You Never Know Who You're Talking to Online

I got a recent DVD set for a birthday gift & only learned later on that a problem I've been having might be a factory defect. I read about this in a DVD review site that is typically followed by a web resource that my husband showed me which gives updates on when particular DVD sets will be released + alerts people to problems w/those sets.

I pointed this out & said the site, which was acquired by a major corporation w/oodles of money to hire staff to keep the site's mission up to date, had dropped the ball on this when they're proclaiming to be the definitive source on these issues. The main owner of the site decides to send me a snark response, mentioning a personal trip.

Without mentioning what I do for a living or why it may not be a good idea to piss off someone who works in the same industry & might cross your path in the future, I mentioned that I found that message rude & the rationale spotty since:

A) This site isn't exactly poor since no one's going to give their work up to a mega-corp w/out getting some $ out of it. Even if you have no business sense, you're not giving anything up for free unless maybe you were physically threatened.
B) They could easily hire someone to work on this stuff & mention it long before I get my product, have the problem & have to do THEIR work for them.
C) If you want to maintain good customer relations, you do NOT get snarky w/people who use your product & make a valid complaint.
D) Oh, and I don't have the money to go on international vacations so telling me that is not going to score points.

I view it the same way as someone who owns a store, doesn't consider that he/she might not be able to work & might need people to manage things if something happens, then closes shop without telling ANYBODY or posting a sign. Unless you have close friends as customers, no one cares if you were sick, feeding starving children in Hatti or going to Mardi Gras. You just failed in your duties & lost potential new customers as well as old ones who think you're unreliable at best. They might even think you're no longer in business. This is why chains are open at their posted hours & don't close in the middle of them unless something serious happens. If a solo attorney tried this, the ethics committee would want his/her head on a platter.

Now figuring I've said what I need to say & this person obviously knows less about business than me, I block the e-mail address. When you've proven you are an idiot & not worth my further time, I get the last word AND make sure you can't reach me.

I've also been doing some paid writing work & decide to take a Facebook break after writing 2 articles. Guess who's sent me a message??? This same person. I've not read it since this individual just offended me by sending a Facebook message when the person is a stranger & doesn't need to see my personal info or get confirmation of getting the right person.

Some facts about my Facebook: you're not going to see my personal information or learn what I do for a living on it. Working in my industry means you have to safeguard your privacy. People get desperate to buddy up to people in my shoes + there are lots of people I'd just as soon not deal with. I'm getting more stories by the day & I'd recommend anyone in my industry having some safeguards to protect themselves.

Why make it easier for people who tormented me & now want favors or for anyone else not contacting me for any reason other than to expect things that come w/my career when they're not MY friends or would be there for me if I ever had a crisis?

This also includes exes who tried to act like I should welcome them with open arms after they ticked me off enough to prompt me to end it (and this was mostly things like trying to follow me to the city I lived in & sabotaging my future plans).

If you've pissed me off, consider yourself dead to me. Unless you actively apologize to me & prove that you are sincere in seeking forgiveness, I won't do it. I did do it for someone I knew in high school that I never thought would have changed, so that's not to say you can't become a friend or redeem yourself in my eyes.

But here's my point: you NEVER know who're you're talking to online. For all you know, I've been following you for months & am waiting outside your door to kill you b/c of a comment you made to my post. Or I'm your boss, a potential client, an old friend, a relative you love or someone who could change your life for the better.

Might want to watch the snark to strangers, all right? I don't start problems w/people or get bitchy but I am blunt & if you're acting like an ass or a moron, I will speak up. If you act rude to me, you're going to hear about it. God help you if you message me on a social networking site & ignore what my profile says about contacting me, especially if you try hitting on me. Send a message, you open yourself up to my reactions.

The good news is I don't hide how I feel about someone; I'm not going to say anything about you that I wouldn't say to your face.