Bombardment!

11 Replies

I have just, for the first time in my period as a blogger, unsubscribed from a fellow blogger’s site. I thought long and hard about my decision (after all I hope no one ever feels the need to unsubscribe from newauthoronline.com). However, having given the matter serious consideration I determined to click that unsubscribe button/link.
The blogger in question (who I will not name as it is not my intention to publicly shame anyone) has, over the past few weeks been bombarding me and their other followers with articles from one particular news source, almost invariably with no comment as to why the piece in question was being shared. The individual in question is an author and as such I fully expect him/her to have an interest in matters other than writing (we authors after all do not exist in a vacuum but have interests outside of writing. In my case this does include current affairs, but not to the extent of being bombarded with nothing other than such material over the past few weeks).
Approximately 12 months ago the same blogger went through a phase of automated tweets inviting me and his other followers to purchase their book. Needless to say I somehow resisted the temptation to reach for my virtual wallet and do so! At that juncture I was sorely tempted to unsubscribe, however I determined to give the site owner in question another chance and refrained from doing so, what an error of judgement that was on my part for, having been silent for a protracted period the bombardment of articles from a particular source began.
It goes without saying that every blog/site owner is entitled to blog whatever material they choose, provided of course that it does not break the law by, for example being an incitement to religious or racial hatred etc. However activities such as those described above are, in my opinion certain to alienate fellow bloggers (not just myself) and I wouldn’t be surprised if this person suffers a mass desertion of followers.
Rant over.
Kevin

11 thoughts on “Bombardment!”

  2. floridaborne's avatarfloridaborne

    I have many friends with many different philosophies. I rarely hit the button to unfollow, even if a site contains a lot of profanity or a political view at the extreme opposite of my own. But when I DO unfollow, it’s for the reasons you listed.

    That said, “incitement of religious and racial hatred” varies greatly between the bell curve of ISIS on one end and KKK on the other. Every blogger understands that at anytime there will be a reader who will choose to unfollow, knowing that out of the millions inhabiting the blog-0-sphere, there will be people who will say, “I love this blog!”

    All of us write what we love, what we feel, and what we believe in. All of us have the right to decide what we want to read. You did what you felt you had to do.

    Reply ↓
    1. K Morris Poet's avatardrewdog2060drewdog2060 Post author

      Many thanks for your comment. I agree with you. I wouldn’t unfollow (what an ugly word that is) a site just because the site owner held a divergent view from that of my own. I am reminded (and agree with) the sentiment rightly or wrongly attributed to Voltaire, “I disagree with what you are saying, but I will defend to the last your right to say it”. That is, in essence my position provided that advocacy of an idea does not spill over into endorsement of the use of violence in order to further said idea. At university we had the Socialist Workers Party, a left-wing Trotskyist group). I felt (and still feel) that there ideas are barking mad but I would never dispute their right to express them. Best wishes. Kevin

      Reply ↓

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