Because of recent unpleasantness in the comments, it seems way past time to talk a little about my blogging philosophy . The comments section is part of the lifeblood of Wounded Bird. I love engagement with those who visit my blog. Most comments receive a response, either individual or group, although I miss a few from time to time. I like access to my comments to be easy, but if the unpleasantness continues, that may not be possible.
Wounded Bird is a bit more of a mutual admiration society than I'd like, so I want to make it clear that I encourage disagreement as long as the exchanges in the comments remain respectful and free of personal attacks and name-calling.
I ask you who post anonymously to sign a name at the end of the comment. You don't have to use your real name. Make up a name, or use initials.
If you repeatedly refuse to follow these few simple rules, your comments will be deleted, and if you continue, you will banned. Remember that I have access to the IP number of all commenters, and those who continue to annoy me and my visitors risk having their IP addresses published on the blog.
Comment moderation may be off and on as the situation requires. If moderation is enabled, you will see a note to that effect beneath the comment box.
It's sad that a few spoilers choose to disrupt the blogosphere in this manner, but those of you who engage in this sort of mischief should keep in mind that, although I am an old lady, I am not necessarily an easy mark. I have the makings of a dictator in me. Wounded Bird is my home online, and you must pay me the courtesy of acting here as you would if you visited me in my home.
"I am not necessarily an easy mark. I have the makings of a dictator in me."
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine anyone thinking your are an easy mark! You must have gotten some uglies to have provoked this! Mutual admiration isn't that bad is it? I really have found very little to disagree with.
Happy Chinese New Year!
Two years to the next year of the Rabbit, Sara.
ReplyDeleteYea! Happy Chines New Year! Our parish hosts a party, lion dancer and all, each year. I'll have two of my nieces, adopted from China, in tow. Where's my red shirt?
ReplyDeleteOy about your commenters, Mimi. They come across as very angry. Though I love sarcasm, theirs is dripping with animosity, and thus not humorous in the least.
Happy Chinese New Year, all!
ReplyDeleteDear me, only two years to the year of the rabbit? I'm fearful already.
What I find odd is that nearly all of the unpleasant commenters appear to believe that I haven't heard their crap before.
KJ, plus their sarcasm is generally not at all clever, just very heavy - thud!
Nice of Lapin to give us a 2-year warning.
ReplyDeleteGrandmère is many amazing things but an easy mark is certainly not one of them.
Hugs from the desert!
Thanks, Paul of the desert. Damp hugs back to you.
ReplyDeleteI can drag this one out of storage and repost as needed.
Mimi while you are quite good to explain yourself, you don't need to do so.
ReplyDeleteThis is your blog, your real estate on the web - your home. Therefore, if we visit, we should abide by some rules.
Sadly the anonymity of the blogosphere combined with the sad and cruel streaks found in some and the inability to engage in positive and creative disagreement by others can be toxic.
That you encourage a lively interchange and the respectful of exchange of thoughts and ideas says that you are many things.
A dictator would never be among them.
Well said, Grandmere. Let those who want to come here to be ugly and engage in bashing meet with the swift punishment of the "delete" key.
ReplyDeleteYou're not a dictator. You're a tough cookie!
You'd think people would know better than to mess with a librarian.
ReplyDeleteThanks all, although I must confess that I get a rush when I hit the trashcan button.
ReplyDeleteJohn, folks should know that all librarians have a fierce side, which continues even into retirement.
Yikes, I´m a meanstreak...but, I´m really a pushover when it comes to basic human kindness and love (even if I´m not the one doing the loving)...I´m a mean sorta sap.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I admire you...so there! Always have because you offer me a focal point to weigh in on...in other words, you´re loaded with not-so-common sense.
VIVA Grandmère and all of us that be exactly as God wants us to be...my guess is authentic, flawed and working on *it*!
Mio caro Leo, grazie. I've seen what you can do, and I'll just say that I'm glad we're on the same side.
ReplyDelete"all librarians have a fierce side." Speak for yourself.
ReplyDeleteLapin the Librarian, give me a break.
ReplyDeleteOver the years I have learned to never mess with a librarian. I suspect had they sent librarians to Guantanamo Bay instead of CIA agents, we would have significantly more information about terrorism. They find information efficiently.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, being an aspiring academic librarian is all about swanning around being seen to be self-important, John Bassett.
ReplyDeleteAs a public school teacher, I guess I deal with a tougher breed.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I find that my training and work experience are valuable in online searches, although I did most of my searching in the olden days of books and card catalogs.
