A question of manners

[jhetley]

Been a bunch of nonsense back and forth, both in private SFWA internet discussion groups and in a (non-LJ) blog, about copying and posting stuff in a public place -- that blog -- that was spoken (written) in a private group*.

As far as I'm concerned, this represented a _major_ violation of good manners. Totally boorish. The person took "private" conversations -- ignore questions of Internet security, of which there remains damned little -- and published them. Private conversations in which he did not even take part. As far as I can recall or discover, the person had _never_ taken part in conversations in that group. A lurker.

Two, three hundred years ago, the person would have been challenged to about a dozen duels.

*SFWA members only, password required.

Comments

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

"...I admire his conviction in putting his money where his mouth is..."

And I repeat, he didn't speak up _there_. In my eyes, that moves it from "courage" to "coward and poltroon" territory.

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

I think they're two different issues, and my writerly imagination fails me in thinking why he *woulnd't* speak up if he was outraged - what were they going to do? Rip him to pieces?

The people in question found his blog quick enough, and were a great deal more scathing than they probably would have been otherwise. (I've met Jane Yolen, and she's *nice*), so if it was cowardice, it backfired.