Anna Raccoon - the final curtain


Anna Raccoon is one of the better bloggers out there, and among the best in the Libertarian corner.

She has written many well-informed, insightful posts. Today's post is slightly different, describing her experience as a blogger.

You should go over there and read the whole thing, but here's a sample of what its like to be a widely read blogger who gets on the wrong side of people with too much time on their hands:


"..plagued by trolls on the site ..  and received a number of e-mails which should not have hurt, they were only words, but hurt they did. I was worthless, valueless, a piece of shit.."

"a tsunami of vitriol from two well known bloggers who kept up a campaign for many a month of continuous contemptuous articles denigrating me, and claiming I had no right to term myself a Libertarian"

"I have endured months of vitriol which yes, did cause me a lot of unhappiness; there is a real person behind this blog, one that doesn’t enjoy being on the receiving end of a vendetta

And with the endless criticism and mindless attacks (read the comments too) comes self-doubt:

"I am more aware than anyone that my posts recently have lacked sparkle, and been pedestrian. Most days I have struggled to write anything at all"

So, she's calling it a day. Giving up blogging, closing down her blog.

Ironic, really, that a libertarian blogger should be hounded out of business by those who disagree with her views.

 
++UPDATE++  'Anna Raccoon' has added to the somewhat excitable comments section below, and stated:

"My health is more important, and that is the reason I have given up blogging, so that I can concentrate on getting better and writing again, though admittedly I am also not in the best frame of mind to cope with those self obsessed people who believe that the world begins and ends at their doorstep or blog."

Thanks for clearing that up, Anna. As SteveShark, also below, says, let's move on..

_

39 comments:

JD said...

How very sad. I really valued Anna Raccoon's blog, and now two unthinking, inconsiderate, probably self-centred rather than self-interested idiots have deprived me of that value. I doubt that they will, but I hope they will some time be deeply ashamed of themselves.
Thank you Anna for all that you wrote, and I wish you a speedy recovery from the bruising. All the very be$t, JD.

Constantly Furious said...

Well said JD : hope you're going over to Anna's to say something similar while you've still got the chance.

Anonymous said...

I don't agree with what you say so you have to be shut down! You are letting down libertarianism!!

John Demetriou said...

What on earth are you on about? What do you think you are doing, going round the web posting these lies and slurs?

We wrote a few pieces ages ago having a go at Raccoon for how dealt with me on her site back in Spring.

I've never emailed her once. Her issue appears to be with behind the scenes emailing and such attacks. This cannot have anything to do with me, as I've not contacted her and have never attempted contact - bar my attempted blog posts at the time in question last Spring.

So, until she comes out and points the finger and me, I think it's a bit out of order to go laying the blame for her decision at my door.

Constantly Furious said...

Read it again. Read her post.

John Demetriou said...

So what's your opinion then, CF?

You think that I'm behind this do you?

Based on what, a couple of pieces and some discussion about banning people from blogs?

Most of her upset appears to be connected to abusive emails and trolls on her site. I posted no more than 4, 5 maybe 6 times on her site, all within a day or two last Spring. None of it abusive or particularly harsh.

She popped on mine a couple of months ago somehow connecting my views on her blog conduct with her getting hate mail. A connection which is based on supposition, not proof or anything remotely convincing.

Most bloggers get hate spam and all sorts. She isn't alone. She might be more sensitive to it than most, but she's not the only blogger out there to take shit.

I think you are shit stirring, CF. You enjoy winding us up, I've caught you admitting such on the web before.

How old are you again, CF?

Time to act those digits mate, because you're coming across like a shit stirring little fanny.

John Demetriou said...

"Ironic, really, that a libertarian blogger should be hounded out of business by those who disagree with her views."

This is the biggest pile of misrepresenting, disingenuous bollocks I have ever read.

So after a huge gap in time, where we said nothing to or about her, she has decided to quit and its our fault?

Bizarre, in the extreme. We 'hounded' no-one.

irony of ALL ironies, is that my beef with her was based on an act of authoritarianism on her part - in that she censored me for making critical remarks about an ally of hers.

I've said harsher stuff to you and about you, CF.

Tell me, are you going to go 'Uber-Martyr' on me, and announce your departure from the blogging world?

This entire episode stinks to high heaven. Anyone who falls for the lines being peddled out by you and Raccoon must be utter mugs.

Anonymous said...

Seems to be something of an inter Blogger spat going on here, am I missing something ?
Maybe we shud make our excuses and leave !

Kevin Boatang said...

To clarify, other than a couple of posts back in March, a bit of a fall out (powderpuff stuff) and her comenting on ours a couple of months back, ath is the total amount of contact.

