hoped that my explanation might make some people more cautious online in the future. And don't get me wrong; I'm sure the vast majority of contributors at TPM are perfectly balanced, nice, intelligent people. It's just the ones who aren't seem to have a special gift for ruining it for me. And the strange thing was, the posts that were getting the most negative attention weren't political at all, which is what I found so offputting. I can take someone telling me that my candidates are stupid and my positions are ill-thought out, or even that Obama is a secret Muslim whose middle name is Mohammed and whose autobiography is actually written by Bill Ayers. What I can't take is people constantly telling me, for example, that my so-called (and humorously-intended) "shilling" for my relatives' books is "inappropriate" and that my posts are better suited to a social networking site (which, as I pointed out, this is one); I also find it difficult to, at one point, have someone vehemently disagree with my premise that TPM isn't a community in the sense that many people seem to think it is, and then turn around and, seemingly, disagree with the same post's assertion that people should actually be nice to each other online by telling me about how I need to "take a chill pill" and how I've "gotten off pretty easy." And to the people telling me not to give up, I appreciate the concern and everything, but frankly, I'm just looking forward to reading TPM again like I used to, without having to worry about writing blog posts or dealing with angry MyTPM users who comment on my posts. I'm losing my train of thought, so I'd better finish up quickly here; my point is, basically, that I feel like there might be something wrong with you (meaning a certain few, not everyone reading this) if you can't be nice to people. Regardless of that, the reason why I'm leaving is for selfish reasons, primarily my short-term mental health. I'm not looking for apologies, just wanting have my say.

Caspar Commented on Community? by Caspar

2008-10-19T06:53:55Z

I do consider this a community, just not in the same sense that many others, such as you, do. And if you do say that this is a community in your sense of the word, then "If you don't like our community, move to a different one" starts to sound an awful lot like "if you don't love it, leave it."

Caspar recommended Aarrgh... nevermind. by Caspar

2008-10-19T01:59:38Z

Caspar Commented on Community? by Caspar

2008-10-19T01:58:59Z

This may just be my being tired, but I don't know what any of that means. At all. And my "backing down" was meant humorously... I assumed that Resistance's comment was also meant humorously because of the tone. Maybe it wasn't. I don't know. I give up.

Caspar Commented on Community? by Caspar

2008-10-19T01:46:50Z

You're completely right, and I agree with most of what you said. I didn't mean to demean TPM users at all, and I'm sure that a few have many readers indeed. My point was just to take yourself with a grain of salt (that can't be a phrase... oh well) because too many people that I've "conversed" with seem to feel that they and they alone know everything. However, I don't think I was attempting to promote false modesty... or maybe you were saying I'm being falsely modest? I'm confused. Nevermind.

Caspar Commented on Community? by Caspar

2008-10-19T01:39:09Z

Haha okay. I back down.

Caspar Commented on Tipping by Caspar

2008-10-19T01:37:11Z

Really? Wow... and thanks for reading my stuff... Andrew? Mr. Golis? And by the way, I would have thought that humor came more readily to someone who multiple-posts posts about not-multiple-posting (which I do think is funny, by the way). And technically, because of the addition of the Following/Followers tool, this is a social networking site- "Any of several websites that provide a virtual community in which people with a shared interest may communicate" (courtesy of Wiktionary, and no, I didn't edit it before I posted the definition).

Caspar recommended Community? by Caspar

2008-10-18T23:52:38Z

Caspar Commented on Tipping by Caspar

2008-10-19T00:24:00Z

It's a joke! I really find it hard to believe that anyone is going to go and buy these books because this person they never heard of mentioned them humorously on his MyTPM blog.

Caspar Commented on Tipping by Caspar

2008-10-18T23:47:36Z

Oops, that last comment was supposed to be a reply. Oh well.

Caspar Commented on Wait... by Caspar

2008-10-18T23:45:19Z

Doesn't it have Chambliss up by three?

Caspar Commented on Tipping by Caspar

2008-10-18T23:44:40Z

"It is with words as with sunbeams. The more they are condensed, the deeper they burn." ~Robert Southey, whomever that may be

BURN! (Laughs immaturely)

Caspar recommended Tipping by Caspar

2008-10-18T22:11:51Z

Caspar recommended Wait... by Caspar

2008-10-18T22:09:50Z

Caspar recommended Philip Fowler and Republican Delusion by Caspar

2008-10-18T19:48:19Z

Caspar recommended My Races by Caspar

2008-10-18T20:30:33Z