Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog

February 24, 2014: For Whom the Bell Trolls!

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Let me start off by thanking everyone who has taken the time to post a short little self-intro in this blog’s comment section.  I would say “Welcome!” but it would seem all of you have been here for a while, whether your respective screen names have popped up before or not.  So, instead, I’ll say “Thanks for being regulars – secret or otherwise!”.  It’s great getting to know who’s out there, and, also, getting to know a little more about our more familiar contributors.  Best of all, I’m compiling a list of your various cities and towns so that I’ll be able to impose on each and every one of you when the times comes for my world tour.  Imagine the excitement of having a real scifi writer/producer sleeping in your guest bed, watching your t.v., and even eating the food you so lovingly prepared!  It doesn’t get any better than that (unless, of course, I actually paid for my stay)!

So, please keep posting those intros.  Don’t be shy!

This fun little exercise just happened to dovetail with a recent news article a buddy of mine posted on Facebook regarding online anonymity and trolling.

In internet slang, a troll is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people,by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a forum, chat room, or blog), either accidentally or with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. – Wikipedia

Yes, we’ve all come across them at some point in our internet lives, those attention-seeking jerks who feel free to say anything they want, no matter how offensive or hurtful, because, at the end of the day, they can get away with it since nobody knows who they are.

Well, usually.  But what happens when a troll loses his/her online anonymity.  As it turns out, they’re A LOT less bold in person.

Like in this case where a boxer, fed up with being trash-talked on twitter, decide to track down his troll:  Boxer Hunts Down Cowardly Twitter Troll for Digital TKO.  Lots of backtracking and grovelling.  Love it.

And then there’s this interesting article about a blogger whose attempts to track down a troll came to a shocking conclusion: The day I confronted my troll | Leo Traynor

When the late Charlotte Dawson confronted some of her online tormentors – Charlotte Dawson tracks down and confronts Twitter Trolls in 2012 – they proved surprisingly cowed.

But that’s not always the case.  Some remain defiant – if not uncomfortably so:

Bottom line: They don’t like it.

It would seem that, when all is said and done, these anonymous online trolls are just regular people.  Just regular, screwed up, terrible people: Science Confirms: Internet Trolls Really Are Narcissistic …

‘Internet Trolls’ Are Actually Jerks in Real Life Too, According to …

Online trolls are psychopaths and sadists, psychologists claim

But we kind of had an inkling, didn’t we?

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59 responses

  1. DP Avatar
    DP

    I’m Dora from Ohio. I’m good fer fightin’ and figurin’. Actually, I’m a pacifist, but there was room for consensual sparring in my past. Favorite things…I’m too busy with obligations to think about what else I might be doing so maybe efficiency should be at the top of my list for now. Pet peeves…manipulation and lying, too. I hate manipulation on its own because the folks who don’t bother to lie (or at least base their truths on willful ignorance) are just so arrogant to think they are still morally upright while they twist your arm and they have a tendency to escalate indefinitely when they don’t get their way. The kind that mixes in lying is pretty crazy, too, as it’s harder to recognize, but at least liars will be open to backpedaling when they meet resistance.

    What else. I’m studying how to write Android apps. I’m probably about a year away from being able to write the ones I want to put on the Play store. I have a huge list of ideas that keeps me motivated during the studying part. The hardest part will be deciding when to pull the trigger and write them since I need more skills but want to write them now so badly.

    Reply
  2. gforce Avatar
    gforce

    You know of course, that if you ever decide to come this way it will certainly NOT be an imposition to entertain you and Akemi. As I recall, I still owe you guys a big lobster feast, too! (That may be better done in PEI. *ponders my friends’ cottage on the beach*)

    I find the best way to handle trolls is not to handle them at all. Completely ignoring them usually does the trick, although in a forum discussion type of environment someone often takes the bait. I’m an admin for a reality-TV related discussion website, and although we don’t often have trouble like that, the trolls that do appear get a very quick and severe meeting with the ban hammer. Things usually keep pretty under control if they never get a foothold. I do not get the mindset at all, personally. Probably just as well, I suppose.

    Reply
  3. Kujira Avatar
    Kujira

    I’m an American working in the legal field and living in Tokyo as a permanent resident with my family.

    I always enjoy reading about your annual trips to Tokyo and have tried some of the restaurants and bars you’ve mentioned over the years. I still go to Seirikan in Naka-Meguro for their margarita pizza quite often, after first reading about it in one of your posts.

    I’ve been particularly enjoying your recent posts about watching Stargate with your girlfriend. I have some serious déjà vu reading them since I also watched it with my Japanese wife a few years ago. Fun times and interesting comments, especially during the older, hokier episodes. 😉

    Anyway, I check back on what’s going on here at least once a week. The movie reviews are great and I also like hearing about what’s going on in Vancouver since I’m from Seattle.

    Best of luck regarding your upcoming projects and be sure to return to Tokyo as often as you can. There’s always an extra futon in our house to crash on, if need be!

