Brad Wardell's views about technology, politics, religion, world affairs, and all sorts of politically incorrect topics.

The Genius at Oatmeal does it again. Here is a tiny snippet:

image

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/making_things

Read the whole thing.

And now a message to the hateful, degenerate scum of the Internet:

 

Dear soul sucking trolls,

If you’ve publicly posted that you won’t buy stuff from my company because you don’t like me then I say to you: Thank you. The last thing I want are horrible stupid people benefiting from my work.  I realize that things I post, email, tweet, facebook, etc. can occasionally be taken out of context and be spun to fit whatever agenda the person in the media needs it to fit that day to get their page views. But nothing forces you to buy the crap they’re posting.  If you hate someone you don’t even know, you should probably seek counseling.

Making stuff and putting yourself out there can be very rewarding.  I know hateful trolls out there froth at the mouth whenever there’s some individual trying to express themselves. I understand your problem. You’re weak. You’re cowardly. And rather than trying to improve yourselves or having the courage to take a chance and try putting yourself out there you lash out at those who do. You’re pathetic.

In the end, you’re irrelevant. Once the people who create content realize that you don’t matter, you lose whatever power you might have had. Your predictions of their demise, your hateful tweets, your promises to not support whatever it is they make ultimately amount to nothing because most people aren’t horrible, pathetic creatures like you are. Good people outnumber you 1000 to 1.

My advice to you is this: Quit hating people. Look at yourself. Do some soul searching. Become a better person.  Don’t shit on stuff you don’t like but try to make things better. Don’t spend your energy trying to bring down someone you don’t even know who has done nothing to you. Make your own stuff. Share it with others. And if you can’t, then shut the hell up.

For everyone else, read this: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/making_things

The point being, don't take out your personal baggage on other individuals. 

Update:

And for those linking in and being offended by my message to trolls:  I have no means to keep stupid hateful trolls from being customers. I can only hope that they self-select themselves for removal. It makes life easier for us all.  I realize most trolls don't see themselves as such. So let me give you a hint: If you you are emotionally invested in harming some individual you don't even know, that should be a hint. If you're putting your time and energy to try to harm someone you've never met, has done nothing to you you might want to talk to someone.

If what I write rankles you, don't read it.  Find something else to do.  If you disagree but can control your angst, feel free to participate. Talk about it here. Join the discussion. But if I don't like Windows 8 and you do, then don't assume that I'm some Mac fanatic and thus an avatar of all things you imagine Mac fanatics are (which are probably in themselves false). If I have a different political view on some issue than you do, that doesn't mean that I subscribe to every political view you disagree (or hate). 

Remember, I'm just one guy with strong opinions on tons of stuff. I have no power over you. Until I'm made emperor of the planet (which, I think you can agree, is inevitable and my castle shall be constructed with the skulls of my real and imagined -- mostly imagined -- foes) use this opportunity to hang out, debate and talk about whatever.

Update 2:

I saw a thread that thinks this topic was inspired by one particular trolling event -- from September at that.  Get over yourselves.  Any time you put yourself out there, there will be hateful nasty people.  If you've visited her from some nest of hateful, nasty people don't assume this post is about whatever your particular grievance of the day. 


Comments (Page 1)
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on Nov 15, 2012

LOVE IT!!!

on Nov 15, 2012

Awesome!

on Nov 15, 2012

Way beyond good. GREAT post!!!

on Nov 16, 2012

Well said!

on Nov 16, 2012

Yea, that Oatmeal cartoon was just amazing. 

And regarding trolls, what's amazing is that most of them have no idea what they are.  They can endlessly rationalize their own hatred. The problem is, IF you despise some *individual* you don't even know, then there's probably something wrong with you.  They don't even realize that it is not normal to hate strangers. It's a weird, destructive behavior and they're clueless about it.

on Nov 16, 2012

My advice to you is this: Quit hating people. Look at yourself. Do some soul searching. Become a better person. Don’t shit on stuff you don’t like but try to make things better. Don’t spend your energy trying to bring down someone you don’t even know who has done nothing to you. Make your own stuff. Share it with others. And if you can’t, then shut the hell up.

