The Persistence of Comments
In case there’s anyone still following this latest comment “thread”, here’s the final chapter.
Toby sent us his final remarks which he said we could post if we wanted to. Unlike Ken, Toby doesn’t accuse us of violating his human rights when it comes to posting his comments.
Toby writes: “in my view Damien’s decision to cease hosting your site was a rational act of self-preservation, which he appears from the record to have done honorably and sensitively”
Well, well. I think the polite term for guys like Toby is “fanboy”. He’s a Fractalus Fanboy.
Booting a long-time, paying client off your webserver when they criticize you on their blog isn’t retaliation or intimidation or an attempt to stifle free speech? No, no. Not when Fractalus does it!
According to Toby it’s “a rational act of self-preservation”.
In keeping with Toby’s Communist China analogy he used for us, I’d guess he’d probably say that Mao’s repression of criticism and throwing dissidents into labour camps was also “a rational act of self-preservation”.
Sorry Toby – and all the rest of you Fractalus Fanboys (and Fangirls). I don’t think your attempts to use the comments section of Orbit Trap to prop up your glorious leader by demanding, over and over, “freedom of speech” and “alternative viewpoint” are working.
That’s the current state of the Fractal Art world (in case you’re wondering what all this is about). But don’t worry about Orbit Trap; we’re not on anyone’s leash.
Technorati Tags: Fractal Art Digital Art art criticism Benoit Mandelbrot Fractal Art Contest Fractal Universe Calendar Freedom of the Press Freedom of Speech Fractalus Fanboy Fangirl Damien M. Jones
“It is beyond the scope of this blog to also serve as a public forum for the debate of these issues.”
Why didn’t you just come straight out and say: “We intend to continue making unfounded accusations about certain people’s ethics and we intend to continue to wilfully & insultingly misinterpret what people have written in response to these accusations but we are not going to allow anyone to contradict us on this blog. We think we might look better that way.”
Disingenuity, thy name is Orbit Trap.
Thanks guys,
Whatever else, I do enjoy reading your blog.
Toby
BTW, just for the record, I consider Mao one of the worst tyrants of the 20th century, and yet most Chinese revere him for his positive accomplishments in the light of what came before him, considering his views 70% right and 30% wrong. And yes, in Mao’s world and with the state of China at the time, his repressive tactics were indeed a rational act of self-preservation, as is America’s unconstitutional imprisonment of “enemy combatants” and use of coercive interrogative tactics. The real question is always this: when the pressure is off, is there a commensurate relaxation of repression?
Toby