    Reply
  4. Tim Hendrix Avatar
    Tim Hendrix

    I’m Tim. I’ve been around for a while. I comment now and then but probably not often enough. I read the blog every day and sometimes experience the occasional anxiety attack when you’re late posting. It kind of helps me keep some small semblance of self and sanity. I live in the United States, in Oklahoma, for the moment. I grew up here but spent some time away. No, not in prison, Joe. I lived for 10 years in Italy and 17 in Las Vegas before returning to the tranquility of tornado alley. I’m a big fan of all things Stargate and Joe’s dogs. I’m retired, single and currently have no (viable) plans for world domination. As I said, I love the blog and enjoy reading the comments from everyone. You’ve assembled a most interesting group of followers, whether by chance or some devious machinations on your part. My sincerest thanks to you for sharing your wit and wisdom with us and hope to be part of your blog family (cult? gang? pod?) for many years to come.

    Reply
  5. HBMC Avatar
    HBMC

    Who am I? I’m Matt, and I’m from Australia. When I’m not at my regular day job organising people’s lives I get to do freelance writing, and have ten books to my name. I don’t remember when I started reading this blog, but I know that SG-1 was still in production and I figured that reading your blog was more efficient than just waiting for Gateworld to take what you’d written and repost it. Plus all the food stuff has been fun, so I stuck around for that after Universe finished.

    What did I think of Siege II? Probably one of the best Atlantis episodes ever produced. Probably one of the best cliff-hangers I’ve ever seen. I’ve said before that when that “To Be Continued” came up I almost punched my computer screen in frustration. No other episode of Stargate ever had that effect on me.

    One question I do have in regards to Akemi’s experiences with these shows is why is she seeming to have such trouble understanding the concepts in many of the episode? Why does it appear that so much of it is, as you put it, going over her head? Is it just a language barrier thing?

    Reply
  6. DP Avatar
    DP

    You’d have to stay with a family if you came to my city. We’re really high on the list of bed bug capitals so a hotel is a really bad idea. Actually, I’ve read you can even get them from sitting in a restaurant. Scalzi’s way out on the other side of the city, but I live nearer the good restaurants, even the fancy ones with upholstered furniture. Never mind, I’ll cook.

    —

    @gforce – A couple reality TV-based forums is where a different kind of troll, the Razing Ruth troll, has been traced back to. Munchausen by internet. They don’t try to get people to argue, the point is to get people to rally around the troll. They make stuff up for sympathy and sometimes even get donations out of people to help with their hardships. It’s not a quick process. These types will get very involved in the forums to learn a lot to make their stories more believable and they introduce sock puppets to get their identities “verified”. It’s messed up.

    Reply
  7. Sparrow_hawk Avatar
    Sparrow_hawk

    Stop by any time, Joe! I’m only 40 minutes outside of the city. 40 minutes away from JeffW and about the same distance from sylvia. My dog (a yellow lab) loves company so while I’m at work she can entertain you. I love to cook and I just redecorated the guest bedroom.

    So…

    when are you coming?

    Reply
  8. Janet Avatar
    Janet

    G’day

    Introductions…

    Name : Janet (cause I have NO imagination) I come from a very long line of Janets, on my Dad’s side
    Location : Launceston, Tasmania, Australia (Arse end of the world). Originally from Townsville, North Queensland.
    Favourite things : Cats, Star Trek TNG, Stargate SG-1. I love shipping people – fiction or even real life sometimes.
    Pet peeves : Spelling mistakes and double negatives. Oh yeah BULLIES and TROLLS!!!!!!!!!!
    Been following Joe’s blog for a while, but do not post often.

    Reply
  9. thornyrose01 Avatar
    thornyrose01

    Well, you certainly have a good start on places to crash on your world tour. I’, sure we can find you some excellent southern cuisine around about town, though the REALLY good hotels you like to stay are are much rarer. But only the best for you(and Akemi), so if you should ever find yourself in this neck of the woods, well BillyJoe Bob has a nice place by the lake. Even has indoor plumbing!. And as long as the wind don’t shift, or a possum or raccoon cuts across the drive, you won’t even notice the hound dogs….

    Reply
  10. kabra Avatar
    kabra

    Joe it would not be an imposition at all if you and Akemi dropped by, bring the dogs, they will have to put up with a Quaker Parrot tho. She tolerates dogs pretty well. As far a trolls, I’m with gforce I just ignore them, don’t give them anything to argue about.

    Reply
  11. mangababe Avatar
    mangababe

    Hello, another long time silent lurker here. Lisa from San Francisco. Freelance photographer, vfx artist, and sci-fi geek – ass-kicking babes in leather are one of my favorite things. 😀 Can’t remember how or when I got here, but I’m sure it was Stargate related. I like your take on food, culture, and the industry. And I’ve enjoyed reading about Akemi’s experiences with Western culture, I always learn things when seeing through someone else’s eyes. Thanks to you both for sharing bits of your lives with us via blog, and best wishes for projects you have in the works.

    Reply
  12. Sparrow_hawk Avatar
    Sparrow_hawk

    Sad news: Harold Ramis has died. Dang, I’m going to miss him. I’m not a big comedy fan, but I loved his movies. I need to break out Ghostbusters…

    RIP.