Her post very clearly digs us because she appears incapable of rational debate without censor or slander (accusing us of threatening to kill her for instance), but the majority is about seriously abusive emails. That's it.

Stop trying to get hots off the back of others you deluded shit.

"Ironic, really, that a libertarian blogger should be hounded out of business by those who disagree with her views."

Is ironic yeah, seeing as it's meant to be about accepting others opinions without banning them. W haven't hounded her in the slightest you nasty little stalker

Mr Rob said...

Well, I did "go over there and read the whole thing". And guess what? You have unaccountably missed out any reference to Raccoon's ongoing illness and its effects on her. I wonder why? Was it because you wanted to concentrate people's minds on the matter of the small feud with the two well know bloggers by any chance?

On that subject, it was interesting to note that in her own account Raccoon wrote that the argument started after she pruned her blogroll - but neglected to mention that she also began censoring these bloggers' posts to her site....another strange omission.

She does mention that she received a number of unwelcome emails - she also mentioned that she had received many unpleasant emails before this disagreement, quite extensively actually - but has not suggested that they came from the bloggers in question - do you?

In fact, this "tsunami of vitriol" seems to have consisted of a few disparaging articles written about her censorship tendencies on one blog....perhaps a small belch of disapproval in the grand scheme of life, but hardly a tsunami, don't you think? She seems to have been more ill-used by others for whom she has done work.

I wonder why you have chosen to give such a narrow account of what she wrote, and what your purpose was in so doing?

You do realise it makes one suspect that everything else you write could also be partial and driven by some hidden agenda, don't you?

Constantly Furious said...

"it makes one suspect that everything else you write could also be partial and driven by some hidden agenda".

You think?

Blogger in 'has opinion' shock?

This isn't fucking ceefax, you know.

Constantly Furious said...

And B & D? The sheer length and tone of your numerous replies says rather more than the content ever will..

Mr Rob said...

Trouble is when you are reporting on what has been written elsewhere, it's rather traditional to give a balanced account and then draw your conclusions with reasons - otherwise why not just give us the links and spare yourself the hassle of writing your one-sided precis? It would probably be more appropriate to your ability too.

Obnoxio The Clown said...

"Balanced account"? WTF is that?

Anonymous said...

This final curtain.

Was it beef?

Mr Rob said...

Like when someone is shot a couple of times and crumples to the ground in a heap you don't report that they were killed by a fall..

Henry North London 2.0 said...

It has nothing to do with B&D

There are other factors CF and B and D

I would say this openly but I dare not. You know my email you can email me on the understanding that what I tell you remains with you and is not posted up around the blogosphere. If it is you will reap the whirlwind.

Constantly Furious said...

Mr Rob,

Thanks for all your advice on blogging. I'm writing it all down, and will refer to my notes next time I post.

I bet your blog is really great, what with you knowing how it should be done and everything.

Where is it, again? I'd love to pop over; perhaps pick up some more tips on proper blogging.

Mr Rob said...

Oh dear, the "if you can't do it better you have no right to criticise me" comeback.

Nice one, and used by sooo many clever people, most recently tonight by some EDP mouthbreather to Steveshark I believe. You're in great company mate.

BTW why did you not mention Raccoon's illness - it seemed quite important to her...

Constantly Furious said...

"Oh dear, the "if you can't do it better you have no right to criticise me" comeback".

No, no; you have the right to criticise me, or anyone else. Feel free.

Do keep turning up, offering your views and opinions about what has been posted, and what should have been posted.

It's just that if that's all you're able to offer, then obviously I - and perhaps others - will exercise our 'right' to conclude that you are an utterly pointless cunt.

subrosa said...

I certainly am sad to see her retire. Illness can drag you down, especially if the diagnosis is difficult.

So much anger around in the blogosphere these days. Point it at the people who deserve it please folks.

Anonymous said...

Cosntantly - thank-you for your post, and your kind thoughts, and all the kind thoughts of those who have commented on that post. It means a lot.

J. Demetriou 29.34 "is that my beef with her was based on an act of authoritarianism on her part - in that she censored me for making critical remarks about an ally of hers"
- for positively the last time - that is an outright lie!
You were not censored for making critical remarks about Guido.
You fell foul of my night time moderation - after, I might add, clearly stating that it was your last post on the matter. You then followed that up with an abusive post towards me, claiming that my night time moderation was a lie. I am under no obligation to host your rantings, Libertarian or not.

The only liar is you Sir.

You have built a reputation on making these attacks. You are pathetic.

Kevin Boateng. Thank-you for your comments on my post tonight.

But wait, what is that scuttling in the shadows behind your skirts...if its not Henry North London!

