A response
Web Design July 31st, 2008As clarification, I’m posting this here (and not on FaeDubh) because it is more related to me (and my personal thoughts) than to the web design community. I was merely going to stay out of it, but I thought I’d clarify some things and point out some inconsistencies.
I posted an entry on FaeDubh a few weeks ago called Mentoring. To sum it up, it was about the drifting away that I feel has been occuring in the last few years. It also suggested one possible idea for getting the community interacting more and requested that others comment with their own suggestions.
In response, it got people talking. Angel began posting some entries with her opinions on the issue. Each post got comments with other people’s opinions. Mei Zhu even opened a Web Design Friending Meme to fascilitate communication.
However, as always happens, some people got the wrong idea about what I said and intended. Hence, this post.
- I did not blame the lack of communication / split on AB. I stated that I felt that the fighting that occured a few years ago played a part in the split. The fighting was not contained to AB, though they were a part of it. AB was a part of a part of the reason, in my opinion.
- FaeDubh is not a copy of AB. FaeDubh is a group blog that I began for two reasons: a) because I wanted a place separate of Ealain to blog about web-design related things and b) others were interested in the same thing so we made a group blog. We have never claimed to be a copy of AB. We have never claimed to be here to save the web design world and pick up the pieces. (Angel stated that she felt FaeDubh was a good outlet for her opinions and that, through using that outlet, we might become a better community. She did not mention AB in that post and did not compare us to them in that post.). The only thing that I feel we have in common is that we are both group blogs centered on the web design community. There are multiple other web design group blogs; did we copy them too?
- I am attempting to help the community. I’m not just sitting back writing a whiny blog entry as people have stated. I posted a blog entry on FaeDubh about how I felt we could all chip in and start interacting more. How is that not of my own free will? How is that not me making an effort? Yes, I stated that I am one of the ones that distanced myself emotionally. My post on FaeDubh is part of my process to fix that as well as get others to attempt the same.
However, while I did distance myself to not take things as serious, I’m still here. I never stopped being a part of the community. There is a difference between distancing yourself from the community and the people and distancing yourself emotionally. It was stated that I have never made any effort to reach out to newer designers and was in fact distancing myself. (That last statement was made by Anonymous so I have no way of knowing if in fact Anonymous would have any inside information to backup that position, but I’m guessing not since Anonymous did not give any backup to Anonymous’s claim.) I distanced my emotions. I did not distance myself. I have been open for communication this whole time, have made new friends of newer designers, have helped them out, have commented on newer sites, have attempted communication. Don’t state that it is obvious that I’ve done the opposite of the truth. You have no backup to your claim.
- I’m not perfect and there is more to do. That was the whole point of my original post. While I have done things gradually over time, I feel that I could be doing more. I also know that I, alone, mean nothing. If we want this community back how it was (I do; whether you do or not is your decision), it must be a group effort. Is that not the point in community?
So, I guess to sum it up, I’d prefer if people would actually read what I write before they make assumptions about what I’m saying and if they wouldn’t make assumptions without the proof and fact to back it up. You may not like me for whatever reason; I don’t mind. But don’t put words in my mouth and thoughts in my mind.
July 31st, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Call me blind, dense or whatever but I’m somewhat confused by this entry. I really don’t recall anything that was said that led to really suggest any of this (aside from point #2).
In that regard, I understand where those who say that point #2 is true (and I can’t recall if I said it myself as well or not). Many, and I say many of the topics discussed previously on FaeDubh have been mentioned several times over on AB. That is where the similarities lie. I stated that FB is attempting to do what AB did…and that’s point out the faults and/or fix these faults (though I don’t think AB was trying to do the latter). That is not copying (not to my knowledge).
The way I took Angel’s post about FD being “The Obama of the Web” was as if FD was this magnificent group blog that was seriously on the verge of changing the face of the internet. That’s how her post came across to me rather than what you pointed out. Perhaps it was because her writing of that article was so difficult to pick up (or if we’re supposed to have “read between the lines” there too), it made it harder for others to see the point she was trying to make as well. That post somewhat offended me, in that she thought so highly of the blog (but if she didn’t intend for it in that manner, then I take back the offense).
As for the “community”…it’s hard for me to say anything else about it. I myself feel as though I no longer want to be part of it and perhaps, within the next couple of months, I may not longer be part of it anyway. We’ll see how it goes.
