This will, of course, cause everything to spiral into destruction

[andrewducker]

Generally speaking, the discussions on my journal seem to have been constructive and polite recently. There's been disagreement (and I approve of disagreement), but it's all been at levels which you'd expect of reasonable human beings, rather than flamewars and explosions.

I don't know whether we all suddenly got old, or if people just don't have the energy to spend arguing online (and yes, those two things can go together), but in any case, I'm very grateful. The main thing I love about my journal is reading the discussions and comments, and I've felt cheered by the atmosphere in them recently on several occasions.

Comments

[birguslatro]

It could be just that the things you're interested in no longer matter. ;)

[lizzie-and-ari.livejournal.com]

Well, you would say that you namby pamby white male, with your big house and your curly hair. I throw things in your general direction - because you're just wrong about everything and always will be. Because you smell.

I'm defriending you on, like, the WHOLE INTERNET now. And crying.

Not Around My Back Yard!

[snarlish.livejournal.com]

I must object to this person's --or is it persons'?!-- flippant use of 'namby pamby': an over-used and derogatory description that degrades Nams and Pams world-wide.

Re: Not Around My Back Yard!

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

I object to your use of the phrase 'back yard'. Clearly you are worse than Hitler.

Re: Not Around My Back Yard!

[lizzie-and-ari.livejournal.com]

And classist to boot; etymologically speaking a 'yard' would be generally used quite specifically a section of society lucky enough to have open space - thus making it a privileged term - and yet not privileged enough to enjoy what other classes would refer to as a garden.

Re: Not Around My Back Yard!

[andrewducker]

Where do communal vegetable patches come in?

Re: Not Around My Back Yard!

[lizzie-and-ari.livejournal.com]

Pinko vegan leftist f***ing communist. Why am I even still talking to you. I AM SO ANGRY.

*quotes wikipedia dubiously and for no reason*

Re: Not Around My Back Yard!

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

No, you're the communist. COMMIE!

Re: Not Around My Back Yard!

[snarlish.livejournal.com]

The eagerness to so quickly 'Hitler' this thread makes your objections suspect and specious.

[andrewhickey.livejournal.com]

I've found that on blogs where it's made clear that constructive comments are welcome and destructive ones aren't, the comments sections very quickly become very civilised with only minimal effort on the part of the blogger. It's one of the things I'm proudest about on my own blog - given the explosive range of subjects I discuss, there's rarely if ever anything like a flame war there. I think the last time I had to ban someone was in a discussion of Final Crisis...

[andrewducker]

Yeah, I agree. I (mildly) asked a couple of people to tone things down a few months ago, and it seemed that this put off other people from going over the top.

Whenever I'm not sure what icon to use I use this one because it's so awesome.

[marrog.livejournal.com]

I don't even know where to start with the privilege-laden content of this post. This is typical of you, Andy, blithely applying your own perceptions to the content of your journal without the slightest regard for those who have been hurt or offended by the rampant politeness of your comment threads of late. Frankly, I'm not surprised - I think the trolly, flamer types have just stopped commenting in disgust. If you can't see what you're saying here for what it is, I'm not even sure how I could begin to explain it.

Re: Whenever I'm not sure what icon to use I use this one because it's so awesome.

[marrog.livejournal.com]

Also, are you sure it isn't just because I haven't been commenting as often?

Re: Whenever I'm not sure what icon to use I use this one because it's so awesome.

[andrewducker]

Typical - you think you're the centre of the fucking universe. Of _course_ things are only wrong when _you_ are around to make them wrong. They couldn't be wrong because of, I dunno, other people. Nope, it's you, you, you. Oh, the NPD.

(Actually, I mostly blame erindubitably)

Re: Whenever I'm not sure what icon to use I use this one because it's so awesome.

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

This wins.

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

*loving all the comments*

[likeneontubing.livejournal.com]

Ditto :D

[johncoxon.livejournal.com]

I do apologise for not being on hand to post incredibly abrasive criticism of your points of view, but I've had a deadline, recently... :P

[andrewducker]

EXCUSE DENIED!

Man up, Coxon!

[johncoxon.livejournal.com]

Panicky feelings and stress so bad I'm having trouble eating and sleeping aren't fun! :(

[andrewducker]

Oh Jesus, that really isn't fun. I had a hideous time through chunks of my time at university - ended up on drugs to cope with the horrible stress, and having to (a year late) talk the department into giving me the degree I got.

I hope that you're getting support from family/friends over this. I wish I'd been more open with people about how badly I was doing, and got more help sooner.

[johncoxon.livejournal.com]

If you don't mind me asking, what degree did you get?

I think it's within my power to meet the deadline and do so at least reasonably well, but the mere thought is massively stressing me out. I've averaged 68% over the last three years so achieving a low 2:2 will be enough to gain a 2:1 average in my MPhys so I'm fairly confident, but if I do really badly I'm hopeful that I can persuade the university to award me an upper-second BSc using my first 180 credits (certainly it was intimated that this was possible during last year's exam period, when I was also panicking with extreme stress).

My family and friends are there if I need to talk to them, and they're all reminding me how well I've done so far, how proud of me they are and how great I am, which is much needed.

It's annoying that it clashes horrifically inconveniently with my TAFF bid, though. I haven't really been able to campaign at all effectively yet. Mind, if I don't get it, there's always other years, so that's not nearly as stressful!

[andrewducker]

Yeah, TAFF won't affect the rest of your life in the same way (although it would be awesome to go).

I ended up with a general (i.e. not an Honours). In computing. Which doesn't seem to have done me a huge amount of damage in the long run, but would have put my career back somewhat if I'd been trying for graduate jobs at the time.

I am remarkably glad that I don't have to deal with exams once I was out of university. I had horrible exam nightmares for years afterwards, whenever I got stressed, but haven't had one in a few years now, thankfully. Real life work stress has never been _that_ bad.

[johncoxon.livejournal.com]

I keep telling myself that it'll get better once I graduate... My PGCE won't have exams, and then I will be working, which will be a huge relief, especially because it won't pervade my entire life to the same degree. (I hope...)

[andrewducker]

Exactly right. Working life can be stressful, but there's rarely one big event, it's usually lots and lots of things that can be checked in advance. And, of course, real life is open-book, you don't have to memorise vast amounts of information :->

[apostle-of-eris.livejournal.com]

Q: How many deconstructionists does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Even the framing of this question makes a grid of patriarchal assumptions that reveals a slavish devotion to phallocentric ideas - such as, technical accomplishment has inherent value, knowledge can be attained and quantities of labor can be determined empirically, all of which makes a discourse which further marginalizes the already disenfranchised.

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

Is it the same people reading/commenting on your journal as it was a few years ago? If so then yes, you got old. All of you. Us.

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

Also, you're wrong and all the other people commenting are stupid internet liberals who don't have any idea how the world works. Except one's who's probably a greasy 4chan guy who thinks everything anonymous does is great (but they're afraid of Outside and commitment/responsibility so never actually do anything themselves)