Thursday, August 21, 2008

I just have to say this.

I don't often vent on my blog. It's more for fun, and besides I have a husband to vent to, y'know?

But I have to write about this.

I've mentioned before that I frequent a bulletin board website, run by Jan Karon. It is a fun place, and many members have been there for years and are old friends. Besides that, some of them are just plain old. They like to call it the "Porch," which is a quaint idea: picture a nice wrap-around with 20 rockers swaying on it gently and the tea glasses clinking pleasantly.

But lately I think of them more as a coop full of crotchety old hens.

Now, when I first joined this bulletin board (BB), I was warned to watch out for the resident difficult member, a lady who wouldn't even reveal her real name, even in the midst of such friendly folk. "H" liked to start political, controversial threads, and keep things heated up with her liberal viewpoints. She and I discussed our way around many topics. However, I've learned over the years not to take these discussions personally, so my BP never went up. Why would I get riled over a woman I don't even know?

But with the political landscape becoming daily more volcanic, the political threads became numerous, and some of the local hens were offended. "We don't like these threads!" "They raise our blood pressure!" "They're taking over the Porch!" "People are so mean on those threads!"

The simple solution, which they were told, was simply not to click on those threads. But I fear that the old hens' claws were simply addicted to reading all that vilification. Dislike it they might; ignore it they could not.

So, now the political threads will be relegated to a separate location on the website; out of sight, out of mind. And those hens declare they are thrilled, and will NOT frequent those threads. Even though, of course, they could not resist them before. And those threads had exponentially more views than any of the share-your-favorite-recipe, or how-do-you-knit-a-sweater, or see-pictures-of-my-vacation threads.

None of those controversial threads got me irritated, but in case you can't tell, this little chain of events has stuck in the proverbial craw. I don't know that I'll frequent that place anymore. I tried, I really did, to enjoy chit-chat about my daily doings, and others' as well. It's relaxing sometimes. But bless me, I'll not do it with a bunch of whiners who don't have control over their own mouse-clicking fingers. Grrrr, as they say.

19 comments:

justannie said...

ditto sister-friend. i've absented myself from like web-sites for less. not sure i really have time for all that anyhow...

vent boldly dear. you're among only friends here.

Beth Johnson said...

MJ,
Don't leave now. You make it fun! They get like this sometimes, yes, crochy would be a good term.

The Green Room might be just the place to hang out in.

Love,
SB

Anonymous said...

You will be thrilled to know that one of those "hens" came here, and then went straight back to the BB to report what you said. I say thrilled sarcatically, of course. but it does prove your point, doesn't it?

Anonymous said...

Mary Kathryn, sorry you have found the JK BB so distasteful. I have even PMed you in the past to tell you I was in agreement with some of your eloquent posts.

But I was very offended at being called a group of crotchety old hens.

DukeFan. Pat

Anonymous said...

When you find a suitable forum where people can talk about current events as well as theology without getting upset, let me know.

Actually, if all those people that say they don't like the political threads stay away, we might just be able to have discussions after all - in the "green' room.

OkieLiz

Anonymous said...

((((MK)))) I was sad to hear that you had left. For once, I felt that the liberal and conservative were evenly matched in ability to communicate. I have often wished that I had thought of saying what you did first. I'm glad that I had put your blog in my "favorites" and I could still find your friendship here.

I'm with Liz, though, if you ever find that suitable forum...LMK. I would like to give you my email address, if I can have yours. I think Beth has mine.

Goldrushmom/Cheryl

Marie Reed said...

Hmmmmmm .... Holy Moly... I hope that you are ok Mk.. One of those anonymous comments was quite the stinger. I get overwhelmed pretty quickly on forums. I prefer meeting people individually through blogs.. And I'm sooo glad to have met you! I am really enjoying our friendship!

M.K. said...

Pat - just to let you know, not everybody there is a "hen." I certainly didn't consider you to be one. You were encouraging to me, and I enjoyed reading your posts.

Anonymous said...

You call yourself in your blog profile a "loving child of God." Really?

Beth Johnson said...