    Reply
  13. Kerry Avatar
    Kerry

    Hi, I’m Kerry, a long time lurker. I’m from Canberra Australia.
    My favourite things: Stargate, dogs (I have a 14yr old labrador) and cookbooks.
    Pet Peeves: Bullies, and people who stare and make comments at my autistic son when he’s having a bad day.

    Reply
  14. SiSi Avatar
    SiSi

    My name in the real world is Cindy, and I read your blog daily but comment infrequently. Originally I came for SG-1 back when it was on the air, then stayed around for SGA and SGU and the book club and the dog pictures and the Japanese travel narratives and the food guides. And the Snow Monkeys.

    My favorite things are reading, watching good TV and movies, traveling, sports, and eating. (I’m not as daring or knowledgeable as you, but I enjoy a good meal.) Currently I live in Michigan, but after this cold and snowy winter I’m thinking about changing that!

    My pet peeves are arrogant people with a sense of entitlement and cashiers who stop ringing you up to chat with friends.

    Thanks for pushing all us lurkers to de-lurk if only for a day!

    Reply
  15. JeffW Avatar
    JeffW

    @Sparrow_hawk:

    Yes, RIP Harold Ramis. I’m going to miss his wit and story-telling.

    @Joe:

    We’ve got a spare bedroom all ready for you; actually we have a couple since my oldest daughter moved out several years ago. Now I just have to get Jackie to get her cosmetics out of the non-girly guest room, either that or go ahead and pick out an eye shadow you think looks good on you.

    We also have a pool, which my son is already bugging me to get setup as soon as possible. I think the cabin-fever has him hallucinating warmer weather.

    Also, if you come to Chicagoland, you can rotate among Sparrow_hawk, sylvia, and Barb and I, but wait until summer or fall…this winter has been brutal.

    Reply
  16. Ponytail Avatar
    Ponytail

    @ Tim Hendrix – Wrote, “I lived for 10 years in Italy and 17 in Las Vegas before returning to the tranquility of tornado alley.”

    😆 Ahhhh, yes, nothing beats the cool breeze brought on by a twister. 😆

    Reply
  17. sylvia Avatar
    sylvia

    Ditto what JeffW said….Chicagoland awaits you. And, yeah…warmer is better.

    Reply
  18. Brent Avatar
    Brent

    Hi, my name is Brent and I’m an alco… Oops! Wrong place…. I live in the Sioux Falls, SD area. I am a System Engineer coming up on 15 years of employment with a Security Integrator. Wife, 3 kids and a dog. I cant stand liars and i cant stand people that think they are entitled to things they dont want to work for. Arrogance is a major turn off. I strive to be a perfectionist. I’m a professional introvert when it comes to meeting people. I am also aware of my own failings as a human being but find it very difficult to change them. The few people that know me all think I’m a overly complex person. Never ask me a question that you dont want hear an honest answer to. Ok, that’s enough.

    Reply
  19. Nola Shingledecker Avatar
    Nola Shingledecker

    Trolls are the bane of internet existence. They depend on a certain level of internet anonymity, because all bullies are terrified of exposure. They work much better on a covert level. If they believe that they are undetectable, then they are unconcerned with any sort of consequeneces\

    Reply
  20. dasndanger Avatar
    dasndanger

    Okie dokie…have a minute or two…(this actually took me about two hours because I got distracted by a spice cabinet, a playful kitty, dirty dishes, and a cup of hot cocoa. Gotta love that ADD! 😛 )

    Name: Deirdre

    Location: South Jersey…not to be confused with North Jersey, or even ‘New Jersey’. We are a different breed down here…partly influence by Philadelphia, partly by old fishermen, partly by old farmers, and partly by the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.

    Favorite thing: Chocolate. 🙂 I’m also partial to tall ships, cats, the ‘ologies’ (anthropology, archaeology, paleontology, geology, entomology, astrology…you get the idea), red wine, nature, gardening, classic cars, British murder mysteries (books and shows), rock music, pale guys, and Wraith hair. 😉

    Pet Peeve: People blaming God for the mess they themselves have made of this world.

    Something you may not know: I used to do sign language, stained glass, furniture refinishing, and volunteered on New Jersey’s tall ship ( A. J. Meerwald ) for both crew and maintenance – but I gave it all up to piddle away all my free time pestering Joey here on his blog.

    Literally. 😛

    das

    Reply
  21. Jayenkai (@Jayenkai) Avatar
    Jayenkai (@Jayenkai)

    Hi, I’m James from Bolton, England.
    I used to have a job in my local family run off-license/convenience store, and was a friendly face in our small village. Then a couple of years ago they discovered a brain tumor, I spent about 6 months in hospital, and now I’m pretty much housebound. Not for horrific brain-surgery-related stuff, they just seem to have knocked my balance completely out of whack, and I can no longer walk far without stumbling about and making an arse of myself!
    As such, I’m locked away in the house, where it’s safer since there’s no cars driving around that I might accidentally stumble into, and I spend my time online doing all those things that people do when they’ve not much else better to do.

    I now write small games, which I pop online for people to play, at AGameAWeek. It doesn’t pay, at all, but it keeps me occupied, and ensures my mind’s constantly active.
    Truth be told, I’ve always written little games, but now that I have absolutely nothing else going on in my life, it’s pretty much the only thing I have that’s worth mentioning, so.. um.. yeah, that!