Best of luck to you and in attempting to help out the community. It’s stressful, I understand…and many people may assume wrongly and/or think negatively of you for doing this, but I think you’re doing something quite nice for the community. So, hopefully, you’ll soon be getting more support and assistance in that sense.
August 1st, 2008 at 9:55 am
Skye, that’s precisely the reason I said (on AB) that I was peeved with Anonymous. I thought, “how could he/she say that when they don’t really know better about the people they’re talking about?”
Anywho, if people then say it’s your fault that they misinterpret because “you didn’t post enough detail”, then do they honestly expect ANYONE to explain every nitty detail of what they feel or what they (want to do) in just one single post? It’s too contradictory - “stop rambling!” and “hey, seems like you’re not telling us everything - how are we to think?”…sheesh. And I do believe we are entitled to a bit of reservation in what we WANT to say too…
Come to think of it, looks like we’ll either have to over-process our posts’ wordings to death if we don’t want to ruffle a few feathers that happen due to “misinterpretation” (uh, NOT possible!), or we’ll just have to face some bullets anyway. Hmm…sounds a lot more feasible, ironically - what’s a few bullets? We get them IRL anywho.
Honestly, you, Angel, or anyone else who got “gunned” here for this issue don’t deserve all this shiz. Life’s way too short for it, and REAL life’s too jam-packed with much more important + fun stuff.
Now I’m gonna sit back and wait for the possible “if real life’s much more important, why not *you* sod off and leave the net alone?” comments to come. [I guess I’ve finally succumbed to the Brit sarcasm gene.]
I’d like to mention though that by reading the response to Angel’s new post on FD, maybe “Anonymous” ain’t so anonymous now. So sue me for playing detective at a time like this. =\
August 1st, 2008 at 10:14 am
Perhaps it’s just because I’m an outsider to your circle, but I really have no clue what Ari, you or Angel stated about all of the negative feedback that the post(s) have received. Because I figured it was something one of us who posted a comment (that’s still there I suppose) stated, I somewhat misinterpreted this post.
Whatever the case, I’m sorry for whoever it was that was harassing you guys. Although I do not agree with some of the things posted on FD, I wouldn’t approve of anyone attempting to bash you for attempting to fix something you see as wrong within this community (or not anymore at least, as I hope I’ve matured).
However, to Ariane…I do believe that if people wish to be understood, they SHOULD write with as much detail and whatnot as possible AS TO NOT be misunderstood. That is, unless you’re looking to be misunderstood just to poke fun and be rudely sarcastic (as you are) to those who JUST SO HAPPEN to misunderstand DUE TO the lack of information provided. I, for one, do not look to always misunderstand posts and whatnot. It just so happens that I tend to misunderstand more than others BECAUSE I think differently than whoever it is that’s posting. Perhaps you should consider THAT rather than blaming the reader(s) for always “misunderstanding”.
That’s my two cents on why I misunderstand things so much. As for whoever Anon is…I’ve long since grown tired of people who post Anonymously. If they’re too afraid to leave their name, then why bother taking their advice and/or caring what they say?
August 1st, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Excuse my spammage of your blog Skye, but it finally just hit me what you were referring to (apparently I was told AB came back). So, I apologize for any idiotic things I may have said due to lack of information (and that I don’t visit AB much anymore).
August 2nd, 2008 at 1:43 am
Oh, that explains things (you not knowing about AB’s recent post) - my apologies, Megs.
But I don’t think the fact that my 2nd-last paragraph + the fact I said “I’ve succumbed to the Brit sarcasm gene” warrants me as totally “rudely sarcastic”; however, to each our own. I’m not all-out trying to be misunderstood just so I can feel superior about the fact that no one can actually understand, or that I can shove the blame on others. I’m just saying that for those who are a bit too demanding + unreasonable towards certain posters who’ve tried their best in their own ways to express their thoughts and so on, it’s already enough. Give them a break too. Like what you said, the readers and posters don’t always have the same ways of looking at things, and that I should respect that; but I feel some readers also forget to remember that about the posters. Hence, leading to my comment about “detail” - assuming the context here is that the poster has said quite a fair bit in detail and still ended up being jumped for it.
I hope that suffices as a “missing” explanation. Again, Skye, I apologise for the spammage too. If it goes on, I’ll end up posting something on my on blog later.