I like Boing-Boing, I’ve read it for years. I’ve met Cory several times as part of my work to help the Open Rights Group. I am generally sympathetic to a lot of the posts which are posted there.

I like the blog.

So yesterday there was something in the BoingBoing twitterfeed – a Disney Winnie-the-Pooh, meant to mock Richard Dawkins for having posted something about the TSA doing the pointless things that the TSA do, viz: taking away harmless things from you at airports:

EXCLUSIVE: Photograph of Richard Dawkins at TSA screening point. pic.twitter.com/iMJAUpZAAa

— Boing Boing (@BoingBoing) November 4, 2013

Yes Richard’s a brusque character and a pain in the arse as far as some people are concerned; but still this is a notable, useful and blatant piece of security theatre, about which BB has written at length.

I feel that the war on the war on terrorism should win over nerdy character assassination, so I tweeted my – relatively modest – thoughts about this, to be met with a reaction which I’d describe as “apparently puerile”:

Amazed that one moment @BoingBoing can be raging against "security theatre" and the next ridiculing someone for… http://t.co/shyxzfbdua

— Alec Muffett (@AlecMuffett) November 4, 2013

@AlecMuffett aw, that's an unnecessarily harsh interpretation of a Winnie the Pooh JPG.

— Boing Boing (@BoingBoing) November 4, 2013

@BoingBoing how would you describe and justify your intentions, then, please?

— Alec Muffett (@AlecMuffett) November 4, 2013

@AlecMuffett a Winnie the Pooh JPG needs no justification.

— Boing Boing (@BoingBoing) November 4, 2013

@BoingBoing Concur. Mocking a prime example of a victim of security theatre might do, though?

— Alec Muffett (@AlecMuffett) November 4, 2013

Being ignored would have been more mature response than this, I’d even half expect that.

But that’s not the weird thing.

The weird thing is that I checked my Google Docs this evening to find that Mark Frauenfelder has shared with me a “public” Google Doc entitled:

“People who are disappointed with Boing Boing”

Screencap:

My name is not on it, there is no explanation why he has shared it with me. Does he expect me to edit myself onto it? Am I supposed to see it and understand that I and a handful of others are “alone” in our criticism? Is this some sort of shit-list? A list of uncool people?

I can only suppose in the light of the childishness of the exchange last night that to understand the intent I would have to reach into my memory of pre-pubescence.

What the fuck, Boing-Boingers? You’re meant to be the cool people – and, mostly, the hip ones too? Perhaps you’re a collective rather than an organisation, but this action of whomever many speaks ill of your brand.

[PDF]
People who are disappointed with Boing Boing – Google Drive