    … Sure is a whole lot of free time in the day… :\

    Reply
  22. RichS Avatar
    RichS

    Hi I am Rich from Bristol in the UK

    Posted a few times now and then

    I like playing my bass guitar, going to watch gigs, mainly heavy stuff (just saw Limp Bizkit and Black Sabbath end of last year) riding my motorbikes.

    I read fantasy novels, fave authors are Terry Brooks and Stephen Donaldson (Donaldson wrote a hard sci fi series called The Gap Cycle which you may enjoy)

    Loved Stargate and Atlantis, not so much Universe, really liked the Egyptian themes in Stargate.

    Enjoying Akemis reaction to Atlantis. Wondering how she will like a certain dreadlocked character (if you get that far)

    Oh and I am with her on the wraith hair, some of it was a bit dodgy, especially when you had several on screen at once 🙂

    Reply
  23. fsmn36 Avatar
    fsmn36

    Late to the party, oops! But I like this; it’s fun reading about your readers!

    Name: Nell

    Location: a college town in Missouri, but from Minnesota (one of my favorite quotes will always be O’Neill’s “you know what the Goa’uld want? Minnesota”)

    Favorite thing: Coffee, good sci-fi (book or TV), blankets, dancing, body combat, archery, museums, comics…I could go on.

    Pet peeve: Living in a state where people cry over (no, I am not exaggerating, I have seen people cry over the threat of a snowstorm), can’t drive in, and everywhere shuts down for a measly 2 inches of snow. Buy a pair of snowboots for pete’s sake. Seriously, if people in MN did that? The state would not operate for 9 months of the year.

    Avatar: chosen for me by your blog

    Other things: been here for ages (since early 2007, I think) and I continue to be impressed by your streak of daily blogging. I’m working on a PhD in political science though there’s many a day when I want to give up and become a sci-fi TV writer. Sadly, I think writer’s block would follow me there. I’ve lived in England, and entertained brief moments as a figure skater, actor, and choreographer before settling on my current field. Getting terrifyingly close to 30, single, childless. Clearly living the dream…if the dream includes research designs and living on grocery store pasta still. 🙂

    Reply
  24. arcticgoddess Avatar
    arcticgoddess

    You are welcome at my place, Joe. I’ll just have to make sure the polar bears have been fed first. It’s been a couple of weeks since one sauntered down main street, but you never know.

    Yes, trolls and bullies are a real pain. I’d like to clarify my comments from yesterday, because after rereading them, I sounded like I was the instigator of the “get even” types. Personally, I try to get along with everyone, but, there are people that I’ve had to “let go” from my businesses in the past who have decided that they needed to show me that they are far too important to be treated like that, so have sought to get back at me. These were the people I was referring to. I have studied the reasons behind this behaviour and, as the article about narcissistic behaviour states, the belief that these people have about themselves is an underlying issue to their problems. Sadly, narcissism is not easily treated because these people rarely believe they have a problem. If there is a problem, they believe it is yours.

    Hello to everyone who has opened up to tell everyone a bit about themselves.

    Reply
  25. Jane Woollestone Avatar
    Jane Woollestone

    Hi Joe
    I’ve been signed up to your blog for a couple of years and think I’ve posted once! I’m Jane from dreary Dereham in Norfolk, UK and have 2 dogs and 3 cats who are all spoilt rotten and are my furry children! Total SciFi geek which my other half has to put up with… well I have to put up with his fishing…

    Reply
  26. Line Noise Avatar
    Line Noise

    Joe, you’re more than welcome to come and stay! My spare bedroom and fridge are always open. Well, not the fridge . . . you know what I mean!

    There’s several manor house hotels with Michelin starred restaurants nearby and a little further afield is Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons which has been on my To Do list for ages.

    And if that’s not enough on an incentive then Dirty Rotten Scoundrels the Musical is about to start in London’s West End!

    What are you waiting for?

    —

    Very sad about Harold Ramis. One of my favourite actor/writer/directors.

    —

    Trolls get their power from people who respond to them. If everyone ignores them they’ll go away. Unfortunately this is the Internet and a lot of people on the Internet can’t resist a good argument. The comments on this blog are the least confrontational forum I’ve even encountered on the Internet. I don’t know if that’s just because you attract a certain class of fan, Joe, or whether it’s your diligent weeding of comments through the use of moderation.

    Reply
  27. chevron7 Avatar
    chevron7

    Just to let you know Joe, Charlotte Dawson died on Sunday. Terribly sad.
    Chev

    Reply
  28. Shuth Avatar
    Shuth

    Short and sweet since I’m a bit rushed for time. :S

    Name: Steven
    Location: Melbourne, Australia
    Favorite thing: Not sure if I have an absolute definitive “favourite thing”. I do enjoy watching/ready science fiction, playing video games with friends, and the odd trivia session down at the local pub.
    Pet peeve: When people walk really slowly in large groups on a sidewalk, or when they all stop to have a conversation and take up the width of the path. No consideration for people trying to actually walk along said path. >:(

    Long-time reader but I rarely post/comment.

