Re: A Story From The Past
- From: "Mercy" <olsonsej@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:04:07 -0500
If this is truly Michael, he owes me a "huge" explanation. He always
treated me with kindness and caring. My mind is being totally blown about
this.
Nettie
"Janey Pooh" <janepooh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1124359548.729316.114950@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> When I first came online and found AMF, my husband and son were both
> very leery of me interacting with so many strangers online. My husband
> still kinda is. They'd heard stories of online bullying and such, and
> did not want me involved in all that.
>
> One day, my son came to look in on me, read over my shoulder and saw a
> header in all caps called MICHAEL BAUGH IS A MONSTER. This was in,
> like, 1998 or 1999.
>
> Wellllllll - let me tell you, my loved ones did NOT think much of me
> interacting with a group that had a *monster* on it. I didn't know
> much about who this Michael Baugh person was (still don't, perhaps) and
> they did not know. My son FREAKED on me and told my husband I was
> corresponding on a group that had to deal with MONSTERS.
>
> They made me stop posting. Stop reading. Play stupid games on the
> net, read websites, but no more interacting on these dumb newsgroups
> that apparently have MONSTERS on them who make people upset.
>
> It took me a long time to explain to them that it's all just words on a
> screen and no one could really get hurt by it. "I just have to choose
> not to read or choose not to get worked up by the words and I'll be
> fine."
>
> Meanwhile, inside my head I was in complete turmoil over this whole
> flaming issue. It *was* making me upset. It was making me sicker.
> But there were things about it that were also making me better -
> mainly, having people in my same situation to interact with.
>
> So I played it really calm with my family and told them they had
> nothing to worry about and dealt with the demons the flames were
> causing either by spewing them out here or by keeping quiet and just
> feeling sicker and sicker about it all.
>
> YEARS went by. Parts of the newsgroup stayed the same, parts changed -
> and a core group of 50 - 75 people seem to have stuck with this group
> for well over five years now. Maybe more, but definitely at least that
> many, I'd say. I left a couple times cuz I couldn't get access, but
> found my way back as soon as I could.
>
> No one has ever *controlled* this group. Most of the people on this
> group's personalities haven't changed much over the years. Some have
> changed dramatically. Yet all these years later, there is still this
> one main issue bogging down this group:
>
> CONTROL
>
> Who Controls It? Why are they trying to control it? Why should it be
> controlled at all? Who gets to decide or ultimately plan what will or
> will not be posted on this group?
>
> No One.
>
> People can try to manipulate others into following "their way". But
> most of us are pretty smart and aren't easily taken in by manipulation.
> People can try to bully others into doing as they say - but some are
> stubborn enough and feel strongly enough about their own sense of
> individuality that they will NEVER allow themselves to be bullied into
> anything. They're like Kidnap Negotiators - never give in to the
> terrorist's demands. Never pay the ransom.
>
> And some will ALWAYS be stressed out, irritated, annoyed, frightened by
> anyone who is behaving like a *monster* - no matter WHAT that monster
> believes he/she is trying to accomplish.
>
> I think I have mostly learned to deal with flamers by ignoring it all,
> but I admit it does still get to me sometimes. My loved ones, even
> after six or seven years, still believe this is BAD for me, but they
> understand my need for this cameraderie, friendship, and the odd bit of
> joie-de-vivre.
>
> But they sure don't like hearing when another flame war starts. They
> want to unplug me, rather than have me go through all that again. That
> first header my son ever saw affected them, and does to this day. The
> fact that I could EVER come in contact with someone others consider to
> be a MONSTER is very very scary to them.
>
> They worry for my equilibrium. I worry for the equilibrium of everyone
> else on this group.
>
> Take GOOD Care,
>
> Jane
>
.
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