Where I talk about banned books or discarded books and how bloggers should think about citations..

     The internet is one of the most expansive tools in the history of us wobble blobs of flesh but lets also be honest. It's also full of overreaction and half knowledgeable replies.
     For example, about a week ago, the fandom of one my favorite authors exaggerated a claim of censorship.  Apparently, a fan purchased a copy of one of her books from an online used book vendor. When the book arrived it was stamped "Discard."  This book was once a library book.  The fan/blogger promptly unleashed a claim of censorship without verification onto the interwebs except for saying I remember hearing it was banned. And by verification I mean, no links to news stories, no pointers to a source.
     First, this bothers me because as a blogger I hear people all the time say "Well, I'm not a news outlet or professional blogger so don't hold me to those standards." That's no excuse. Backing up your words for any writer, in any form, to any means, every writer needs to back up their views with sources or people are going to question it. And please don't get angry when someone does question your thoughts and views and you have nothing to go on. When you speak of specific events, you need to back up that information with sources, links, books, something or people are going to questions whether you are just seeking attention. And when you don't answer back to questions, you look not amateur but foolish but also you as a writer are setting yourself up to be slammed for it.
     Second, this bothers me a great deal because using the word DISCARD with censorship in the way it was used, and maybe not on purpose, was misleading. Not everything is censorship!  Let's talk spacial reasoning here, folks. A library cannot physically contain every book ever published in the history of ever.  Sometimes libraries have to remove or weed out or DISCARD older books to make room for new ones.  It's not censorship if it is part of routine weeding following a set of unbiased guidelines.  It is censorship if the book is removed for ideological reasons.
     By stating you "heard it was censored a couple of months/years ago" does not justify a claim of censorship. Again, the need for links on the subject matter need to be used in these instances.  Back up your statement before starting a rant. I rant a lot and every time I've not done this I'm gotten ripped by not strangers but friends because they know I know better.    
     As you learn in 6th grade: citations, citations, citations.
     I looked at the picture the blogger provided and did a 30 second Google search for the library. Also with a Google search I couldn't find one instance of that book being challenged. If someone find a case of 13 Little Envelopes by Maureen Johnson being banned please let me know and I'll edit this. The author herself said she didn't know if it being challenged.
     I'm also a little disappointed in this author for promoting this unverified claim of censorship.  I love her books and I love her commentary on social issues.  But throwing out an unverified claim of censorship?  Not cool. Fans jump on that stuff without thought or most of the time fans do the jumping without even researching. Just as a big following by talent can lead to a kind of bullying, that kind of following can lead to certain kinds of sightless actions.
     And you might ask why I haven't provided a link to that bloggers entry. I thought about that for a while because this happen last week. I'm not going after this person in particular because she wasn't the first or the last blogger to do this. But when you are dealing with serious issues like the banning and censorship of books you need to do your homework before posting. It will make things a whole lot simpler for you and not make you look like you're just talking out of your ass.
     So the moral of the story? Back up your story with links. It cuts down on confusion, it cuts down on people questioning your motives. It just makes everything easier whether you are working for a big news outlet or just your own personal blog.

Cool links to check out:

     Michael Wilbon is my favorite sports journalist and these are reasons why: Michael Wilbon delivers 2012 Medill Convocation address and Mike Wilbon Q&A (extended version) If you are or interested in sports journalism or journalism in general you should check these videos out.

     Like episode two. Still getting a feeling for it but continue watching. My Sisters: Problematic to Practically Perfect - Ep: 2

     Some John Green doing Hank Games Without Hank: A Hunk, a Hunk of Berna Love: The Miracle of Swindon Town #132 and Question Tuesday: The Miracle of Swindon Town #133 and a season update League Tables: The Miracle of Swindon Town #134

     Vlogbrothers Solving Your Problems!

     Very interesting. I had never heard of this before and that's why I love SciShow. Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LFTR): Energy for the Future?

     I want this shirt, I love The Flog.

Rants and screams:

     This comes up with me a lot in conversations with people. A challenge to a book is not the same as censoring a book.  A challenge is a discussion of the content of a book, debate is a healthy part of a democracy.  Censorship is the ideologically driven removal or denial of access to content.

      @warrenellis: "I'm using the Block function and pretending it's a Retroactive Abortion Button."

      Is the only thing Mitt Romney is running on- Vote For Me I'm Not Him because he wont take a stand on shit. I bet the guy has a hard time deciding on mustard or ketchup. This is a guy who has said publicly, in front of people, on camera that there is a lot of things he will not talk about because it would harm his campaign. That's not leadership folks. The 7 Major Issues Mitt Romney Won’t Take A Position On

     

Where I talk about banned books or discarded books and how bloggers should think about citations..