    Reply
  29. chevron7 Avatar
    chevron7

    Hi everyone, I think I possibly have the most profile names than anyone here… I started off as Chevron7 (Chev for short) when I joined the Sony Stargate forum and later the MGM Community site. Chevron 7 ‘cos of the famous line “Chevron 7 is locked”. Later I chose the online moniker webgurl and when that was taken on Twitter I became imwebgurl (as in I’m webgurl!!!!!!). Last year I created a couple of fan sites on wordpress for my favourite guys Ivon and James and hence ivonbartokfans and bambamfans were born.

    First name: My first name is Maryanne. My Mum liked the names Mary and Anne so yeah lol.

    Location: Melbourne, Australia

    Favourite thing: As far as things go, my favourite food is Mexican, fave lollies are Cherry Starbursts, favourite dessert is pavlova and apparently I can’t tell the difference between Pepsi and Coke. I loved going on the Food Truck tour with you and Akemi.

    Job: I’m Web Administrator for a public library and have worked for the library service for 23 and a half years. Loyalty is a strength of mine.

    Pet peeve: Hmmm this is surprisingly difficult. I know there’s certain people haha….ummmmmm…. Being 6 months or more behind the world watching my favourite TV shows.

    Let’s see what else can I share? I’m disorganised. I have been known to lurk here off and on. I defeated my flight anxiety with two trips overseas – 15 flights in all including an 18 sweater and two float planes.

    The first American football game I saw was the 1982 Championship game between San Francisco and Dallas, featuring “The Catch”. It’s why I”m a 49ers fan,

    I started watching Stargate with the pilot episode of SG1 with my Mum. It was something we shared. I would go over to Mum & Dad’s house every Thursday night while Dad was at work and watch the show after dinner. When the network put the show on later and later I still went over and we’d watch the DVDs. Her favourite character was Daniel Jackson.

    I loooooove Windows of Opportunity but have issues with Moebius Pt 1 & 2. Mostly for the characters of Jackson and Carter being caricatures of the real characters. Oh hey I found a pet peeve – alt timeline Jackson and Carter, particularly Carter, in Moebius Pt 1 & 2. Hey, I feel so much better Joe. I hope you don’t take it too hard. I love your other episodes.

    Hmmm this post is really long… lol

    Cheers, Chev

    Reply
  30. Anna707 Avatar
    Anna707

    Hi Joe, thought I’d also take the opportunity to delurk too, since other folk are dipping their toes in.

    I’m Kristin, and I’m from Auckland, in New Zealand – I found my way to your blog by way of John Scalzi’s a couple of years back, and stayed partly for the book reviews and for the behind the scenes look at putting a TV show together, but mostly for the funny, and for the great community of commenters. (Das – for ages, I thought you were a kiwi too – I blame the rugby).

    I watched the odd SG-1 episode back in the day, but I didn’t know SGA at all and have been watching it on DVD (just up to the start of season 5, favourite season so far season 4) so this rewatch has been great timing. I like the Air Force/Science mix on SGA. I used to work at a scientific research institute, and knew more than a few Zelenkas and even a McKay or two, so the civilian scientist component on the show is fun.

    Reply
  31. chevron7 Avatar
    chevron7

    I don’t understand why people troll. Despicable.

    Chev

    Reply
  32. chevron7 Avatar
    chevron7

    Correction: Saturday

    Reply
  33. Deni Avatar
    Deni

    Name: Deni
    Location: Tampa, FL, at last, and loving it (mostly).
    Favorites: Dogs, my grandson, my hubby, my kids, a good cuppa tea, flying, good chocolate and good food. Love NYC.
    Pet peeves: People who spread colds and flus and don’t care what it does to others. Animal abusers are at the top of my shit list. Texting.

    🙂

    Reply
  34. Vin Avatar
    Vin

    Joe, that Welsh guy isn’t a Troll, he’s just an idiot. The term Troll has been highjacked by the media to mean something entirety different. Proper Trolling is good-natured and fun. Unfortunately the modern media now apply the tag to all manner of behaviour on the Internet from someone just getting sweary to someone issuing death threats.

    Reply
  35. Maggiemayday Avatar
    Maggiemayday

    Margaret in Northern Utah here, although many folks know me as Anti M, and call me that. I was born and raised in the Navy, then I joined the Navy, and married a sailor. Been to all 50 states, traveled quite a bit, and have lived fun places like Iran and Diego Garcia… and my longest stint overseas was 12 years in Yokosuka (in bits and pieces). These days I’m an over-educated retired homemaker, and my husband drives a truck. Degrees in psychology and a social science mix of history/anthropology/geography and technical writing. Just what I need to keep the home fires burning. I have four cats… only had two, but when dad died I took in his little old lady kitties. They occupy the guest room because my Siamese picks on them.

    Favorite things: travel, art, history, culture, food, learning, and people. I spend most of my days making art for Burning Man, sewing for Burning Man, moderating on a board about Burning Man, and planning with the fire conclave for burner events (we do fuels for them). Already have tickets for this year. I used to read prolifically, but over the last ten years my attention span has vanished. Sad, pretty sure I know why, not sure if it can be corrected. I have wide ranging interests, but can’t remember most of them all at once.

