Nobody realizes they’re traceable online. That they’re leaving a constant trail of digital cookies delineating their thoughts, beliefs and behaviors.<\/p>\n
If I told you hate mail did not bother me I’d be lying.<\/p>\n
But keeping all my e-mail, I look back and it turns out this person has been calling me a doodyhead, but with much worse language, from back when the century was still in single digits. If every e-mail you’ve ever sent tells me what a loser I am, I know I can dismiss everything you have to say.<\/p>\n
But even worse are the right wing nutjobs.<\/p>\n
Yes, that’s what they are. You write anything that squares with the Democratic agenda, or a left wing position, and you hear from these people, again and again and again. It’s astounding, you go back through years of e-mail and you realize whenever you hit the topic, they hit you back.<\/p>\n
They’re working the refs. Trying to silence those with contrary opinions.<\/p>\n
That’s their job.<\/p>\n
I’m unaware of this behavior on the left. Then again, I’m now going to hear from these same crazies telling me I’m wrong.<\/p>\n
But what is truly astounding is you can look up the rantings and ravings of these same people online. That’s the power of Google.<\/p>\n
Yes, when someone sends me something particularly heinous, I look them up.<\/p>\n
And it turns out I’m not their only victim, they’ve written letters to the editor on the exact same subject, saying how the right wing does not get a break, that we’re moving towards socialism and the country is going to hell in a hand basket.<\/p>\n
Call me crazy, but I think everyone is entitled to food on their plate, a roof over their head, an education and a good start. And if you believe everybody in America has got that today, you’re delusional.<\/p>\n
Then again, that’s how the music has changed. The Youngbloods used to sing about getting together, John Lennon was all about love, and today it’s all about mine for me, and I could trace it back to Ronald Reagan, but then I’d get that e-mail once more…there you go again, Bob.<\/p>\n
But this is not about my inability to take criticism, this is not about politics, this is about the ignorance of people who don’t realize no one’s anonymous any longer.<\/p>\n
Now the truth is if you randomize your e-mail address, use an assumed name, you’re immediately discounted and forgotten. Because that’s so AOL circa 1998. With Facebook playing with real names, with no one paying attention to the Twitter feeds of those utilizing their real monikers, we don’t have time for fakes.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, unless you’re immediately taking yourself out of the game by using a different anonymous e-mail address every time you send a missive, you’re findable.<\/p>\n
Yup, if you use the same anonymous e-mail every time…<\/p>\n
It shows up on Google. We can triangulate, we can discover who you are.<\/p>\n
I’ve looked up every girl I ever kissed, every girl I ever had sex with, do you think I can’t find you?<\/p>\n
It’s not only the government. I don’t need texts, I don’t need subpoenas or have to break the law. Your complete history is sitting there in plain sight, for anybody to discover.<\/p>\n
But the truth is most people don’t care.<\/p>\n
That’s the scourge of today’s society. For all the talk of social networks, most people are still alone with no economic mobility and they hate those who’ve risen above, whether their status is earned or not.<\/p>\n
That’s the e-mail that cracks me up the most. People telling me how to do my job, the frequency with which I should hit send, that I should stop completely. THIS IS AN OPT-IN MAILING LIST! I never signed you up, you receive it at no cost and you can sign off any time with a click. But somehow you think I should be listening to you tell me how to do it?<\/p>\n
Hysterical.<\/p>\n
But it’s not only me.<\/p>\n
Musical artists listen to their most vocal critics and change direction even though their silent fans are happy with where they’re going.<\/p>\n
And left wingers are afraid to speak up because the same right wing nuts are going to shout them down.<\/p>\n
The truth is, if you can’t handle abuse, you’re going to have a hard time in modern society.<\/p>\n
Because so many feel held down with no opportunity, they’re angry, they want to feel powerful, by putting others down or shutting them up.<\/p>\n
In other words, it’s about you, not them.<\/p>\n
So rant away. Splurge online. Lay down your thoughts.<\/p>\n
But don’t think you deserve any attention.<\/p>\n
And know that you’re building a permanent record that could haunt you for the rest of your life.<\/p>\n
Now that’s scary.<\/p>\n
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