List Misérables

One of the things about the internet that drives home the fact that one is dealing with a real variety of people is belonging to a mailing list. There are probably a number of people on any mailing list that one would NEVER associate with in real life, but by belonging to any mailing list, one puts oneself in the path of these types. I must admit that my experiences have been, for the most part, pretty good. The majority of people that I have encountered, and gotten to know in cyber-world have been pretty cool. But then there are the others...

There are a few different types of annoying cyber-folk that pop up all over the place. Occasionally one person fills all the following categories on their own... The first is the "purveyor of fine hoaxes" type that thinks they are saving everyone by repeatedly posting virus hoaxes about the Budweiser frogs screensaver (YUCK! - could that beer be any worse? and who decided that a screensaver of lousy-beer frogs would be desirable?) or the free vacation or some such rot. Every new hoax that comes along gets sent to the list by the same person, even though they have been asked, repeatedly, not to post virus warnings.

Another pain in the arse are the "I just changed (insert miniscule detail here) about my website that isn't remotely related to this one and I talked in person to the guy I am worshipping on my site and now we are on a first name basis and you should all in turn worship me" type. (Okay, that was bitchy) I confess that I do put my site address on the bottom of my posts under my name (though after this rant, I may reconsider this), but I don't devote an entire post to the fact that I have put a rotating "new" .gif on my index page. If people want to click the link, they will, otherwise, whatever.

The next type are the "over-reactive hysteria causers". I have encountered this type a lot! They are the person that takes some comment, made in jest or just misunderstood due to the nature of the printed word, and blows it WAY out of proportion, getting everyone into a big kafuffle (sp?), and causing all kinds of angst. Then everyone is apologising for making others upset and others are apologising for getting upset and others are apologising for apologising. It goes on and on... The hysteria causers also are the type that decide that photographs taken backstage at a Broadway show in good fun are all of a sudden an invasion of privacy since the actor is not in a role in that particular second. Not that I am basing this on a real example...

The final, and most Vertigogirl-frenzy causing are the "lecturer" type. They think that it is their place to dictate to others about morals/values/decisions etc. I see red whenever I see a post like that. I love my Mum to bits, well, not actually to bits, that would be icky and pretty messy, but I would flip out if she talked to me like that, so why should I let some dried-up hag tell me what's what. It takes a lot to make me write snarky posts to a list, but I hesitate not when faced with a lecturer. "I have 2 words for you..." (Oh, gods, I have been watching too much WWF, but that is a subject for a whole other rant...)