    Odd random fact: I was once the Utah Women’s Chess Champion. I won one game, and was the only female in the tournament that year.

    Pet peeves: Mean people, people who neglect of abandon animals, litterers, and people who cannot accept responsibility for their actions/inaction. You made a mess, clean it up. Good ahead and whine about it if you must, but don’t wait for me to wipe your ass for you.

    Reply
  36. JimFromJersey Avatar
    JimFromJersey

    Joe,
    You’ve got an open invitation if you’re ever in the Philly/South Jersey area. Not for a room mind you…my house is just too small. But for a gastronomic and cultural tour, I’m your guy.

    Reply
  37. Jovanna Avatar
    Jovanna

    Take 2. If this does not, the universe has spoken and I will remain un-introduced:

    Ooh, I’ve been waiting for a chance to meet so many people. Usually, I’m late to the party and miss out on all the good discussions. Wait. I am late. (hangs head) BUT, I’m not the only one. 😛

    First, my name is not Jovanna, but I use this name so that my usual box of people can’t find/ don’t know me… plus, being anonymous can be kinda fun. you can build a whole new personality that you never knew you had. (scratches head). If that makes sense…

    Second, I’m from the Land Down Under and from one of the cities of 4 seasons in a day – the one that also has a city of the same name elsewhere in the Western world.

    Third, I’m a collector of names, stories, interesting facts and well… dust. Lots of dust here (sneezes) and umm… sliverfish. I’m not good at any particular thing, but rather have interests and know little bits about everything… which I have discovered is not always relevant or helpful in everyday life.

    Fourth, I hate it when people do the ‘pinch and punch for the first day of the month thing’ or the ‘punch and kick for being so quick’ – because I will so punch or pinch or kick you if you even dare come near me with even the slightest hope that you will get away with it – because you won’t. Even if you’re on the other side of the world, I will remember you and hunt you down. One day you will be walking down the side of the road minding your own business and somebody will suddenly pinch/punch/kick you really hard, laugh falsely and run away. Then you will know how I feel… (I know I sound aggro, but that’s how I feel about it)… I won’t go near the worm can labelled ‘spelling’.

    Fifth, being random is cool. Being a writer is cool, even if you’re a closet writer, because everyone you know tells you that writing will never pay. I don’t care. Writing is fun.

    Sixth, I wish I had something I could write about everyday. If I did that, all I would have is junk and that’s junk that smells. I may write, but I know when my writing stinks. I’ve tried and my blogs bear witness that me trying to write something palatable everyday is not worth the effort.

    Seventh, I just wanted a number seven. It’s the fourth prime number, a double Mersenne prime, a lucky prime, a happy prime and a safe prime. It also reminds me of classical/romantic/baroque music and string instruments, the colour green, giraffes and beds.

    Eighth, because the number 8 is infinity, but standing upright and reminds me of a phrase that means mutual benefit/help in another language… Nice to meet you all and hope to talk less… or more… well, less in one go, more in less words and more frequently.

    Ninth, because the number 9 is close to 99 after which I can say 100 and open my eyes; I sound younger than I am on purpose and enjoy people’s reactions when they discover I am not a male (when under a different avatar) and am not a a little teenager.

    Tenth, because the number 10 is an ending number and is not actually the 10th digit (nine is, because people forget poor old zero), Please feel free to have a look at these cool artists on Youtube, just because they are awesome and deserve the support: Stringfever (look up their ‘history of music piece’). The Piano Guys (one’s a cellist and cellos are not cool, they are awesome, even if someone did try to kill mine with a tram door). Lindsey Stirling (because how is a dancing violinist not cool?). 2Cellos (just cos – you’ll see).

    Eleventh, a side note. Running Man (funny Korean show – look it up) is filming in Melbourne, Australia, for the people living there. All the running, screaming asians could be likened to people who suddenly find out that Doctor Who is filming in their city.

    And on those notes, I will end with the number 12, because it is a fair.

    Reply
  38. Jovanna Avatar
    Jovanna

    I could almost swear that I had perfect spelling prior to posting the above.

    Reply
  39. Airelle Avatar
    Airelle

    Trolls–I don’t like them, can see why they live under bridges, no one wants them around. Often heard~~ keep your words soft, some day you may have to eat them. Joe and Akemi are always welcome, you might have to do the cooking, my fare is not as fancy, but maybe you would enjoy the simple basic. I can supply some chocolate. I know Fl is too far to bring the pups but they are welcome as well.

    Reply
  40. Deni Avatar
    Deni

    Look who lives about a block away from our house:

    http://i656.photobucket.com/albums/uu284/pbugsmom/IMG_3116_zps98f40630.jpg

    Reply
  41. baterista9 Avatar
    baterista9

    Ashamed to say I inadvertently semi-trolled someone on Facebook last night.

    I was curious about a stranger’s post that appeared in my timeline because we have mutual friends. It quickly became obvious that I was irritating the poster and commenters with my questions, so I deleted my earlier comments, posted that I’d decided they were inappropriate, and thanked the other people for their help.

