Mike Glicksohn, fanwriter

[gerisullivan]

A few minutes ago, I asked Google for links to "Mikecon" so I could include a pertinent one in a piece of email I'm writing.

In addition to finding Tommy Ferguson's MikeCon issue of Tommyworld, Google turned up the remembrance of Joni Stopa that Mike Glicksohn wrote for Mimosa. Like all of my favorite fanwriting, it tells as much about the writer as it does about the subject. Recommended.

Comments

Re: Peace on social networks, goodwill to all fen and users

[gary-farber.livejournal.com]

There are always valid criticisms to be made of the pros and cons of all these things, but often times a lot of emotion tends to be bound up, by some, to one degree or another, in identifying and feeling defensive about the particular software/service/OS/whatever, one likes/uses/is-most-familiar/comfy with -- which is, again, a perfectly understandable and normal trait, and then we all tend to be prone towards being resistant to anyone who seems to proselytize, particularly for something we see some reason to, or think we have some reason to, object to, however accurately or inaccurately.

My own reaction is, as I've said, to try to be as nonjudgmental as possible, while, of course, not claiming to be inhumanly perfect about this -- I'm known to make snarky remarks about some of this stuff at times, when sufficiently tired or in a bad or stupid mood -- but I usually feel a bit silly and regretful later, unless I've made a fairly careful and specific remark about a specific bad policy/aspect/practice, and know I'm being reasonable accurate.

Or, put another way, I tend to see this sort of thing as falling under my own general policy of living and let live, and letting people enjoy what they're comfortable with, and trying not to pick on other people's choices.

But I try not to proselytize about this. :-)

Sometimes unsuccessfully. :-)

I really think a lot of it simply has to do with learning the ins and outs of any of these things, and becoming comfortable with them. But I'm perfectly willing to be told I'm wrong. I'm certainly greatly simplifying, but, then you don't want an article here on this topic, either. :-)

On FB itself, honestly, I'm kinda sick to death of the topic -- this isn't directed at YOU, at all, Geri -- I see it as a product of the huge growth of FB, the fact that some 60% and climbing of all U.S. online users are at least technically signed on, so there's a lot of social pressure from all over to if not sign up, to at least constantly hear about it, read about it, and so on, and so there's a lot of natural resentment of that sort of pressure, whether perceived consciously or not. As a result, I've been finding that wherever I go, in person or online, people seem to constantly throw it up as a topic of conversation, and as a result of that, I'm just worn out on hearing about it, so I'll leave this (http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2011/01/getting-in-your-facebook.html?cid=6a00d834515c2369e20147e220f6a7970b#comment-6a00d834515c2369e20147e220f6a7970b) as the last time I said anything substantive, and otherwise go back to: I think software are tools, and people should use that which they like, and that I haven't the faintest interest in persuading anyone to do anything at all with FB. I'm agnostic. People should do what they like.

But I kinda wish they wouldn't proselytize to me about it, either, though, naturally, we all should state our opinion, and if not on our own journals, blogs, etc., then where else? :-)

Or put one last way: can't we all just get along? :-) :-) :-)

And I'd not like risk killing the effect/my point entirely if I noted that for years I was indeed unable to leave comments on LJ other than as "anonymous," which got very tiresome, so I finally signed up on LJ -- which, after all, took no longer than it does to get an FB account, all of the number of seconds it takes to enter an email address and a password -- but that, again, all software services, all social networks, evolve their software, none are perfect, and they all have their annoyances. I see lots of fine things about LJ, and I know I'd like it better if I took the time to find out more about its workings.

And maybe sometime I will. Ditto Dreamwidth, and all the spin-offs/alternatives, and on and on. I think community-making is good, as you might recall.

Peace?

Oh, drat, now it's telling me there's a length limit again, and I wasn't sure how to preview, but now it's criticizing my spelling? Yes, it's just a matter of knowing the ins and outs of a given set of software practices. Okay, breaking this comment up and trying again. Please forgive my lack of familiarity with LJ software and practices, if you'd be so kind? Thanks, if so.

Re: Peace on social networks, goodwill to all fen and users

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

I am reminded of the times I've begged the indulgence of my readers: “Please forgive me for writing such a long letter, I didn’t have time to write a short one.” And I see that John Hertz credits it all the way back to Cicero.

Speaking of social networks, I deliberately joined Twitter to build experience saying things (preferably of interest and substance) within 160 characters. I don't post there often, but between Tweets and finally adding text services to my cell phone, I'm gaining useful practice in saying things more succinctly than is my usual habit.

I apologize for any proselytizing I've done vis a vis Facebook. I'm not against it; I'm a self-chosen luddite regarding it. My request at this point is that you (and anyone else) who posts any Facebook links here on my LiveJournal saying they are readable to all confirms that first. Thank you.