I knew it was bound to happen… this morning I received an email from a poster who finds it odd that I would be annoyed by Mikeys behavior when my own name is a “public swear” and “Your part of the attraction for the smaller minds that come onto the board and crap it up.”
After reading the email, I am at a loss as to whether to respond or not. It is easy to see the person is obviously from a different culture than I, that english is their second language, and they definitely do not get my sense of humor. I also have never read any of this person’s posts so I have no clue, other than this email as to their personality.
I thought about being nice and explaining the fact that my name is a joke, that I am really not a crackwhore, nor am I purple, and that I am rarely serious about anything and just like to have fun, but I have already pretty much said that in my profile, and I am not sure it would be understood due to the cultural differences.
The Brat in me then surfaced and thought maybe I should just respond with a “lighten the fuck up and develop a sense of humor”. Of course, that would be the kind of gutter mouth response they would expect out of a Crackwhore… and being PurpleCrackwhore, I aspire to always be different.
So my last thoughts were those of my mother’s (yes, crackwhores have mothers). . .
If you haven’t anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
Well posters? What do you think I should do? respond? ignore? try to explain I am an oddity that this person will never comprehend? change my name so I am not offending the few? change my personality so I fit into their ideas of what is acceptable behavior? I welcome your thought on the matter.
I really try to be good but it just isn’t in my nature!
I completely understand the impulse to flame their BVD’s off them, as well as the better-guided thought to explain the humor/reasoning/situation behind whatever has upset them so. In the end, though, I usually end up filing their email in the round cabinet and blowing them off.
After all, flaming uses up time, energy, and creativity that I would rather apply elsewhere. Also, I tend to get emotionally involved in the situation, and I’d prefer to avoid the ego-bruising.
Being nice to them usually doesn’t answer whatever nasty little quirk motivated them to write in the first place - and I say nasty because the underlying hostility is generated by something, and that’s not an honest curiosity for an explanation.
And by ignoring them, you make it plain that whatever has crawled up their ass and started biting is of no particular importance to you.
If you can’t reinforce positively towards both sides, you might as well not reinforce at all.
Ignore him. Explaining it to him will not make him get it. Cursing at him will not clarify your position and will just piss him off. Why bother with this punk?
Personally, I would answer e-mails coming from posters whether I know them or not.
I got an e-mail one time from someone who had read a post I had made about affirmative action. I think he misinterpreted what I had said and then he made some assumptions that were wrong. I kindly responded as to why his assumptions were wrong and then proceeded to explain what I had meant. I never heard from him again.
I guess I would respond politely and try to explain any confusion that you think may have occurred. If that does not work then ignore them, unless you believe they are just trying to annoy you.
Jeffery
I wondered when you were going to answer my e-mail :).
I’d just ignore them if I were you. Any body who knows you already, well, knows you already. And anybody new should watch what you say and follow your responses for a while first before developing any opinions on your character. Fuck 'em if they can’t see who you really are. That’s their loss.
Don’t waste your breath on this person. He/she/it just isn’t worth it. I haven’t been on here all that long, and I already figured out that you’re a very nice person, who happens to have a lot of opinions about stuff.
<So do I for that matter, have lots of opinions, that is, the nice part is yet to be determined>
I did wonder at your name at first, but decided to wait and see what you showed yourself to be. So far, no complaints here.
Smile, we know who you are.
Seen on billboard near home:
Don’t make me come down there.
God
Before I registered, I lurked and I read a few stories similar to yours, so I when I registered, I removed my e-mail address from view. Most of the posters here seem likable enough, but there are some crazies here and I just did not want to take the chance.
My suggestion to you (for what it’s worth):
Ignore the e-mail. Anyone who doesn’t get your sense of humor is not going to understand any explanation you can offer and flaming back would be counter productive.
Virtually yours,
DrMatrix
These words are mine and they are true - Chief Meninock
Oh boy, this email has “kill 'em with kindness” (and a touch of sarcasm) written all over it. How’s this…
Dear So-and-so,
Thank you for sharing your observations and opinions. Input such as yours is of great value to me. I will definitely be giving it the consideration it deserves.
Yours truly,
PurpleCrackwhore
PCW - by no means do you owe complete strangers any explanations. And under no circumstances should you change who you are just because one moron singled you out for, of all things, your username. If they don’t bother to get to know YOU, they have no business giving you their 2¢.