    Feedback on this incident is welcome.

    Reply
  42. Jeff/Arby Avatar
    Jeff/Arby

    Ditto on being a bit late, but long time reader, first time poster.

    Name: Jeff

    Location: Pocono mountains, Pennsylvania, 2 or so hours from New York, hourn and a half or so from Philadelphia.

    Favorite things: Well being a reader of this blog, naturally sci-fi…. Stargate being the fore-front of that. Other than that, Im a PC gamer by night, snowboarder / disc golf by day when not working. However favorite thing of all being my monster dog “The Beast” my 210 pound monster of a St Bernard. Hes a cuddle bug.

    Pet peeves: Stupidity… and even more so stupidity without valid reason. It’s one thing to not know something, that’s fine, but to argue with someone who has hard evidence that you either do not know what you’re talking about or worse yet using some one else’s opinion as evidence drives me up a wall.
    This tends to limit online posting significantly =P

    Other things: Again, long time fan of Mr Mallozzi, you and the other key figures among the Stargate series have been inspirations since my first expedition off world from Cheyenne. I, like most here have been enthralled by the wonder, excited by the action, and blown away by the creativity you and the others have expressed. In short, thanks.

    Reply
  43. N Avatar
    N

    I gave up my cable but my guest room has a dvd player. You can watch my Stargate DVDs. 🙂

    Reply
  44. shinyhula Avatar
    shinyhula

    There used to be jerks in junior high who’d hack at their frogs in biology class and then throw the severed legs at the more squeamish kids the minute the teacher turned her back. I see trolls as adults with the brains of jerky 9th graders.
    I live in Pittsburgh, a city that loves it’s animals this much:

    http://youtu.be/E2gDGQ2DaDw

    Reply
  45. osirisoflight Avatar
    osirisoflight

    I’m Tom. I live in Pennsylvania and work in State Government as an Archaeologist. I have been reading your blog since the summer of 2008.

    Favorites include: My cat (i like dogs as well), experimentation/ exploration with food, science fiction, maps, and my wife.

    Pet peeves include: loud chewers or those that chew with their mouth open and people who are constantly late.

    Reply
  46. Tam Dixon Avatar
    Tam Dixon

    Wow! Great comments and I’ve found most of these people are more interesting than I am. Maybe I’ll learn something. 😉

    I’ve seen internet trolls in action before. I believe some of them are on someone’s payroll…..not sure but it sure seems like it. When you read a news article, do you ever read the comments? Don’t! It can be awful. I’ve seen positive articles about feeding starving kids and someone will post negative comments about it. There is a lot of hate, envy and mental illness in the world.

    Jeff/Arby: 210 pounds! How much does a dog that size eat?

    Deni: Did you name him yet?

    Reply
  47. 2cats Avatar
    2cats

    I’m Carol from Monmouth County New Jersey, USA. My avatar is a photo of my 2 cats, hence my screen name 2cats, perhaps not clever, but I can easily remember it, so there’s that.

    I currently work at a nationally known telecommunications company as an instructional designer, (one who develops/writes/programs courses, eLearning modules, etc.) In the past I have been a technical writer, a website developer, a short story writer, an administrative assistant, proofreader, etc. Okay, we don’t have all day.

    Some favorite things are loving and caring for my cats (Basil and Stash), reading good books, usually sci-fi and fantasy genres, but not exclusively, as mysteries with a twist are also good, but no horror. I also enjoy sci-fi TV, mainly Stargate of course, Star Trek (all series), Firefly, Defiance, and Falling Skies. I steer clear of vampire, zombie, supernatural or other creepy themed shows. Science, animal and nature themed shows are also enjoyable.

    My pet peeve is anyone who does not understand the importance of writing well in business. Even internally viewed emails leave an impression about the writer. When I write a course about how to chat professionally, I include being aware of your tone, grammar and spelling as it directly reflects upon the reputation of your business. This is in addition to actually solving the customer’s issue effectively and correctly. It’s true we all make writing mistakes, but when one refuses to improve or correct repeated mistakes, I lose patience.

    It’s been very interesting learning more about my fellow blog denizens, thank you all for sharing!

    2cats

    Reply
  48. Tam Dixon Avatar
    Tam Dixon

    Oh and both of you can stay with me if you don’t mind cats. I would feel too intimidated cooking for two foodies but I know a couple good Southern restaurants.

    Reply
  49. 2cats Avatar
    2cats

    Oh, I forgot to mention that I enjoyed the grammar video. I promptly shared the link at work and we all had a laugh!
    @Tam Dixon… I agree, most people here are a lot more interesting than me and I do hope to learn something. 😉

    Reply
  50. lauramultidimensionalocean Avatar
    lauramultidimensionalocean

    Hi everybody!
    ok. i am quite amazed at the amount of people loving cats, SG1, SGA, SGU ! I am glad we are in great company! and of course shall we not forget dogs 😉
    I never really understood people being offended at my laziness to spell correctly.. but hey! that is cool, I am sure that by now those folks are just skipping my comments 🙂

