For the love of children, User 1! Is there no such thing as a private message anymore?
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AnnetinomY at 09.29.09 - 11:08 am
Good morning there, User 1;
I have had something which has been weighing on my mind for quite some time. Ever since I read your response to my great disclosed address caper (and to my unfortunate use of your mom in an over the top attempt at crude humor), I have felt that I owe you an apology. I don’t think for a moment that my misdirected fury caused even one skipped beat in your life but I certainly know that your concern for my well being was sincere, if ill timed. I don’t know that I can say it was ill-timed even, without taking pause, having observed time and again that advice offered too late need not be offered at all for the amount of acknowledgement it will receive. The fact that I reacted so harshly to your blunt criticism regarding only shows sudden awareness of poor judgment on my part.
Though at this point the jury is out on my opinions about advertising where I reside (all situations considered), your message was appropriate and necessary and very well noted. As a matter of fact, in browsing the web later that evening I was shocked to find that when I followed a craigslist link to a website created by a woman my age, who described herself in a very flattering way, she had posted her full address, apartment number included, requesting that people send donations her way. My heart skipped a beat. I frowned and your words echoed through my mind in stern, unfamiliar voice: What really is worth disclosing so much private information to everyone who cares to read it?
It can be assumed that you are reading this and shaking your fist at me, screaming: The jury is out!?! What on earth is wrong with you??? I offer three reasons for this statement… First, I feel very confident that no harm will come to me here. I live with about 27 roommates, all of whom come and go at very random intervals. My dog is small but perceptive and very much invested in my survival. She can be exceedingly loud when threatened. If I was to add the 4 pit bulls we have in residence, my willingness to disfigure those who mean to cause me harm and the fact that I have made a pointed move to befriend everybody who lives on my street, I am comfortable with the information that is out there. I doubt I would be considered an easy target.
Secondly, I entertain no illusions that any of my private information is inaccessible. In a world with internet cheap and easy, even my kid sister is a bit of a hacker. I am constantly bombarded with advertisers spitting my IP addresses back at me in hopes that I’ll buy their magic scramble devices. I have to pay to keep my info out of a big yellow and white book that is distributed to every one in the county, and after I’ve paid, you are more than welcome to see that cost by buying a 24 hour pass on a public record search site. It's an easy way to find out where exactly I am sending the electricity I’ve funded. My yearly $1.99 to match your one time rate of the same; should I bother?
So, I think I’m secure… but why pose the challenge? So the information is out there… why would you make it that much easier to obtain? I get you and I get these points. The fact remains that I have begun working on a garden project that is based out of my home… We’re working to create a network of gardens, made up of friends and neighbors throughout this area who are willing to come together to help each other out, in more ways than just the gardening; folks who are invested in building a roster of resources by partnering with each other to effect change in their own backyard. Yeah – I put my information out there intentionally for this purpose. I couldn't figure any other way to do what I was proposing! So…
Honestly, I sent the request to post my message out from the wrong email address. It was a big mistake. A foolish one, but a mistake none-the-less. As angry and sad and shocked and confused as I was, I overlooked that info in my request and then copied and pasted until it was everywhere. You were the only person to bring it up… Except Borfo – but he was subtle to a point that it almost didn't register until I read what you said.
There you go. I shouldn’t have snapped. It was a hard day for me. You were correct in bringing that error to my attention and I’ll even concede that your timing was on. I didn’t quite appreciate your cynicism with regard to the value of my bike, but I’m fairly certain I had made that point in my last communication. I did write to apologize that day, but I made the mistake of trusting a website with a long reply which wasn’t saved to word. I hit post and it was gobbled up. I guess I’ve been on strike since then. I’m going to leave this understanding in your hands – Some people dig public apologies. What ever. It’s all the same to me. I hope we can come to a truce on this THESE issues… SHIT! I almost forgot!!!!
While I’m at it – I shouldn’t have gone so far as integrating the sling into that little jab about your mom… Listen: I have just recently mastered the art of crafting a powerful your mom joke. I am not quite as skilled in wielding them. It’s a long, hard, road I travel in this regard, being that I haven't been male long, and or ever, and so I haven’t been privy to the rules of engagement since birth. You have to admit though… It was god damned hi-lair-ious.
Thank you for posing questions no one wants to consider,
annetinomy
By the way - Ya see the new bike? Donated to me by a sweet gal. Works just fine. It's such a different dynamic! I kinda feel like a girl again. Not so sure I'm diggin' on using all new muscles to make it go though... I donated Borfo's Old Beater to the Oven in hopes that it will come in handy once again for someone in a similar spot. Of course, it'd be better if no one ever was in that place again...
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"I live with about 27 roommates,"
All girls right? I pretty sure I've been there before for a party.
Anne, the value of your bike was irrelevant. Even though that's what people seemed to have concentrated on. Also I had nothing invested in this debate, you on the other hand did. Obviously something bad would have to happen for me to be proven right. I hope I'm proven wrong, but like you said, why chance it? Not only that, why bring unwanted attention to your roommates?
There ways to take back your privacy and guard your privacy. You mentioned above guarding your email address. There's free services that allow you to post an address and have this service forward the email to your correct address. The person on the other end never sees your correct address.
Finally, thanks for posting up. Looks like this issue was bugging you and you had to get it off your mind. The mother joke didn't bother me, not even sure why you added it. It definitely does nothing to enhance your position. Really I find them pretty childish, bout the level of a 3rd grader.
Great wheels btw. Hope it treats you well.
User109.29.09 - 12:38 pm
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