Absolutely correct. It's also wasted advice, because those people haven't discovered that on their own, and won't understand it until they do.

I hope they don't buy SD stuff as well... they're the type which can't install/maintain apps without Support 24/7/365. They just aren't worth the effort on any level.

Have a good weekend with the family, and remember: The perfect revenge is living well, and there are many folks who like and admire you. 

on Nov 16, 2012

It's sad that there enough people that act this way it's necessary to post something like that. Then again, what's easier to do- love or hate? Posting online strips away the relational aspect of humanity, so all that's left is thought and emotion. Given the human tendency toward selfishness, these reactions shouldn't be surprising, but are still quite upsetting regardless.

on Nov 16, 2012

@DR and Reliant

We see that kind of thing here.  Remember when the Kotaku thing came up and we had people say "You have to understand why people are so angry.." What? No we don't. If someone's threshold of getting "angry" at someone is because they read something on the Internet (and in this case, something so distorted as to have little bearing in reality) then they're just fucked.

Like you said, it's pretty much wasted advice because they will never understand that they have a serious problem if they're getting worked up about something that abstract.  It's like those people who read tabloids and get angry at celebrities. Forget whether the gossip about them is true or not, the problem is they're getting mad in the first place.

on Nov 16, 2012

Frogboy
the problem is they're getting mad in the first place.

Some people's raison d'etre is an inherent need to be 'getting mad'....

...at something...

on Nov 16, 2012

Frogboy
the problem is they're getting mad in the first place.

Such strong reactions suggest they found something present in themselves, whether the external statement was true of false... in reality, it's really all about them. They simply lack the insight to realize it, and the tools to deal with it.

on Nov 16, 2012

They key to all of this negativity is to let it go. Forgive them, independent of what they do. I heard a good statement the other day- "Forgiving doesn't mean forgetting and it doesn't matter the response of the other person. It's your choice to let go of an injustice to you so you can live your life in freedom from it." Move on, though it's tough. There's too much life to live to waste it listening and responding to anger.

Brad, you've accomplished a LOT and you have a lot to be proud of with Stardock and your career. It's not without bumps, bruises, pain and scars, but learning from the mistakes and rising above them allows you to continue to lead those around you to greatness. In the words of Red Green, "Remember, I'm pullin' for ya. We're all in this together."

on Nov 19, 2012

hey key to all of this negativity is to let it go. Forgive them, independent of what they do. I heard a good statement the other day- "Forgiving doesn't mean forgetting and it doesn't matter the response of the other person. It's your choice to let go of an injustice to you so you can live your life in freedom from it." Move on, though it's tough. There's too much life to live to waste it listening and responding to anger.

There is nothing to forgive. They are what they are. It would be like forgiving a fire or a cyst.

on Nov 19, 2012

^ Correct... but cysts are unforgivable.

 

on Nov 19, 2012

I don't take any notice of what people say on the internet. Whatever anyone has to say has no value to me, and, I have the ultimate answer to them - the second I close my browser they cease to exist.

on Nov 19, 2012

Frogboy
There is nothing to forgive. They are what they are. It would be like forgiving a fire or a cyst.

If a fire burned down my house, I'd be ticked at the fire even if it's not a person. I might be prone to spending my life trying to get back at the fire, writing posts about how anti-fire I am, etc. Like you point out, though, spending my life angry at something I can't control doesn't make sense. I just can't imagine how tough it is for you to see people that don't know you to jump to conclusions and make personal attacks on your character. I'm sure you've developed a pretty thick hide to these sorts of things over time, but they've still gotta hurt on some level. At least you have a community of people that are pro-SD, as well as a great staff to back it up. I'm sure having a good support network in the face of outright criticism helps.

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