ANONYMOUSES
Jul 12
Literature, TWAK, Uncategorized, poetry, random 28 Comments
The only genuine excuse for anonymity, in my opinion, is fear for your life. The anonymouses that are sprouting up around here, what are they afraid of? I believe poetry and all writing should be grounded in real life, and if you are not even willing to put your own name up against your words, what kind of reality are you writing from? Fantasy, game playing, tidly winks. People like this stand against individuality, identity and personal style, though they would all claim not to, simply out of pc, and the truth is they don’t know who they are or what they are doing. They are anonymous to the world because they are anonymous to themselves. They say their words should be enough, but their words sound anonymous too, edgeless, academically objective and dull, adhering to too many rules, the kinds of words that could be written by pretty much anybody who was born without a spine or any will toward personal identity. And when your anonymous comments and poems are loved and lauded by other anonymous commentors and poets, well then, anonymity wins, lowest common denomitor wins, banality wins.
Jul 12, 2010 @ 15:57:15
Why use a handle? You are Exhibit A. Emotionally unstable and stupid people, incapable of following even simple rules are everywhere. You can’t even follow the rules to CombatWords! Many native English speakers don’t understand simple sentences. I’m supposed to believe you can follow the law? You can’t even follow the language!
React
July 12th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
@Khakjaan Wessington, Tell me why I should follow your rules?
React
Sandra Jaye Reply:
July 12th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
@Mather Schneider,
Combat is more interesting when there are rules. Also, read Wordsworth sonnet, The Sonnet, to see what he has to say about choosing to be confined by something.
Regarding anonymity: women need to be careful on the Internet. There are nuts out there. Even intelligent nuts.
React
July 13th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
@Sandra Jaye, In real combat, there are no rules. This competition should be called “badmintonwords”.
Regarding the need for women to be careful on the internet. I guess those millions of women on Facebook, millions of women with blogs and web pages, millions of women with bios on their company’s page, all these women must simply be stupid and just playing with fire. I would be more wary of people who won’t tell you their real name than I would of somebody just being upfront. If I was a woman, I would not be shooting the breeze with creeps who call themselves things like The Humanist. Unless, of course, you know him or her off stage here.
React
July 12th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
@Khakjaan Wessington, blaming the author of the piece for the behavior of the commentor: -15
Confusing “can’t” with “won’t”: -25
“I’m supposed to believe you can follow the law?” Statement which makes no sense within the context. What law? What the fuck are you talking about: -50
My language is clear enough, if it wasn’t you wouldn’t be so angry: -50
Misc: predicted response: “I’m not angry, I never get angry, I am above anger.” -100
Total score: -240
React
Jul 12, 2010 @ 22:32:09
I don’t see what the problem with anonymity is on an online forum, but if it makes you feel better: Hello, my name is Brooke Knisley. I liked your poem from your previous post, Mather. I just don’t understand why you don’t stick to writing what you enjoy writing instead of bickering with other people. Seems like you have much to contribute and I’m assuming you must have a love for writing. Why not simply write?
React
July 13th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
@TasteTheWine, Nice to meet you Brooke. Thank you for telling me that.
React
Jul 13, 2010 @ 05:54:52
i want to know when twak is putting up a link to cash in yer points! i want a stuffed turtle and a pack of those cool silly bands that are all the rage with the kiddies! see the bracelets are shapes, like cars, farm animals, musical instruments..you can wear them, stretch them – WHATEVER YOU WANT, and then KAPOW! they always go right back to their original form. so cool, so fucking amazing. anyway..
React
Sandra Jaye Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 11:05 am
@valerie,
Points for this:
+1 for being The Anti-Mouse
+1 for sneaking up like that with:
+1 a mind-stopping observation: “they always go back to their original form
+1 for not having an ‘s’ on the end of the last word.
I’m on the fence about “anyway” anyway. The continuation as represented by ‘anyway’ after you placed those giant explosive lightbulbs above the heads of our comic book avatars annoyed me at first, kinda liked later. So no negative points for me
Total, +4
React
valerie Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 11:13 am
@Sandra Jaye, i’m wicked rad with the explosive lightbulb placements, it’s true. i’m also way too old to say things like ‘wicked rad’ but i do anyways. oops.
React
Nathan Tyree Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
@valerie, I am also too old to say such things, but do anyway
React
Jul 13, 2010 @ 12:01:04
I think the scoring is only for Combat Words, but I like what Sandra did here.
