Jason Scott, discussed here previously, is a friend who thinks he’s an enemy. I am a supporter and proponent of his crusade to preserve digital archives. In fact, over the summer I faced quite a dilemma in that regard when the much-unloved editor of The Grid decided to delete the entire archives of its predecessor, Eye Weekly, a publication always billed as the first alternative newsweekly to go online. This was an act of outright vandalism and cultural destruction by editor Laas Turnbull.
This was a perfect rescue mission for Jason. But what was I going to do about it? Post to MetaFilter and hope Jason saw the posting and did something? If he saw the posting he’d use the comments section to defame me, as he, and quite a few others, done before. Obviously I couldn’t just mail him.
I find Laas Turnbull professionally loathsome and deplorable, but the only thing about Jason Scott I loath and deplore is his personal mistreatment of me. Jason uses every occasion he can find to cause me harm. And it works.
Jason also seems incapable of learning lessons from those he defends. Mark Pilgrim has also been unduly cruel to me in the past, but I just chalked that up to the way he is. (Of course they’re friends. Haters root for each other.) Mark’s recent online disappearance is, I speculate, tied to a programmatic desire to atone and apologize for misdeeds and improve his life. I am quite sure the only thing that will put and end to Jason Scott’s relentless attacks against me is his death. He will plan out and execute hurtful attacks against me until that moment.
If you support Jason’s approach, you are a supporter of bullying, stalking, and gratuitous cruelty. Decide for yourself if that makes you better or worse than him. It certainly makes you worse than me.
If you take issue with anything I do, note that I have the guts to invite you over.