A Wednesday Re-Post: On Sock-Puppeting and Entitlement

Coincidentally, a year ago today, I wrote this post on Sock-Puppeting and Entitlement, where I noted:

"...if people can't respect simple Internet boundaries like "please don't comment on this blog anymore," I mostly worry about how their entitlement to traverse other people's boundaries affects their interactions with people in the physical world. How people act in some situations can be a good test, or indicator, as to how they act in other situations. Rarely, I think, does an Internet Asshole limit his behavior only to the Internet. A person either believes that other people have the right to set boundaries in their own space, or they don't. Full stop. 

So, like, how's that rape culture mentality workin' out for ya, pal?"

It's an appropriate reminder today, as readers and commenters of Fannie's Room encounter Hector St. Clare/Roger Chillingworth. Hector/Roger, I believe, followed me from the Family Scholars Blog, where I used to blog and where he used to comment.

Hector's/Roger's approach, I have found, is often to sigh himself into a conversation, as though it's pure tedium for him to deal with all of us, who he perceives as his obvious intellectual and moral inferiors who he has to take time out of his day to correct. I've never seen him counter a feminist argument or idea with any substantive argument of his own. His approach is that, well, he's a man, and if he says it, that settles it, and feminists are dumb. Take a recent arriving comment of his:

"Sigh. I am quite certain, Fannie, that most women are delighted to be treated according to the traditional chivalric code."

Just because he says so, I guess. No evidence or citation needed! It's Hector/Roger speaking! All hail the truth and wisdom!

He then proceeded to yawn about his supremacy for a bit, before I banned him, once again:

"Sigh. not much interesting or meaningful thought here, Fannie. 

I don't mean to be rude, but you're almost a perfect example of the person with nothing useful to say, and who is therefore undeserving of political or civil rights."

Mostly, I just want to note that these are not the comments of a person looking to engage in a serious or sincere manner. Over the years, I've become pretty good at recognizing patterns in commenting that evidence that a commenter is likely going to be Trouble.

The fun thing about having my own blog, is being able to choose not to engage with jerks if I don't want to! It's an entitlement I freely exercise and advocate.