I am going to say this hear and I am going to say this on the BB at Mitford. If you want to confront Mary Kathryn for her post, on her blog, then don't do it anonymously. Have the courge to state your name and e-mail address.

Beth Johnson

Anonymous said...

Sorry to think I am an old hen. I guess I started all the ruckus by suggesting a separate room for politics. Sorry, sorry, sorry.

And yes most of the time I just clicked over the political posts but they seemed to bleed over into many other topics.

I always enjoyed your posts. Sorry to see you go but I do not think of myself as a whiner. Just the opposite. Walk for awhile in my shoes.

Ellen said...

Hello, Mary Kathryn. Hopefully, you will reconsider and continue to frequent and add your two cents worth to the JK BB. Do I always agree with your posts? No. I daresay, you don't always agree with mine, either. However, I do think you have been a breath of fresh air by speaking your opinions boldly, but fairly.

I, for one, think anyone should be able to write whatever they feel in their own blog without being chastised for it in other forums.

E. Garrard

applesofgold said...

Oy. Talk about Bru-haha!

I certainly hope that you will visit us in The Green Room, so that we can discuss political things civilly. I have yet to find a place anywhere on the internet where everyone agreed on politics or religion, and that those debates didn't get heated.

Anyways, I have enjoyed your blog!

Anonymous said...

Glad to see a witch on broom leave the porch!

Lovie said...

Oh wow! I can sure understand why you don't want to live in Mitford anymore! Ugly stuff being posted here.

Anonymous said...

Mary Kathryn, this is Pat DukeFan again.
I still stand by what I posted last night. I am still offended by your comments calling us a coop of crotchety hens really was not what I would call being discrete. It really hurt my feelings for whomever you were venting about.
However, there are some really ugly comments made to you on here without signatures. I have to post as anonymous since I do not blog.

Having said all of that, I have a bit of advise to you and any other blogger who has a public blog. Don't say things that you would not say to the people in person. You must have wanted it to get back to the bulletin board, or you would not have posted it on a public blog. When I have a problem with someone on the BB, I post TO that person and not be venting on a blog for the rest of the world.

I personally have always enjoyed your posts on the BB and had thought that since we live in the same state, we might even met one day.

There are a couple of comments on here that are deplorable....might be from some sockpuppet, but still unacceptable.

Have a wonderful school year. Do what I am doing now, take a hiatus from Mitford, and come back when/and if you feel like it.

Cordially, Pat aka DukeFan

Anonymous said...

I am JoyceMN. Obviously you deleted my comment to you before,
so I just want to say I DID not
write to you without signing
it.
I am sure you think I made those
nasty comments and I did NOT.

You didn't like what I said on that thread on the bb you commented on--
but I do not apologize for bringing what you said to the BB-for which I was trounced on and called despicable.
I knew you were referring to
me specifically.......
I never expected it to cause such a bru-ha-ha but I certainly learned who my real friends are.

I certainly do not expect anyone to agree with me on all counts
but I appreciated the support I rec'd from many.

So if I am an old hen - sobeit.
I certainly have never been
called that before....

M.K. said...

Joyce - I don't know whether you'll see this reply, but here it is! I didn't know it was you who made the "BP" remark. I just remembered somebody on a thread had said that, and I thought it was a good way to describe the effect of those threads on some people. So, I wasn't thinking of you when I said it.
And I don't have any idea who the couple of anonymous posters were who wouldn't sign names - I don't care. I'm sorry this ended up being a scene for you on the BB. I haven't been back there except to delete my private info.

Wishing you the best - MK

Anonymous said...

Joyce again.
I DID come back tonite to see IF
my comment stayed on here.
Well I guess I am relieved to know that you were not speaking about me directly about my B.P. remark.

I am sorry it turned into a bru-ha-ha and also that so many were hurt
and touched by all of this.

I guess it is true that once someone writes something it does
follow them.

AND what I did learn by all of it was who are real friends to me.

Whether I should have brought your blog comments onto the BB is still
up for opinions ---but I surely didn't see what was wrong because it WAS NOT a Private Message but something for all to see.

Maybe all of us have learned a good deal the past several days.