It would be an entirely different story if your best friend said to you, “PCW, I know what a lovely, fun and interesting person you are. But I’m afraid your username is sending a negative message that doesn’t accurately reflect the charming and witty person that I know you’d like people to see you as.” (Which, of course, isn’t even true. But again, if it was your best friend you might take their advice to heart.)
FWIW, I think your username is hilarious!
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank
I do respond to the emails that I get from people on the board – though if I don’t recognize their name it helps if there is something in the subject line which links the writer to this board, so it doesn’t get deleted without being opened as spam of some sort. I usually assume that the first time someone raises an issue with me they are genuine and sincere, and only respond negatively – or cease responding – when it becomes clear that they are simply troublemakers. YMMV.
You could try the nice polite response once, hoping that it is just a cultural differences thing, or you could just ignore it. I wouldn’t waste any energy worrying about it, though; as has been pointed out, we all know and love the REAL PurpleCrackwhore. < g >
You know what I’d do? I would not respond to the e-mail. Instead, I’d start a thread that explains the humor behind the name and also fishes for other posters that say they like it to show support. That way, when the sender saw the thread, he/she would know their opinion is in the minority.
<---- Winking. That means I’m just ribbing you. Really.
Don’t change the name. It’s one of my favorite user names on the board. Even if you changed it and hung around under a different name, I’d still miss PurpleCrackWhore.
Now with 1000 posts of pure wisdom!
(or something)
Ignore him/her. Though I feel sorry for people that venture into this board and expect it to be a “family” type board. It’s not. Anyone who reads Cecil’s books should expect sarcasm and profanity.
Just wondering, though, why Purple? Why not Yellow Crackwhore?
I think you should change your name, write apology letters to both the e-mailer and Michael Masterson (A.K.A. Dirty Devil and change your personality so as not to be so abrasive to all of us sweet, kind, god-fearing posters out here. What’s your problem? Why do you have to go around acting like a whore, when you’re really not? Or is it just reverse psychology to try to play your intrinsic whoreness off? Anyway, I’ve removed my e-mail from my profile, changed my phone number, left ICQ and AIM and boarded up the doors and windows to my house so none of you scary people can get in and touch my peaceful little world. Enough is enough, PurpleCrackwhore, Bah!
“Don’t bother to pack your bags, Or your map.
We won’t need them where we’re goin’,
We’re goin’ where the wind is blowin’.”
First, I think almost everyone was annoyed by you know who’s behavior on the board.
Second, it’s your user name. If they have a problem with that they should file a complaint with the nearest public toilet.
I just have to wonder whats going on, first I get waqar the muslim nazi in chat bitching about my name, then within a few days you get
______________ , the screaming email idiot.
Are we a couple of lucky girls or what ?
Anyway, I wouldn’t answer him/her/it, unless it would be to use Shayna’s suggestion. Only I think I would add the words, when I flush it, at the end.
But we all know I can be a real bitch too.
Uh oh, I think I was just a public swear.
" The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference."
Elie Wiesel
Winner SDMB Biggest Flirt (Female) and Least Shy (No Mom, I have no idea why they think that)
Ignore him. You picked the name because you like it. Don’t worry about what anyone else says. The more you stir the worse it smells so just don’t give him the pleasure of knowing that it bothered you. Then again, this thread lets him know that. I’d still ignore him.
I’ve learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it.
That’s assuming that my Name on the outside of this thread is not so forbidden and offensive that they would burn in hell for ever reading any Topic I might post to…
sorry, the sarcasm just snuck right out there.
All joking aside, I did post this topic partly to see if people thought I should respond to the sender, and partly as you surmized. Not so much to fish for compliments on the name, but so that this person might get the idea that what may be offensive to them, is not necessarily the opinion of the whole board. So if it kills two birds…so much the better.
I really try to be good but it just isn’t in my nature!
Ignore the boor, come on over to our intergalactic animal house,jump in the jello
with me and I’ll give you a nice back rub; whatcha say, huh? grin, grin, wink, wink!
VB
Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel. True, and they have many other fine qualities as well.
<---- Winking. That means I’m just ribbing you. Really.