Where I talk about the degrees of my tech life, ALL CAPS words, and much more.

  

     People have asked me why I only post links on here, or Facebook and not on Twitter. I don't have firm rules for this or anything when it comes to my internet use, its just how things have worked out for my personal ways of using these platforms. 
     It's true that I really don't even think about posting most links I find or create on Twitter but there are several reasons for this. I also don't RT much but that has to not being on the actually Twitter site that often and when I try to REPLY RT from my phone half the time it doesn't work.
     The main reason for me not posting links on Twitter comes down to my belief that Facebook is more set up for that sort of thing but it also has a lot to do with my personal use of Twitter. I also don't post many pics on Twitter.
     Now notice nowhere in there did I say you shouldn't use Twitter for posting links. This is just how I see my personal use of Facebook and Twitter. Do your thing with social media, enjoy it, and fuck anyone who tries to tell you how you are suppose to use things on the internet. Fuc'em.
     Just Fuck'em.
     I don't have a smart phone, I actually have a really old Nokia T-Mobile XpressMusic phone; so when I get Twitter stuff sent to my phone, I have about 10 feeds sent to my phone, I can't click on links to view stuff so that type of thinking goes into how I use it. I mean I should at least read a story before ranting on it and reposting it, right?
     If someone Tweets something with a link that I want to check out I send that Tweet to my email where I check it out when I get on a computer. And in the few cases where its something I have to check out right away and Mar is nearby I ask her if I can her phone. The same applies to email. I can't check email on my phone and that's why if you really want to get a hold of me and have my phone number text me or call and leave a message. If you don't have my number its best to leave a message for me on Facebook and Twitter and I'll try to get back to you as fast as I can.
     This is my personal digital divide.
     Which is a lot better than a lot of people I know. I might not have a smart phone but I have a cell phone. I might not have my own laptop but Mar lets me use hers. At least I have access to computers and such. Others aren't so lucky.
     Many I use did post enough links to my Twitter and Facebook there didn't I?
     {Edit} Fuck, forgot two!


Cool links:
     Unshelved gives a almost perfect definition of the internet.
     Everyone who follows my blog knows how much I enjoy the web videos of John and Hank Green. Here's John talk about Why They Aren't On TV.
     Big fan of Aisha Tyler.
     Hank Green talks about the working relationship with Gravitation. Gravitation: The Four Fundamental Forces of Physics #3 Does my brain make pot? Your Brain Makes Its Own Pot


Rants:
     So the Mets are fine with one player getting a no hitter based off a bad call but are trying to get another player a no hitter by trying to get another "bad call" reversed? Really? One, that call was in the first inning so that's just stupid based off that point alone and two only a New York team would try this and not smell the bullshit on their own fingers. And to be fully clear, I don't like the Mets, I'm a Braves fan, but even with that bias I have towards them, this is bush league.
     And keeping with sports. I don't like David Stern much but Jim Rome has made a career off pro wrestling rants and cheap trick "journalism" The only thing missing was for Rome to pay Stern to "flip a table" hang up on him.
     When comic book companies release hardbacks and try to sale you on buying them instead of waiting for the paperback they usually hard bush the back up materials. This is bullshit. Backup materials. A couple sketches and maybe a script page is all much "Backup materials" as cool looking menus are bonus materials on a dvd. I'm not just looking at you DC Comics. But I am looking at you DC Comics. You just ant alone in my rant eyesight.
     This is why every person should be ready to not only vote but also ready a plan for what to do if denied the right to vote and also what the do the day after the election.
     When you use the word RAPE in any fashion it's an all caps word as I like to call it. As a writer, public figure, or someone who represents a company or group in any way you must know that certain words  are ALL CAPS words. It doesn't mean you can never use the word or that you should be censored for using the word but the same as with using the N word or RETARD what you have to know is one, what your meaning was as you are using the word and two, you have to see all the variations of how others will see your usage. Those variations might not be fair or true or might just be fair or true but in the end you have to show the intelligence of knowing going in, otherwise you are showing not only a lack of intelligence but also a lack of understanding of how those ALL CAPS words have been used to hurt others. And my big point to make here is when you act like "we didn't mean RAPE like in RAPE but like RAPE" in a apology is bat shit stupid. Video games like any other storytelling method can tell any sort of story but back peddling spineless cowardliness because you don't understand why a using the term rape might just a little piss people off.

Where I talk about the degrees of my tech life, ALL CAPS words, and much more.