• Published:July 1st, 2008
• Comments:9 Comments
• Category:Blog Comments

it just came to light that the hyper-popular group blog BoingBoing deleted any and all posts linking to one Violet Blue, a proponent of “open source sex,” whatever the fuck that means. The reasons for this are Cory Doctorow, Xeni Jardin, David Pescovitz, and Mark Whateverthehell’s own. It’s their site to do with what they please. While some are just enjoying the mystery of “why,” (which may have to do this this article written by “Violet Blue,” in which she basically call Xeni Jardin’s friend Amanda Congdon a corporate shill), others are very, very concerned about the goings-on at a site that doesn’t belong to them. Of course, this set my GOTI-senses tingling and I went through the over six hojillion comments to find the ultimate piece of internet drama bullshit.

And here it is, courtesy of someone who calls themself “Pyros.”

For all those who say that this is a trivial matter, you are wrong.

I can see they doyens of corporate America and governments around the world breathing a sigh of relief. Boingboing did it, why can’t we? Yes, BB, like it or not, you are this influential. This could easily become the new mantra of redactors of every stripe. A very bad precedent has been set.

For those who say this isn’t an autocratic-like maneuver I ask, “how is it not?” When purges take place almost all of it is trivial bullshit. There is never enough time to find the smoking gun so it always best to use the scattershot method. This is not to say that BB should in any way be compared to, say, Stalin in other respects, but a purge is a purge.

Furthermore, I don’t expect any reasonable person to necessarily agree with my point of view. Reasonable people placate and abide. They smooth things over. Their goal is to arrange their world in such a way as to avoid any turbulence. Anyone who causes it, no matter their claim, has to be marginalized.

But I’m not trying to deny or even deprecate their important role within complex sphere of the social ecosystem, merely pointing out their limitations. They have their place in the world to be sure. As Shaw once wryly noted though, all progress depends upon the unreasonable man. Progress is a synonym for change, and change is a synonym for struggle. I can understand why some may not be inclined, but there is no other way of making the world a better place.

In this particular situation, the only dialogue of any importance will come from the unreasonables. It is their voice that we must generally listen to on matters of broad, rather than narrow social scope. The passifying reasonables (who are more expert within a more narrow social realm) should not be expected to contribute anything of relevance. They will only block progress and should therefore be ignored.

Given BBs actions, no reasonable person could advance a compelling argument that would have any truck with an unreasonable.

This is such sublime horseshit that I can’t help but think it might be parody, or some piece of internet performance art. I hope so, anyway. It’d be lovely if Pyros is actually on their porch right now, sipping lemonade and reading a copy of The Steampunk Guide To Disney, quietly bemused.