Flamed Within An Inch of my Life

[blackbelt_jones]

I suppose that I shouldn't be so suprised, but this weekend I discovered what may be the meanest, vilest corner of the web, in the forums of a site called Portal of Evil . I've been visiting "POE" for a couple of years. It's actually a pretty amusing place, which supplies links to some of the most bizarre places on the web... but I've never really gotten involved in the forums before.

About a week ago, I was surfing POE and discovered a link to cheatinghusband.com, a site that was selling software that spies on the user of a computer. Everybody who had commented about this, including the editors of the site, were outraged by this, and so, I, always anxious to point out the advantages of Linux, explained how someone could guarantee their privacy by using Knoppix. vileness ensued. Warning: the above link contains a whole lot of profanity, and not a whole lot of wit. Ditto the two below.

I would love to see what a cultural anthopologist has to say about this place. I felt that I had fallen in with some strange tribe, and was being subjected to a bizarre and cruel ritual. I had been in countless flame wars, but I've never been the subject of such a mega mass super flaming before. I was being napalmed. Everybody joined in. No one came to my defense. Everything I said was used against me, and was usually interpreted as a lie. I was accused of lying when lying would gain me no advantage. My heterosexuality was impugned again and again and again. My nickname was mocked. I was constantly accused being fat (which is true, I suppose), and, oddest of all, of having a beard. (not true... but so what?) The taunts of "beardo" apparently have some special significance that I don't get, and I was taunted for not getting it. Plus, of course, I was attacked for using Linux.

At first I was offended, and inginantly tried to defend myself . Later, I just tried to exit with a little class and dignity, and I suppose I did all right. I haven't posted in about twenty-four hours and, last time I checked, I was still being flamed in absentia. The last comment against me was: "Try not to crack your beard on your way out of the forum, crapsteam."

It's pretty remarkable, really.