I think that this whole stigma against naming specifics and is backed by admin authority and policy only encourages some of the drama that occurs when a person finds out they were ::gasp:: actually outed for doing something another person didn’t like.

I also think it’s hypocritical for anyone to wig out when they find out someone said something negative about them when they do it themselves quite frequently. They act as if they’ve never been snarky in IM before.

The times I won’t be specific is if I really do intend to be general. Like if I want to rant about cars cutting me off on the highway, I don’t think it’s necessary to call out specifically each one by car make, model, and license plate number to make my point.

they have a strange compulsion to not want to openly, publicly call anyone out. I don’t know if this is because they don’t want to hurt feelings or what.

The more cynical side of me suspects that it’s done for the same reasons as thought-sniping, i.e., cowardice. I’d like to give people the benefit of a doubt, though.

But I so totally agree: if you’re going to make a vague accusation. . . go ahead and go the rest of the way.

1.) People can’t be honest on the internet. Now, from my learning studies with Dr. House, everybody lies. But when you back that with the anonymity of the internet, people are even more prone to lying. It would be beautiful if there was a bullshit detector on the internet, you know? “:( WAIT. THIS GIRL ISN’T SEVENTEE–…O shi, this isn’t even a girl! xO! ::Runaway!::”

2.) Strangely enough, not only to people lie on the internet, they have a strange compulsion to not want to openly, publicly call anyone out. I don’t know if this is because they don’t want to hurt feelings or what. But if you’re going to have the brass to *vaguely* make accusations, why not go all the way? Christ, people. I can’t tell if I’m doing wrong if you don’t say my name the way my Mom used to, you know? “:( Lauren.” That’s all it takes. Just a name. OR. Goodness gracious and heaven forbid, why don’t you just have the jewels to approach someone via IMs? Or EMail? Or PMs? Or whatever? It’s not hare, people.

I could quote this entire article but I won’t because it’s just glorious right where it is.

This is the single most important thing I wish people could understand about me. It’s okay to come to me and straight out tell me, “Remember that thing you did with Charact A that involved the squid? I wasn’t comfortable with that at all.”

And the crazy thing is? I won’t yell at you. It’s ok to be honest with me. Srsly. And if I do yell, mock me for being an idiot.

Okay I lied. I will quote one thing:

“If I’m doing something stupid, I’d prefer to know exactly what I did wrong.”

Yes. This. Time a milliondey. A hundred milliondey.