Jake Lodwick has committed himself to making videos for the rest of his life.

Ongoing projects: Past projects: He hopes we can End The Fed.

Portrait by Gray Scott.

Theme by nostrich.

4th March 2009

Photo with 114 notes

I created this badge to clarify what sort of Tumblr user I am. In the past, I have initiated and responded to personal attacks. I have always felt bad about it, as if I let a vicious, primitive beast take control of me. Posting this badge is my way of apologizing for those mistakes, and for making clear one of my core beliefs: that online discourse should be civil. I will be personally attacked forever. This is no attempt to protect myself. This is the clearest possible way of telling such people, “I’m not playing your little game.” — and, in doing so, separating those who actually want to have a conversation, from those who simply enjoy hurting people. Tumblr users will always have the capacity to hurt one another. The only measure one can take — your best defense — is to refuse to engage. If you react to an online personal attack you are handing the attacker a gift: you are sanctioning a premise buried under the details of the attack: that it has some validity. Don’t bite the bait, don’t “get them back”, don’t “set them straight”. By ignoring them, you will separate them into a distinct existential category: Troll. I wear the badge as an icon of strength, of my dedication to my conviction that some forms of online interaction are simply not for me.

I created this badge to clarify what sort of Tumblr user I am.

In the past, I have initiated and responded to personal attacks. I have always felt bad about it, as if I let a vicious, primitive beast take control of me. Posting this badge is my way of apologizing for those mistakes, and for making clear one of my core beliefs: that online discourse should be civil.

I will be personally attacked forever. This is no attempt to protect myself. This is the clearest possible way of telling such people, “I’m not playing your little game.” — and, in doing so, separating those who actually want to have a conversation, from those who simply enjoy hurting people.

Tumblr users will always have the capacity to hurt one another. The only measure one can take — your best defense — is to refuse to engage. If you react to an online personal attack you are handing the attacker a gift: you are sanctioning a premise buried under the details of the attack: that it has some validity. Don’t bite the bait, don’t “get them back”, don’t “set them straight”. By ignoring them, you will separate them into a distinct existential category: Troll.

I wear the badge as an icon of strength, of my dedication to my conviction that some forms of online interaction are simply not for me.

  1. ronenreblogs reblogged this from jakelodwick
  2. socmoth reblogged this from jakelodwick
  3. appleonastick reblogged this from theslyestfox
  4. yankeegirl reblogged this from molls
  5. mynylife reblogged this from jakelodwick
  6. jacobchelsey reblogged this from jakelodwick
  7. bagcoffee-deactivated20090727 reblogged this from jakelodwick and added:
    Jake Lodwick, on his Messiah complex
  8. fabiantoepel reblogged this from jakelodwick
  9. markcoatney reblogged this from jakelodwick and added:
    You know, it’s hard...each other. When, in six months time, all
  10. theslyestfox reblogged this from molls and added:
    i concur with this statement. hopefully the rest of the internet will too, someday.
  11. fixator reblogged this from molls
  12. kayrutledge reblogged this from paulprosseda and added:
    Thank you for this.
  13. paulprosseda reblogged this from jakelodwick
  14. peterwknox reblogged this from molls
  15. molls reblogged this from jakelodwick and added:
    Internet equivalent
  16. sarahheartburn reblogged this from karenuhoh and added:
    “I neither initiate nor respond to peronal attacks on anyone.” So much for romance.
  17. roflcoptr reblogged this from jakelodwick
  18. mercurypdx reblogged this from jakelodwick and added:
    Adding: http://kottke.org/08/07/just-dont-look
  19. jakelodwick posted this