+1
React
Nathan Tyree Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
@The Humanist, same here
React
Jul 13, 2010 @ 13:20:53
Mather, you amuse the hell out of me.
*But*, I have to say that we are all anonymous to ourselves. Or, at least, I am.
And I’m not really sure any of the rest of you fuckers really exist, so I’m going with what I know.
React
Nathan Tyree Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
@Jon Catron, I am anything but anonymous
I stand naked before you all
React
Jon Catron Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
@Nathan Tyree,
Okay, but do you stand naked before yourself? And if you do, why haven’t you done anything with that open sore on your ass?
React
Nathan Tyree Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 1:50 pm
@Jon Catron, hey now, that’s a tattoo
React
The Humanist Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
@Nathan Tyree,
Nathan, is the banner pic on your website Casshern? If so, nice choice.
React
July 13th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
@Jon Catron, Thanks Jon.
React
Jul 30, 2010 @ 13:53:00
I don’t believe the author’s identity has any relevance towards their writing. The pseudonym is also a creation — a protagonist in living fiction.
Doesn’t every writer act as their characters once in a while? Are they cowards for doing so?
What exactly is your point?
Does anonymity reject your voyeuristic desire to stroke through the Facebook galleries of writers you will never really meet?
Those who create a persona and develop relationships as said “anonymous” people are really just putting more effort into their expression than you. Could their true lives interfere with their message or purpose? Yes. Could their message or purpose interfere with their lives? Yes. Are their legitimate reasons for being anonymous outside of a single person’s microcosm? Yes.
Then, there is this:
If my words are nothing but toothless banality and condescend to gum and drool on your superiority — well, in that case — fuck you.
React
Mather Schneider Reply:
July 30th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
@nate Innomi, “If my words are nothing but toothless banality and condescend to gum and drool on your superiority — well, in that case — fuck you.”
How is it my fault that your words are nothing but toothless, condescending banality?
An author’s identity is always relevant to their words. Every word you write refelcts on you as a human being, even though your correct name might be a mystery. And when your words are personally directed at someone else, like “Fuck you,” it seems especially cowardly to me to hide your identity. Nah, nah, na-na-nah, I can say “Fuck you” and you don’t even know who I AAAMMM!
React
Jul 30, 2010 @ 14:19:43
Great, nate. Maybe you’ll get nominated for a pushcart for your creative pseudonym.
React
Jul 31, 2010 @ 05:23:45
Your response is one sided. It completely ignores my philosophy and focuses on the “fuck you” portion. That is dismissive hate — which is a very bland argument considering that you are the one who cut me off. Put the anonymity argument to bed and address my response. Take off your tin-foil hat. Step out of your terrarium. Exist and think beyond your microcosm.
The pushcart sarcasm is hilarious. You do make one mistake though — assuming that I would even want one. At the same time, it is also clear that a pushcart would be the end-all of your existence. You are a rat in a maze with other, bigger and more talented rats all chasing the same cheese.
I don’t even like cheese.
React
Jul 31, 2010 @ 08:55:36
I love it when someone says to me “Fuck you” out of nowhere, and then accuses me of “dismissive hate”. Ha! Oh, shoot, my response is one sided…what “philosophy” did I ignore? That to make up a false name/identity for yourself is the height of creativity? Well, I don’t agree with that. It’s easy to make up a name and hide behind anonymity. It is nothing special. Basically, it annoys me. If I meet someone and they tell me “Hi, my name is Peter Cottonballs” or “Anomaetopita” I just roll my eyes. How can anyone have a meaningful relationship with someone like that? I crave meaningful human relationships, which is a hard thing to find in a superficial world that does nothing but defend and glorify its superficiality.
You say I am the one who “cut you off”. What? Were you that jackass on 22nd Street the other day? Hey, I cut you off because you cut me off way back at Tyndal at the red light, fucker.
You say “Put the anonymity argument to bed and address my response.” Again, not sure what you’re talking about. My post was about anonymity and you responded to it, but now it’s my duty to follow your lead and “put it to bed”. You got some twisted ideas about your own influence, as do most talentless anonymouses. Besides that, your response was all about the anonymity argument, so again you really aren’t making any sense. Sure, a writer can pretend to be a character in one of his stories, how fun. But I personally can’t have relationships with people who won’t even tell me who they are. That’s my point. To glorify anonymity as some kind of higher land of creativity is absurd. A lot of people around here keep saying how they are such better writers than I am, better at “expression”, more in love with writing, more dedicated, etc. blah, blah…so, go ahead and believe it, see where it gets you…everyone’s so fucking successfull, it’s blowing my mind.
