"you'll never convince them"

[pauraque_bk]

There's a wank going on that's as old as the hills (aren't they all), and a lot of people are making extraordinary fools of themselves (don't they always). The epicenter wasn't in my part of fandom; my windows rattled but nothing fell down.

It does strike me, though, that in these sorts of things there's sometimes a tendency to suggest that all argument is useless because you'll never convince your opponents that you're right. I really can't agree there. If your point is a good and valid one, you should make it, not for your opponents, but for those reading along.

On the internets there are always more lurkers than participants. The ones opening their mouths are the ones who already have a strong opinion, and the more they talk, the more they have invested in never giving any ground or learning anything new, because in their eyes that would not be learning, but "losing".

The ones *not* speaking are the ones who aren't sure. Those are people your argument can reach, whether or not you ever find out about it. (Just try not to claim that the lurkers support you in email.)


And seriously, "victim privilege"? Bitch, PLEASE.


ETA: There's now a rundown on unfunnybusiness if you really want to know. Warning for nausea at others' ridiculous behavior, at the very least...

Comments

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

Old wank is indeed, tired and old.

[scarah2.livejournal.com]

"Victim privilege?" I admit I'm lost here.

[lilacsigil.livejournal.com]

But don't you know it's sooooooo haaaaaaaaard to put warnings on things and anyway Joss doesn't have to?

(Zvi slapped me down once before, but I thought I was just being over-sensitive. Have defriended (un-subscribed?) now.)

[rexluscus.livejournal.com]

Wow. Just...really? When I got to the bit about "free-floating rage" my fail-o-meter broke.

[gorious.livejournal.com]

I feel so bad for people who have to post warnings on their fics. I mean, it's such an incredibly arduous task, I don't know how they manage.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hannelore/]

I'm crossing my fingers for those silent lurkers. It might make for an interesting outcome this time around.

Also, that filk is *awesome.*

[thimble-kiss.livejournal.com]

The amount of bulldozer callousness against people who flay themselves open bearing personal witness is what gets to me – it's sickening. Reminds me of the anecdote Stephen Fry has told of an old Oxford don's advice to a young colleague: "A word of advice: don't try to be clever, we're all clever here – only try to be kind, a little kind."

But that simple request always gets certain people's hackles up, it seems. Even if in this particular instance they haven't been very clever nor kind.

[mimine.livejournal.com]

It's mind-boggling. Warnings are easy. Rape, controversial crap that might squick the hell out of your audience. It goes without saying. What the hell is wrong with people? What are they going to argue about next? Ratings? Pairings? Whether fics should have titles? What is this shit?

[alice-and-lain.livejournal.com]

Lurkers aren't necessarily unsure. I'm sure but I don't speak up because others say it much more eloquently than I and I've banned myself from debating on the internet. Actually, I've banned myself from debate in general. Not everyone is great at argument!