Sunday, July 29, 2007

Blastards

I'm not sure if this is a legitimate 'net word or not, but I'd like to discuss it here at Recess for Writers:

blastard: someone who leaves quite unnecessary, overly negative feedback on others' blogs, ostensibly to make him- or herself feel better or more important.

I've just noticed that there are so many blastards in cyberspace, and it really has started to irritate me.

I mean, come on... do you have a pessimistic opinion about everything?

Geesh.

I realize that certain blogs actively seek negative comments by discussing highly controversial subjects; therefore, I do not count those commentators among the blastard species.

Instead, I'm focusing on people who have no other enjoyment in life but to leave anonymous (it's almost always anonymous individuals... or, as Writer, Rejected calls them, "anonymice") messages just for the heck of it. That's rotten.

I'm fortunate that there have been ZERO blastards who have commented on this blog (I'm sure this will change if some blurking blastards come out of the woodwork now.) I've had one Portuguese spammer, but his offense, though annoying, is not blastardy.

So... what do you think? Have you encountered any blastards lately?

4 comments:

x said...

I set up my new blog so that I can moderate comments and delete them before they appear on my site to weed out blastards and anonymice. Everyone has been nice so far, but it's been less than a week. I do dread comments from the creeps you always hear lurk on the Internet. But I have to say that the extra steps necessary to check for and screen comments is a very awkward housekeeping task. I have to see if I can just edit them out if they go straight to the blog.

Love your two blogs, though I wish they were one. Integrating the mother and writer blogs together would make for a truer picture of how the two worlds bounce off each other (and the walls). But then again, I'm new to blogging and I've noticed many people keep separate blogs. Interesting choice.

The Quoibler said...

Thanks for dropping by!

I've thought about moderating comments but haven't done so yet... maybe someday, though.

I have to say that I do tend to wax philosophical about my mothering duties on this blog. Quoibles was my first try at blogging, but I've found more of a "rhythm" with this one. However, your point is very well taken. We are certainly whole packages and not "segmented" individuals; thus, I'm not simply "a mommy" or "an writer" or "an actor"... I'm all of the above, like it or lump it! (And I tend to like it, though my thighs tend to "lump" it.)

Angelique

Anonymous said...

I've been very lucky. In 2 years, I've only had that happen a couple of times. Those folks learn I have two modes: welcoming supportive writer, and lawyer. They are introduced to the latter.

The Quoibler said...

Jason ~

Yikes. As a the spouse of a lawyer, I can only imagine your response to blastardy behavior!

Angelique