Broken Pedestal

Cracked... you were one of my favorite websites. Why are you killing yourself like this? D=

Have a read over those comments folks. This is what gets you banned at Cracked - sane, rational, civil discussion. Not one of those comments exists anymore. Strangely, not one of them violates the User Policy either. I can't imagine why someone at Cracked feels the need to hide these comments.

This is only four screencaps - I didn't make more. I didn't feel the need to, but over well 500 comments are missing from the comments section and now it seems the moderators are just deleting them as they come.

For those not in the know, allow me to quickly summarize the situation:

John Cheese writes this article. It's a bit condescending, but nothing to be all that upset over. Cheese follows up by specifically stating on his Facebook and Twitter that the article was an attack on the comment section of Cracked and continues shooting himself in the foot with some pretty horrific insults that I'm not comfortable repeating here. The comment section (rightfully) explodes with indignation.

I have managed to get myself banned altogether - not just my account, my IP address. For the post in the first picture.

I had commented perhaps half a dozen times since having an account with Cracked, if that, before this incident. I haven't so much as uttered a "damn" over the whole incident, so why the deletion and ban? I don't even know how to react to this much douche.

Community: A Rant

I try not to rant in my journal at dA, partly because more people are likely to read whatever I write there, but mainly because I spend forever on my normal journal entries and hunting down features, and they're getting a week of screentime dammit. So ranting goes here instead.

Though a thread at EL was the straw that broke the camels back as it were, this is a rant that has been building from the very first day I joined deviantART. I'm tired of having this argument over and over in group threads and chatrooms.

I can't go anywhere online without tripping over something fantastic that blows my mind and challenges my preconceptions and makes me think in new ways. And given that the Internet is lousy with great art, this leads me to believe that maybe great art isn't what makes deviantART special. Yeah, the art IS great and all, but great art is fucking everywhere. And all I have to do is pull up a tab. But nowhere - NOWHERE else has such a varied, spastic, insane, supportive, encouraging, enraging, engaging, hilarious, and AWESOME community as dA.

I never expected anything of myself. I was another kid who liked art and decided to give writing a try. But some kind souls out there did expect something, because they took the time to point out what a crap writer I was and how I could be better. I took their advice and I'm still taking it every day. You are never too good to stop improving. You are never too good not to take criticism, no matter who gives it.

I don't want faves. I don't want silence. I want artists to get out there with their art and meet people and teach them what you know and let them teach you in return. I want artists to offer support and don't offer compliments if they don't mean them and tell someone when they're doing it wrong but don't be a dick about it either and keep improving and never fucking stop.

dA is an art community. We've all got the first part down pat - how about promoting the other half a little more?

Ranting is Cathartic...

... but I don't get to detox my system here because if I know two things about the Internet, it is thus:

- The Internet is forever.
-The Internet is public.

So I will instead aim a long list of obscenties towards an unnamed person and take what pleasure I can from being vague.

Lazy, entitled, spoiled, pikey, churlish, half-witted, doghearted, fustilarian, ruttish, gormless, harpy, salacious, scummy, craven, idle-headed, buncombing, backstabbing little Cailleach. AND I'll probably never see the $200 she owes me.

You may notice my vocabulary extends to insults as well. For maximum enjoyment, please read as you might Shakespeare.