As far as the Pushcart goes, I would not turn one down. And neither would you. So that is just stupid. Since you already know the end all of my existence, I wonder, what is the end all of yours? To participate in a community of disembodied talking heads who can change their skins like cameleons? I’m a human being first, everything else comes second, including being a precious “writer” in a world overflowing with precious “writers”.
React
Aug 01, 2010 @ 11:20:19
For a writer, you read and comprehend poorly. I’ll organize this as I would for a child:
1. Dismissive hate is the “fuck you” response — just like giving the bird someone who cut you off. What is the point? The point is to convey dismay and dislike towards the offender — you.
2. Yes. You did cut me off. You abruptly and haphazardly moved and slowed down in front of me with your pedantic bullshit. I did not speak out against you and yours; you spoke against me and mine.
3. You have ignored and refused to address the fact that a writer’s work can interfere with their personal lives. There are a lot of legitimate reasons for being anonymous.
4. Your argument against ambiguity is superficial and baseless. You are blindly criticizing others — myself and friends of mine — without any frame of reference into motivation. I will say this again:
Step outside of your microcosm.
Your existence is not the pinnacle of humanity. If you refuse to exist outside of your conceit, then you might as well put on a uniform. Tattoo numbers on us anonymouses and drape us in olive drab. Make sure we can’t be anonymous because — it offends your sense of — (insert relate-able human emotion here).
5. Meaningful relationships are built on trust. People I trust know who I am. Don’t be pissed just because you aren’t in the club, tiny-Hitler.
React
Aug 01, 2010 @ 14:30:38
Condescension, one of the mainstays of the anonymous commentor,is in full force here. It’s sickening actually.
What are you fucking talking about with this “you cut me off” bullshit? Do you even know who you are talking to? Maybe you think you’re arguing with someone else. Do we have a prior relationship? Please, please just try to be clear. Considering you’re already assuming I’m an idiot, I would think you would be trying to make it as clear as possible what your problem is. Since you aren’t, I assume you can’t (be clear) and in that case this conversation is going to get even more tiresome than it already is. Great, looking forward to it.
“I did not speak out against you and yours; you spoke against me and mine.” How precious! Especially the “me and mine”. I know how you anonymouses like to hang together.
It’s amazing the things I’ve been called here on this forum. First, it was “anal retentent” by some guy calling himself The Oracle or something, then “passive aggressive” by Stoady and now “pedantic” by Inomi. Pedantic? You want to rethink that one? I really don’t mind being insulted if it is interesting or semi-original, if it applies to ME, but not when people just throw current popular insults at me and hope they stick. Pedantic…jesus, I wasn’t even sure what that meant, so I just looked it up.
Ok, you say I have ignored the fact that a writer’s work can interfere with their personal lives. I already said if someone is in fear of their life, of course I understand. Naturally you could find some other extreme examples. But this is a literary forum, people are having fucking poem contests! Why don’t you just give me an example of exactly what situation you are talking about, and I will give you my opinion. I imagine some people say they are afraid of getting fired from their job. Fine. The term “cowardly” still applies. Besides, I you stressed above that it was actually more CREATIVE to use a false name.
You obviously don’t like me from some previous blog. I don’t think my existence is the pinnacle of humanity, far from it. I am talking about two people meeting each other and exchanging names. And to compare me to a Nazi is another fucking ridiculous, standard insult that simply does not apply to me. Why don’t you read some of Wessington’s shit and tell me who the nazi is.
Don’t be pissed because you’re not in the club? That is the most idiotic statement you’ve said so far. I do not want to be in your club. But I’m glad you admitted that it was a club, so that when you deny that it is a club, which you will surely do shortly, I have something to refer to.
React
Aug 01, 2010 @ 18:38:00
I do not think I will provide examples; your head is too far up your ass to even understand a simple analogy. I did not even know what a Mather Schneider was, so I Googled it.
“I am a 40 year old cab driver in Tucson with no college degree.”
Keep fighting the anonymous populous, tiny Hitler. If I am ever in Tuscon and need a ride, I will call you. You will know it is me because I will anonymously tip like shit.
React
Aug 02, 2010 @ 07:46:38
Bye bye, nate.
React