"It has nothing to do with B&D
There are other factors CF and B and D
I would say this openly but I dare not. You know my email you can email me on the understanding that what I tell you remains with you and is not posted up around the blogosphere. If it is you will reap the whirlwind."

Yes indeed, Henry, there are other factors besides B & D, far more important factors than B & D in fact Boring and Demented barely register on the scale of reasons why I have given up.

You have some inside information do you? Well, as the patient under discussion here, I give you full permission to hang it all out there kiddy. No need to hide behind private e-mails. I'm just in the mood. Nowt to lose now.

You're quite right, I did leave out a fairly large segment of why I became disallusioned with the pernicious, whinging, whining, deceitful, stalking, seedy, perverted, vitriolic, and unhinged underbelly of the Internet. Perhaps I shouldn't have. What say you? Shall we hang it all out then? Your place or mine? Oh, that's right, yours is behind closed doors isn't it. Mine then. Or we could have a Skype conference call, Oh, whoops, I dont have Skype any longer.

Maybe I do have the wherewithall to manage one last blog post - its 4.30 in the morning, just about your time isn't it Henry?

How I opened my home and held out the hand of friendship to a fellow blogger, Libertarianism in action, by Anna Raccoon.

Except that you, pathetic excuse for a man, or woman, are not worth it.

My health is more important, and that is the reason I have given up blogging, so that I can concentrate on getting better and writing again, though admittedly I am also not in the best frame of mind to cope with those self obsessed people who believe that the world begins and ends at their doorstep or blog.

Fortunately for me, they vet French Doctors, very, very, thoroughly and I have some of the finest in the world.

Real Doctors.

Doctors who spend their time healing and helping.

Not inspecting their navel.

JuliaM said...

Good grief!

Have to admit I missed the referred to dust up. But I agree with Subrosa's point:

"So much anger around in the blogosphere these days. Point it at the people who deserve it please folks."

With regards to the 'dark underbelly of the internet': There's a very interesting cartoon from 'Penny Arcade' that everyone seems to accept has some kind of truth behind it.

I disagree - I don't think the anonymity of the internet makes you a different person at all. I think, like alcohol, it simply makes you reveal yourself for the person you really are, once the facade you show to the world is stripped away...

Anonymous said...

In the overlapping Venn diagram world of Blog I'm guessing that virtually everybody here 'knows' each other. Or, at the very least, 'knows' someone who 'knows' someone here.

We've 'met' mostly through blogging, but although our blogs might be the wormholes through which we communicate through cyber space, our blogs are not us.
Behind every blog, there is a human being and I sometimes think we forget that.

Of course, like every form of written communication, there's always the danger of a breakdown in the process and sometimes that's due to a lack of clarity, understanding or mistaken interpretation of someone's written opinions.

I think it's perhaps a good time to just stand back from looking at ourselves as bloggers and recognise the people behind them who all share the same common human traits, feelings and experiences.

So, I'm suggesting that, first and foremost, we wish Anna Raccoon well and a speedy return to normal and that we respect her decision to deal with her illness in the way she has chosen. It's her business and hers alone.

I'm also suggesting that any hatchets - large and small - should be buried. I've come to respect my fellow bloggers who've commented here and it really is a shame that the broad church that is Libertarian blogging should be experiencing a schism of any sort at a time when its voice is so clearly needed.

Shoot me down, tell me to fuck off, but first please think about what I've suggested.

I think we're all big enough to move on from this.

Constantly Furious said...

Anna: thank you for that;

Henry: think I'll leave the lid on that can of worms;

Mr Rob: looks like you were right that Anna's health was the primary reason;

SteveS: well said mate - let's do just that...

Jill said...

Sorry, but PMSL or some other flippant internet acronym. I think the world is full of school playgrounds and the internet is the biggest one of all. That's probably why I like it so much. Maturity was never my thing.

Regardless of tub thumping, I genuinely hope Anna Racoon gets well soon and comes back soon too even though I don't have the faintest idea who she is.

Eat shit and die said...

B&D act like a pair of angry frustrated 12 yr old cunts in love with their cuntyness who feed off each other in a sordid little mutual masturbation pact.

Anonymous said...

Im still none the wiser as to what the fuck this is all about ????

Henry North London 2.0 said...

its best left to die a peaceful death @ Anon

The whole situation is interriven with personal feelings and slights where none should have been taken in the first place. Mistakes have been made on all sides.

It takes two to tango never forget that.

Anonymous said...

Mistakes have been made on all sides...

The biggest mistake in this shabby episode being made by CF himself.

He has demonstrated a rather unpleasant "informer" mindset. I am sure he will do well in this brave new world....

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