They Love Me

I don't usually like to blog about myself, but in this instance I think the topic might apply to others who utilize social media to convey their beliefs and political viewpoint as well.

There's no such thing as blogger etiquette, or any enforceable rules that apply to blogs, but I'm surprised at the opposition and abuse I've recently received for merely using social media to communicate my ideas.

A few days ago a Jackal impersonator started posting on Red Alert comments that were clearly not in line with my left wing tendencies. I was rather surprised that somebody would go to the trouble of making comments that were always going to be removed. This particular impersonator also registered my second public email address at Red Alert as to make banning them an inconvenience.

However this is not the only annoyance I’ve had since I started blogging. My blogger Spam box is a mix of comments about my bottom, race, advertisements for rhinoplasty and oil drilling as well as assumptions about my sexual preference. All of which seems rather ludicrous considering they will never see the light of day.

So I’m rather perplexed about the attention a part time blogger such as myself is receiving. Perhaps they perceive me as a threat? However I consider myself a pretty average Kiwi bloke. I like to watch the All Blacks, I’m not gay, I enjoy the odd drink but don’t overindulge and I work hard and play even harder. I'm neither rich nor poor and consider myself practical and level headed.

That’s why I was rather disgusted when a RWNJ recently compared me to Anders Behring Breivik, the Norway mass murderer. Perhaps that particular Troll made such a comparison to try and get people to associate my blog with extremism. Well let me make something very clear, I do not condone violence in any form. In fact I'm a pacifist unless attacked.

That's effectively what has been occurring. My computers have had three intrusion attempts in as many months, of which less robust systems would have succumbed. How many other bloggers have been shut down by the underhanded activities of people on the internet who do not share their views?

I also do not appreciate all the racist comments that have been made on my Youtube account. The time it takes to moderate such crap is time I could spend doing far more important things. In this way the perpetrators are winning.

Although I could join the dots and link to the people who are obviously far to mentally deficient to debate me on the merits of my arguments, naming and shaming these people would give them far more attention than they deserve. Hopefully the problem shared will do more to deter than justify their behaviour, but I'm not entirely sure.