ReplyDeleteAs a public school teacher, I guess I deal with a tougher breed.
I would think so.
Lapin, I worked in public libraries, but Grandpère worked in academe, so he knows exactly what you're talking about - the politics of it all and the jockeying for position. He was glad to say good-bye to all that.
I know why I feel at home here.
ReplyDelete“People become librarians because they know too much. Their knowledge extends beyond mere categories. They cannot be confined to disciplines. Librarians are all-knowing and all-seeing. They bring order to chaos. They bring wisdom and culture to the masses. They preserve every aspect of human knowledge. Librarians rule. And they will kick the crap out of anyone who says otherwise.”
Brian, thank you. Where did you find that gem?
ReplyDeleteAll right, I Googled and found the site, but the part with those words would not load for me. You can imagine that I love the quote.
Written by some broad named Erica Olsen, Mimi. She runs a blog named "Librarian Avengers", which you may Google.
ReplyDeleteAfter 40 years in the trade, my own favorite is Edward Young's couplet ("Love of Fame, the universal passion", 1728) -
"Unlearned men of books assume the care,
"As eunuchs are the guardians of the fair."
Sorry I was a bad librarian and did not give references. Put it down to a cool Sunday morning after a horrendous heatwave here.
ReplyDeleteI found it at http://redmonk.net/archives/2002/02/18/librarians-rule but it is 2002 and the links do not work
Brian, and on that same site are these words:
ReplyDeleteI had the dubious pleasure of working with a guy with an I.S. (Information Sciences) degree and most of an M.L.S. (Master of Library Science). When it came to just knowing stuff (and I consider myself a rather proficient knower of stuff) this guy was off the charts. Mark could tell you something about anything, and he was spot-on with ‘net searches. Mark, if you’re out there, I’m still bowing!
I don't mess with librarians or the Altar Guild.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do enjoy mocking rightwingers.
I'm sorry you have to deal with the Naughty Peoples, but that is the price of fame, my dear.
Padre, you're a wise man, especially about the altar guild.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, you're one of the naughtiest men I know, but I love your kind of naughty. Yours is not the annoying kind that spoils things for everyone. You make us laugh. A good laugh is always welcome. You're going to be a little short of material, but I expect the right-wingers will not disappear altogether.
Amen, Padre. I try always to say thank you to the Altar Guild and be considerate toward them. Priests minister at their mercy (and they are hardworking and unsung folk who deserve recognition). Besides, I have served on altar guild and cleaned and ironed linens and embroidered vestments, so I know the dedication it takes.
ReplyDeleteAll the librarians I know are smart cookies.
In one school where I worked, the head science teacher always came into the library with his students and greeted me as 'All knowing one'.
ReplyDeleteMy reply was always 'I do not know all, just how to find out about all'
:-)
Mimi was one of the few in Thibodaux who voted for Obama and said so. As they say in East Texas, she's tough as bob war (barbed wire).
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, librarians tend to have stormy love lives (I've known 2 who each had very rocky melodramatic marriages complete with extramarital affairs).
Brian, except on one or two subjects, I've often thought that the word "dilettante" was coined for me. I know a little about a lot of things, along with choice bits of the arcane, which are quite difficult to work into a conversation. When I do get the chance to drop them in, I feel triumphant.
ReplyDeleteCounterlight, hmmm. No extramarital affairs, at least not on my side, and not to my knowledge on GP's side. As to the rest, no comment.
I have the makings of a dictator in me.
ReplyDeleteI dunno, Fran, I kinda liked that one :-).
Mimi, you're doing what is right. And I agree with you about El Padre. Plus, he has good manners.
I have a librarian friend who is also a karate black belt. Now I understand her better!
ReplyDeleteI'm sending you a cyber-tazer.
ReplyDeleteErika, I'm not physical. I'll foil them with my sharp wits.
ReplyDeleteDP, oooh, an English cyber-taser. They're the best.
Perhaps, Mimi, you just need to come up with the blog equivalent of the Closed Stack.
ReplyDeleteKind of like Moderation, no?
Big hugs and much admiration -- librarians are the meta-wise of our world, the organizers of what without organization is just a mass of data instead of information. Bless you...
Tobias
Tobias, hugs back, but I gotta tell ya that before I became a librarian, I hated the Closed Stack.
ReplyDeleteJust remember y'all, if Maman ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.
ReplyDeleteWords to live by... :)
David, that's the way it works.
ReplyDelete