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by thejameskyle 3489 days ago
I wasn't saying that people don't have a right to be frustrated or angry. I wasn't saying we shouldn't voice our criticisms as developers or that we shouldn't disagree with one another.

The only argument I'm really trying to make in this article is that when someone has stepped over a line into outraged attacks on tools and authors that the community shouldn't reward them for that.

Apparently this is too much to ask because so far today I've been called:

- a special snowflake

- autistic

- whiney

- thin-skinned

- pathetic

- weak

And I only published this like 2 hours ago and I have hundreds of notifications to go through still. The next few days I'm probably going to get a hell of a lot worse. Still waiting for my first "faggot" which always inevitably happens.

I have some pretty thick skin. I was raised in an abusive environment and I made my own way in the world at 16.

I'm not bothered by one person saying I'm an idiot.

What gets to you is a few thousands people agreeing.

2 comments

I looked back at your story a couple of times but couldn't figure out how the outraged attacks are being rewarded. I do feel like you might be on to something in how critical comments are often the most discussed. Think about how the single like "thank you" or "thanks for that" comments are hidden as being empty of thought.

I don't have any solutions but have you seen this CGP Grey video called "This video will make you angry" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE3j_RHkqJc which says that outraged ideas are the quickest to spread.

Mean people Sadly come with the territory in STEM :/

The math sphere is even more brutal. It's sad fact but people in our field are less emotionally aware than others and have a low frustration threshold. It helps to fortify against that.