Recovered from the Wayback Machine.
Sorry, not in a funny mood today.
Yesterday as a result of the Fairvue awards, I thought it would be nice to take time to tell favorite bloggers how much we like them. Based on this, I had some wonderful exchanges with some of the nicest people — and not just within the weblogging world.
No buzz generation. No blogrolling. No ulterior motives. Just, a thought that I don’t need an awards system to tell people that I like their weblogs and that they make my day a little brighter, funner, more interesting.
However, my admittedly utopian thought took a turn to the right at some point and some weblogging politics entered the picture, my weblog posting right in the middle of it.
It has to do with my original linking of Dave Winer and the Winerlog websites under the heading of Polar Opposites. I originally did this not to be mean, but to be funny. Really, if you have one weblog that’s nothing more than the antithesis of the other, your first inclination is to point this out — and I did. However, when Dave Winer put a comment in my notes that he found it hurtful, I separated the two. Dave and I also exchanged some emails on a related subject, content not to be shared here as it was private communication between us.
I was concerned that the comments would actually be communicated to Winerlog, and they were. Now at the beginning and end of all these really nice comments from my weblogging friends, I have Dave’s comment in the beginning and a slam at Dave at the end. And Winerlog has posted a shot at Dave’s comment.
I was delighted with my exchanges with favorite webloggers yestereday (TX Meryl, NJ Meryl, Sharon, Justin, Dane. Stav, Jonathon, Rageboy (earlier communication), and Gary) as well as my delight in getting to know other webloggers better (such as Mike).
I am really disappointed that the whole Dave Winer/Winerlog thing got brought into this. I’m disappointed at the person who pointed out Dave’s comments to Winerlog. I’m disappointed at the email exchange with Dave yesterday. I’m disappointed that Winerlog published a weblog posting on this subject, and not the original posting. Remember that original posting?
Ultimately, I’m disappointed with both Dave and Winerlog for only seeing the spite and not the focus of the bloody posting — appreciation. News for you both:
Dave, you need a sense of humor. The Romans during the time of the Caesar’s, before they reached their ultimate corruption, thought that one’s ultimate enemy is, in actuality one’s most powerful friend. Your enemy spends more time thinking about you than your friends do. Your enemy points out all your weaknesses, allowing you to learn how to become stronger. Your enemy will be honest when others, fearing to offend, will lie.
In this looking glass world whereby we are defined by others perception of ourselves our enemy is our harshest, but truest, mirror. If your enemy goes silent, you have achieved perfection.
And Winerlog, you need to get a life. What is your name? You hide behind the shield of the anonymous, which is nothing more than the ultimate betrayal of self. I would dearly love to see what you have to say about other things in life. Music. Favorite foods. Favorite people — you only measure the people listed within your weblog by their degree of difficulty with Dave. I know, because I’m on that list — something I thought was funny at first, not any longer. Not anymore.
I’m a richer person than your listing implies. I have more facets to my character than just the fact that I sometimes don’t agree with Dave. No offense to you, and to Dave, this is such a trivial part of my life.
Both of you betrayed a simple request that I made — that people take a moment and tell their favorite webloggers how much you like them. Simple. Uncomplicated.
I’m removing both your links from my blogroll, and won’t return them until I have an apology from both of you. If you want to hate me for this and this posting, go ahead. If you want to stop mentioning me in your weblog again, Dave, go ahead. Winerlog if you want to pull my link, than go ahead.
I would rather my weblog go unread and unlinked than continue to be a party to this foolishness. If I get only one person visiting me in a day, but that person visits because they like what I say, then I’m ahead. I’ll take that person, and dammit I’ll be happy.