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khaosworksWarning, this is introspective and self-indulgent, possibly narcissistic as well.
I apparently surprised some people — well, at least one person — on Wikipedia the other day by writing a verbal diatribe against a particularly troublesome editor.
This editor has been causing a lot of disruption, not necessarily maliciously, but simply because he does not understand what the "neutral point of view" policy is, nor does he understand why on Wikipedia we shy away from original research or why certain sources are just not credible. He has indulged in edit wars, been blocked, then promised he'd reform, and then breaks those promises. In the ongoing saga of How Do You Solve A Problem Like [Redacted]? I weighed in with my opinion that no further negotiation or second chances should be forthcoming. My exact words were, "He started out as an annoyance, he has grown to be a nuisance, and is rapidly approaching a cancer."
Apparently, this surprised this other editor because I always seemed like such a calm kind of guy. I get this a lot - I always look like I'm together, or stable, or rock solid, and while my closest friends have seen me in states decidely UNtogether and UNsolid, perhaps I should disabuse people of the notion that I'm all that stable.
I may seem that way to people who've just met me or don't know me that well because I have an ability, which perhaps is healthy in some ways and in other ways is not, to detach myself from a situation and look at it in a way that I hope is rational and objective. This kind of dissociation happens a lot, and I can sometimes seem pretty scarily emotionless when I'm doing it. One of my high school nicknames was "Jock Spock" — Mr. Spock on steroids, basically.
But hey, ultimately, I'm human. I just suppress a lot of the seething anger because I think that rationality and professionalism is a good thing, and I try to see the best in everything (up to a point) because not only do I have faith that God, etc. in the long run Makes Everything BetterTM, but it's also probably better for my blood pressure if I treat life this way. But, like Woody Allen said, other people get angry, I grow a tumor.
But every now and then — and I think you've seen it during my pundit moments — it comes out. I'm a slow burner, and on top of that, I'm an inverterate ham, so when I let go, it's inevitably dramatic. I can see how it may be frightening, or startling to see a generally calm person snap out like this, but you know what? I'm actually glad it's startling. This way, people pay attention, and Lord knows, in my life, being my size and the way I am, it's been hard to get people's attention.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that, for my new friends out there... well, don't think I'm necessarily a nice guy. I can be as nasty and evil and just down right mean as anyone. I'm just too lazy to be that way most of the time. I express the evil differently.
Differently evil. Now there's a nice little PC phrase for you. I think I'll keep it.
I apparently surprised some people — well, at least one person — on Wikipedia the other day by writing a verbal diatribe against a particularly troublesome editor.
This editor has been causing a lot of disruption, not necessarily maliciously, but simply because he does not understand what the "neutral point of view" policy is, nor does he understand why on Wikipedia we shy away from original research or why certain sources are just not credible. He has indulged in edit wars, been blocked, then promised he'd reform, and then breaks those promises. In the ongoing saga of How Do You Solve A Problem Like [Redacted]? I weighed in with my opinion that no further negotiation or second chances should be forthcoming. My exact words were, "He started out as an annoyance, he has grown to be a nuisance, and is rapidly approaching a cancer."
Apparently, this surprised this other editor because I always seemed like such a calm kind of guy. I get this a lot - I always look like I'm together, or stable, or rock solid, and while my closest friends have seen me in states decidely UNtogether and UNsolid, perhaps I should disabuse people of the notion that I'm all that stable.
I may seem that way to people who've just met me or don't know me that well because I have an ability, which perhaps is healthy in some ways and in other ways is not, to detach myself from a situation and look at it in a way that I hope is rational and objective. This kind of dissociation happens a lot, and I can sometimes seem pretty scarily emotionless when I'm doing it. One of my high school nicknames was "Jock Spock" — Mr. Spock on steroids, basically.
But hey, ultimately, I'm human. I just suppress a lot of the seething anger because I think that rationality and professionalism is a good thing, and I try to see the best in everything (up to a point) because not only do I have faith that God, etc. in the long run Makes Everything BetterTM, but it's also probably better for my blood pressure if I treat life this way. But, like Woody Allen said, other people get angry, I grow a tumor.
But every now and then — and I think you've seen it during my pundit moments — it comes out. I'm a slow burner, and on top of that, I'm an inverterate ham, so when I let go, it's inevitably dramatic. I can see how it may be frightening, or startling to see a generally calm person snap out like this, but you know what? I'm actually glad it's startling. This way, people pay attention, and Lord knows, in my life, being my size and the way I am, it's been hard to get people's attention.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that, for my new friends out there... well, don't think I'm necessarily a nice guy. I can be as nasty and evil and just down right mean as anyone. I'm just too lazy to be that way most of the time. I express the evil differently.
Differently evil. Now there's a nice little PC phrase for you. I think I'll keep it.
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no subject
Date: 2005-08-31 09:50 am (UTC)No really ... not always being a nice guy is just fine, makes the rest of us feel better about being mean and evil, too ;-)
*offers hugs just cuz*
no subject
Date: 2005-08-31 09:58 am (UTC)And...I'm not sure how evil it is to let loose on someone when you're trying to save a massive 'for the good of all' kind of project from his/her shenanigans... :)
-Dee (who has a very dark side too...it turns chickens into food.)
no subject
Date: 2005-08-31 10:48 am (UTC)Differently evil? I like it.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-31 12:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-31 02:33 pm (UTC)may I borrow it?
no subject
Date: 2005-08-31 03:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-31 03:29 pm (UTC)It looks like they're going to try and offer him a kind of serial probation at the moment, but I am severely skeptical that any positive response will come out of this. My bottom line is to cut to the chase and do now what we will inevitably be doing in a few months, which is ban his ass.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-31 11:22 pm (UTC)