Rosen's panel consisted of several local know-nothings: Steven Quist, aka Q, who holds the dubious distinction of Lord of the Flies over the T&G comments section; Steven Buchalter, looser in the last council election and well-known know-nothing; the ubiquitous and always entertaining Brendan “Dr. Psychobabble” Melican.
Summarizing, the show was neither informative nor entertaining - except of course for a couple of Dr. Melican’s counterpoints; the panel overall showed a deficit about internet technology and the legal and ethical issues.
Not surprisingly, as is so typical among local know-nothings, Quist and Buchalter demand a stricter registration process (legal names instead of monikers) by the T&G because, now get this,"to protect innocent people". Apparently the T&G rabble recently mobbed an innocent person in the comments. Sounds about right for the T&G. Well, that’s why you go there right?
Strikes me as superbly hypocritical that Quist, who goes by the moniker “Q” demands the use of legal names on the T&G, yet fails to take the first step on his own proposal. F-ing disingenuous eh? Why do I get the impression that the folks who comment on the T&G are not the brightest?
To reiterate my position, I can't understand why complete strangers demand to know the personals of other complete strangers who post on the T&G or on WWW for that matter - strikes me as perverse. WWW is about the content - knowing someone’s personals or demographics serves no point. Except perhaps to confirm your personal biases and prejudices.
Lest we forget, the T&G scrutinizes comments for inappropriateness and you as a user has the power to prohibit others free speech by clicking the report abuse button. So where’s the issue? Don't like it - bing its gone!
Like some of you I peruse the T&G comments for entertainment - at least I hope you do. Reading them confirms my belief that human nature is fundamentally petty and supremely ignorant. In some strange way, that makes me feel pretty good about myself.
Riddle me this? If you worry about reading something potentially offensive in the T&G comments, why go there in the first place? Why not just buy the newspaper to avoid any unpleasantries? Then it’s not an issue after all is it? But clearly Quist and Buchalter are using this non-issue to profile themselves among the local riffraff. To what end?
There are many from Wusta and environs who spend an inordinate amount of time trying to divine the pulse of the city using the T&G comments section - an unscientific poll if you will - and leading the riffraff is the dimwit Q - the Lord of the Flies. Funny how a lowbrow like Q believes he has something important to add to Wusta’s intellectual landscape. Let me ask, has anyone ever seen intelligent dialog in the T&G comments section? No, and you never will.
What about other local bloggers who intentionally seek notoriety in pursuit of acceptance and credibility, yet choose to remain anonymous? School Committe member Tracy Novick, aka Whos of Who-cester, and goofy Nicole Apostola, aka Nicole (a T&G supplicant who’ll do anything to get their attention including posting ridiculous adolescent confessions about having the hots for old men), and Cathy Walsh, aka Sprout.
Sprout in particular is a bit of a riddle because she’s a plant peddler who ingratiates herself with some of the local bloggers simply to gain name recognition in the hope folks will avail themselves of her wares – something false in that?
So, these women who relish notoriety for one reason or another, yet won’t use their legal names on their blogs. I suspect their husbands forbade them? Or is it something else?
To be continued...