    Oh, I would love to have Akemi and Joe for a visit. Although for troll avoidance purpuses and NSA and other wackos, I would rather not have my towns published, as they are rather small towns.. and well.. it is easy to get detected… believe it or not, an ex-boyfriend found out who I was on one of the Stargate SG1 forums back a few years ago. it was unreal.. i had a cat’s avatar (not even mine) and my ID was sg1malp i think.. and i had said very little.. and when we were going out neither of us were into SG1 (I know.. it takes us back .. lol ). so yes, . trolls are around.. and even those who you might think…”what are the chances of being found out” !! 🙂

    Had no idea of this blog being active for like 7 years! wow 🙂 is this when SG1 stopped I wonder? did I mention it is my fav show? 🙂

    But for visits purposes, depending on the time of the year, I live:

    In Cork in Ireland
    in Manchester in UK
    in Spittal and der Drau in Austria
    in Alicante in Spain
    in Resita in Romania

    Hugs to everybody and to the trolls to! xo

    Reply
  51. skua Avatar
    skua

    @Tam Dixon
    @2cats
    Au Contraire, mes amis. We are all interesting; from Gforce photos to Das small evil things and Tam questions (I also want to know how nuch can eat this little boy of 210 lbs) the views of any here are part of the substance of a blog as enjoyable as this, Joey is important but we are the icing on the cake, 😆
    thanks to all

    Reply
  52. MirthMistress Avatar
    MirthMistress

    Hi. My name is Toska and I live in Sarasota, FL. Something tells me I’m more apt to be cooking you breakfast in February than August. My favorite things are entertaining with my friends, traveling and a good book. Pet peeve is inconsiderate people. Pretty much everything else is just the result of a lack of consideration. I run the box office for a small (but growing!) non-profit theatre company. I spent 2 and a half years building a 35 foot, wooden, ocean going sailboat. I’m very active in our local Relay for Life and spent 4 years as the committee chair for activities and entertainment. It’s nice to get to know you all better. If I had spoken that last sentence, it would definitely have come out “y’all”.

    Reply
  53. dasndanger Avatar
    dasndanger

    How did I ever forget to include rugby as part of my favorite things? I must be slipping. 😛

    das

    Reply
  54. Kathode Avatar
    Kathode

    Joe, do you yourself have trolls whose comments we don’t see due to your moderating them out?

    And a tangentially related question: If you were to relaunch your blog today, would you go with WordPress? Would you try to launch your own website? Choose a different host? What are the pros and cons of the platform you’ve chosen?

    Reply
  55. gforce Avatar
    gforce

    Gotta say that I’m loving reading all these readers’ mini-bios. What an interesting bunch!

    Also, I was just thinking – you know what we haven’t seen on blog for a while and is sorely needed? DOGGIE PICS! (Or at least an update!)

    Reply
  56. fpmolina Avatar
    fpmolina

    I’m Molina, I live in Columbus, Ohio. My life is kinda boring. I make things, out of stuff, or paint, or yarn. I’ll watch your dog or now your dog & mother (recently new client). I have a mound of useless knowledge & could prob recite a good bit of all Stargate & Supernatural. I had ice cream for diner tonight, but it was Jenni’s Splendid Ice Cream, so it counts as food. I don’t know what else to say, but in real life I talk too much. Puppies!

    Reply
  57. James Chaplin Avatar
    James Chaplin

    I’m James. I’ve been reading your blog since 2010 and I’m now 20! I’m from the UK, just outside London. Love the beauty and culture of Canada. Especially the food. Keep up the good blogging!

    Reply
  58. Anita (@tweetystockholm) Avatar
    Anita (@tweetystockholm)

    Hej Hej,

    I’m Anita, I live in Sweden and work as a SAP Consultant in one of the big five Consulting companies. I travel a lot; both with work and on vacation, fell in love with Vancouver when I was there last year, fell in love with Canada in Whitehorse earlier.

    I’ve been reading the blog for about a month now, I think imwebgurl had something to do with it – not exactly sure how I ended up here but it’s now bookmarked (since that’s what we techies do) and I come back every other day.

    I’ve watched SG1 when it came out (in German – it was horrible – the dubbing, not the show), started on SGA and completely missed SGU when it was airing, I remember zapping into an episode (I think it was the one where the civilians have staged a mutiny against the military) and thinking – I have no idea who these people are?! How did they get there? What is going on? So, eventually I got around to get it on DVD and watched it back-to-back over Easter. Good show – I have SGA on my list of things to watch – but that list – due to the aforementioned travel – VERY long at this point. I’ll get to it.

    The movies and books aren’t out in Europe yet, so I’ve tried to read the one from last month but couldn’t get it (and then forgot about it when I was in the UK). I’ll try to read whatever you guys suggest since I love reading – and also spend a considerable amount of time on a plane so that helps.

    Reply
  59. Johan Bäckman Avatar
    Johan Bäckman

    Hi!
    My name is Johan, live in Finland and work as a web manager for a large Finnish company. I’ve been on winter vacation for a week now, hence the late post.

    Been following the blog (through the RSS feed) for little over 2 years now and feel quite addicted to it. 🙂 I’m a fan of all SG shows although Atlantis is my favourite. Also a fan of sci-fi in general.

    Reply

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