Stop the Hate! A Cyberbullying Campaign

I don’t often create posts like this. While I am always in favor of putting the cat among the pigeons and causing a bit of trouble. It normally focuses around the figures of authority in my life and my seemingly unconscious desire to piss them off.  However, this issue annoyed me enough to warrant a comment.

Bullying is never nice, it is something I have personal experience of, and something I will always speak out against. Today I was left appalled when I saw a shameful case of cyberbullying in action.

I follow a number of blogs, and while I may not read every post from every single one, I certainly cast my eye over the email alert that comes through. I will also admit that I read a lot more posts that I may get credit for because I read the email rather than follow the link.

One such blog is one run by a young lady called Talin. Now, her blog is generic in terms of content, she writes posts regularly, on topics that are on her mind at that moment in time. It is a blog in the very diarized essence of the word. Now, do I agree with everything she posts about? No. Do I need to? No.

Her blog is not without its faults, I will be honest. However, neither is mine. I very rarely edit my posts more than a cursory glance through. Her grammar does leave something to be desired, but her message is always clear and understandable. I will say at this point, that Talin is from Albania, and now resides in Canada. However, English is not her main langauge – or so I believe. If I am wrong, then my apologies, my assumption has not basis around the above mentioned comments.

I was reading a post of hers this morning, and as I got to the bottom, I took a cursory glance at the comments. They were horrible. They were not just criticizing, but down right mean and hurtful. While some were even personal attacks. The majority were conversations, actual conversations between commenters talking about how they only follow her because of how embarrassing she is, or how her blog is a train wreck. How much they wanted to see her fail and be humiliated.

To those people, I cry, shame on you!! You are the embarrassment, not Talin. Your comments (especially the vulgar ones that I refuse to mention) do nothing but show how foolish and ugly you all are.

I follow a great many blogs where the blogger in question does not answer every or even many of their comments. It is not something I personally agree with, but it is up to them. If you are so offended by this, stop following the blog. To insist on spreading your hurtful venom around is not doing any good, to anybody.

It is people like you that should face criminal charges (if only it were possible to track you down… oh wait, it is.) for your actions.

You should never attack someone for doing what they enjoy, you can disagree with their post, and do so respectfully. The actually promotes healthy discussions and even encourages people to learn, to improve their skills. I saw people in the gym once, all standing around making fun of a larger woman simply because she was there. I told them, how can you attack her, you don’t know her, and she is here, standing up, working out and getting healthy. There could be all manner of reasons that have led her to where she is. The same applies here, everywhere in life.

So I dedicate this post to Talin, and saw you carry on doing what it is that you love, and those hater be fucking damned!!

We are always learning, and improving in this craft, and I will always stand there cheering you on.

To prove my point, I have purposefully not edited this post! Why, to show I am not perfect, and I challenge you all to write your next post without thinking, and to post it without editing. If not for me, or for Talin, then simply because you can, and you care.