{"id":282,"date":"2008-03-09T15:45:00","date_gmt":"2008-03-09T19:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/orbittrap.ca\/?p=282"},"modified":"2008-03-09T15:45:00","modified_gmt":"2008-03-09T19:45:00","slug":"troll-prima-donna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/orbittrap.ca\/?p=282","title":{"rendered":"Troll Prima Donna"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"Troll<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Troll Prima Donna (2000) <\/em><\/p>\n

Another paradigm shift: trolls are hecklers<\/em>. They aren\u2019t satisfied with the nearly infinite opportunities on the Internet to build their own spaces and places and express their views. They\u2019d rather steal our voice and burn down our house<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Anyone who starts a blog, especially one functioning in part as a whistleblower, is eventually going to have to deal with trolls<\/a>. You can be amused by them. You can shrug your shoulders and endure them. You can elect not to \u201cfeed\u201d them<\/a>. You can delete them and move on. Here on Orbit Trap, Tim and I have been through the entire evolutionary cycle<\/a>, and now we\u2019ve entered the last phase.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the obvious. We are as much members of the \u201cfractal community\u201d<\/a> as anyone else. We, too, have the right of free speech. This is our blog. We write it. We do not automatically owe anyone who shows up an audience<\/a> with \u201cOrbit Trap.\u201d We do not have to hold a courtroom<\/a> in our comments section to validate or justify our right to speak out. We do not have to repeat the rhetorical chain of our arguments — on demand and ad infinitum<\/em> — to people who have never bothered to attentively read what we wrote in the first place.<\/p>\n

But, even as I type this post, I know our adversaries are firing up their keyboards<\/a> to tell you (at great length) how we are cowards who have abridged their free speech. Just remember — they are hecklers.<\/p>\n

Hecklers<\/a>, by their actions, violate the free speech of others. Is that not true? When you are attending an event, whether or not an admission was charged, do you enjoy having the occasion interrupted by a heckler? Are you upset, or even raise your own voice in protest, when the heckler<\/a> is removed by security? Why not? Could it be because the environment of that particular event wasn\u2019t the heckler\u2019s space or place?<\/p>\n

Orbit Trap is our space. It\u2019s like our auditorium<\/a>. We built the space, made a stage, provided a microphone and sound system, and opened the doors for an audience. We assume visitors show up because they want to hear what we have to say. I know I tend to visit blogs I enjoy reading and usually shun those that raise my blood pressure<\/a>. When a heckler<\/a> turns up in our space, we might choose to initially engage him or her for the sake of discussion. But if no discourse develops, eventually, for the sake of our audience, we usher the heckler outside.<\/p>\n

Orbit Trap is also our place. This blog is like our home. We get to specify what kind of behavior we will tolerate in our home. Would you invite a heckler into your home — to scream in your face, insult you, mock you, or dress you down in a smug<\/a> and condescending<\/a> fashion? No. You\u2019d ask the heckler<\/a> to leave, and if the heckler refused, you\u2019d have her or him removed from your home.<\/p>\n

A heckler<\/a> does have free speech rights — but the exercise of such does not have to be tolerated in your spaces and places. By removing the heckler, have you denied him or her all<\/em> free speech rights? No, you merely said my space and place are off limits. The heckler<\/a> is free to rent a hall, furnish it with a stage, plug a mike<\/a> into a sound system, and have at it. Say anything. 24 hours a day every day. And maybe an audience<\/a> will even show up.<\/p>\n

The Internet provides nearly endless opportunities for hecklers to find their own spaces and places — including some devoted exclusively to fractal art. And, if hecklers<\/a> want a more personalized home, there\u2019s always Blogger<\/a>. Hecklers can create their own blogs in less than five minutes. Some of our adversaries have already done so, even as they slap up posts about how we denied them freedom of speech.<\/p>\n

Things might have been different if our hecklers<\/a> hadn\u2019t been hecklers. For proof, please review the archives. It\u2019s clear that those who challenged us didn\u2019t come to OT to discuss or debate. We know our claims are controversial and aren\u2019t averse to having critics<\/a>. But our hecklers don’t want you to hear what we have to say. Their purpose is to shout us down through intimidation<\/a> while diverting your attention. They hope, by putting up enough white noise<\/a>, that you will be unable to see the big picture. They imagine you will be easily manipulated by such tactics. They are imperious<\/a> but fear exposure. The status quo privileges them, and they want nothing to curtail the creature comfort<\/a> perks of their self-selected fiefdom. So they storm our castle with bluster because we threaten to tear down the walls of theirs.<\/p>\n

OT has no army, but we do have an audience. The \u201csilent readers\u201d Tim mentions are no myth. I know you\u2019re out there. I can see you on OT\u2019s daily stats. I understand why you don\u2019t comment here. After witnessing our open house reception<\/a>, who in their right mind would want such bile and grief to pervade their lives? It\u2019s enough that you listen to what we\u2019ve said and make up your own minds. We\u2019ve laid out our case. You\u2019ve heard what our adversaries have said and witnessed their methods<\/a>. Weigh their tone<\/a>. Reach your own conclusions.<\/p>\n

And if you think we are right, then shift your private paradigm. Once you understand our fractal emperors have no clothes<\/a>, you can\u2019t screen out their lack of royal robes. There\u2019s no going back to the old feudal system where they hold court<\/a> and toss bread crumbs<\/a> out the window of their passing carriage<\/a>. You don\u2019t need to become a whistleblower yourself. That Pandora\u2019s Box<\/a> has already been ripped open. You just have to understand what\u2019s really going on. Knowledge is enough to begin a course change. Maybe you\u2019ll talk among your friends. Maybe you\u2019ll set up your own spaces and places. Maybe you\u2019ll start your own Fractalus-like collectives with like-minded peers. Or add guest galleries to your site. Or build your own fractal art contests — no matter how small scale at first. Or maybe you\u2019ll boycott the existing contests until they are run fairly and professionally.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let a small non-juried clique, selecting themselves as \u201cthe most important fractal artists in the world<\/a>,\u201d control an art movement that also belongs just as much to you and me and all of us. Take it back — using baby steps<\/a>, if necessary — but begin to take it back.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let the prima donna<\/a> trolls lying in wait under the bridge<\/a> prevent you from crossing any longer.<\/p>\n

~\/~<\/p>\n

Image made with Vchira. Post-processed until the image became bored<\/a> and decided it was above me.<\/p>\n

Tags:<\/strong> fractal<\/a>, fractal art<\/a>, fractal art contests<\/a>, digital art<\/a>, blogs<\/a>, blogging<\/a>, trolls<\/a>, hecklers<\/a>, free speech<\/a>, orbit trap<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Troll Prima Donna (2000) Another paradigm shift: trolls are hecklers. They aren\u2019t satisfied with the nearly infinite opportunities on the Internet to build their own spaces and places and express their views. They\u2019d rather steal our voice and burn down our house. Anyone who starts a blog, especially one functioning in part as a whistleblower, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/orbittrap.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/03\/trollpd.jpg?fit=450%2C600","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":56,"url":"http:\/\/orbittrap.ca\/?p=56","url_meta":{"origin":282,"position":0},"title":"Who’s That Tramping Over Our Blog?","author":"cruelanimal","date":"16 September, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Periodically, blog housekeeping issues arise that need to be clarified.Orbit Trap is not an online community. 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