I am sure a lot of you have heard, by now, the sad (and, to me, infuriating) tale of Austin – the 13 year old boy who had the TEMERITY to “steal” an Instalanche from Blogs for Bush. First of all, don’t say “Instalanche”. It’s stupid. Austin took an animated image from that site, put it on his own, and Mr. Insta-Man linked to AUSTIN, not Blogs for Bush guys. So then, this poor kid was roundly reprimanded by some random blogger named Jordan. I know, I know, this Jordan person had the tsunami videos … he’s not some random blogger … but none of that matters to me. He’s a jackass.
Poor Austin. His mom made him take his blog down because of all of this.
Everyone and their mother is linking to it right now, but it illustrates one of my own pet peeves about some bloggers, and I say this realizing completely that I am a part of this community, I’m a blogger, blah blah blah.
But Jesus. Some people take themselves just a leeeeeetle bit too seriously, don’t you think, mmmmm?
First of all: how can one steal an “Instalanche”? Steal? When … basically we’re all stealing from one another anyway? Linking to each other, pulling quotes from newspapers, pulling photos, photo-shopping them … and … Instalanche? I know it’s real. I’ve had an Instalanche myself. Sure, it’s nice. It’s nice to have him link to you. But it’s not REALLY real. If you say to your great-aunt, “Hey, I got an Instalanche today!” she will not know what the hell you are talking about. Neither will 98% of the population.
GET OVER YOURSELVES.
Who is this Jordan? Sorry. I don’t give a crap, and I’m sure he’s feeling really badly right now, but I think he has behaved appallingly, and I think people who take this blogging thing (and Instalanches, and all of it) sooooooo seriously need to take a Xanax. Take two. Get drunk. Get laid. Don’t write to a 13 year old boy calling him a “little bastard”. Jordan, you were “hot under the collar”? Uhm – yeah. I’ll say.
Grow up.
I guess I shouldn’t be shocked at how stupid and petty and awful people can be – but I guess I still am. It still takes me aback.
I’m with Michele on her assessment on the situation. Yup. That pretty much says it all.
yeah, michele’s right.
geesh, what a pair of putzs
Suppose Jordan is rude to wait staff too? ;-)
Yeah, but it was worth it, if only to see Jeff Goldstein make “Free Austin” t-shirts. I want one.
I know. I saw those and laughed OUT. LOUD.
Agree with your agreement with Michele’s assessement, Sheila. Stealing an Instalanche? Nothing to do with alleged copyright at all then. If he thought his mate didn’t get the credit (from another blog) he deserved then he could have contacted Glenn.. but that obviously wasn’t the easiest target.
I could understand if the Blogs for Bush guy got a little peeved, but for some random bystander to throw a complete hissy fit over it is asinine.
I think the Blogs for Bush guy is an asswipe, too. I mean … it’s a kid! So what??
I’ve had people (you know who I’m talking about, Bill) take a post of mine, and cut and paste it onto their blog … and then take the credit. It was a matter of research, too – the post involved some research I had been doing – a quote I had located, a cool quote, so I put it up … and then this other blogger leapt on it, like: “Yeah, yeah, this is mine, I know about this, this is mine.” I didn’t get a word of credit for it. I don’t know. I try not to take this blogging thing so seroiusly. Besides, that original post of mine eventually was picked up by Mark Steyn – yes, the Mark Steyn – and I got a shitload of traffic, and full credit, and so the last laugh was mine.
Chill, Margolis, chill.
Also: THE KID IS 13.
Yeah, the BfB guy seems to be attempting to minimize the role he played in the whole thing.. I don’t believe his story at all.
Nope, me either.
How much do I want to cut and paste something off Blogs for Bush now, pass it off as my own, and get bitch-slapped by some idiotic bystander who desperately needs to get a life?
Sheila – what’s that about you being ripped off? Dude!
It wasn’t really a ripping-off situation. It’s not like the blogger tried to pass off “Don’t even try, CHiPs” as his own life-story. heh heh
But you know. I should have gotten at least a “hat tip: Sheila” mention. You know? It’s just good blogging manners.
However, I want to say that I really really try not to take all of that too seriously. I think one of the reasons why this “oooh, I’m a serious blogger, look at all my Instalanches” attitude goes so up my ass is that I feel like I could very easily BECOME that. It’s like looking in a dark mirror – and so I find it very very ikky.
I cannot imagine emailing that blogger and saying: “Hey, jackass, how ’bout a mention???”
I mean, that would be just SILLY.
Wow. It’s amazing the little things I like to seethe over. That got me going.
Bloggers (and blogging in general) has come to bug me a little lately. I dunno. You may have hit the nail on the head, Red, for what was bothering me. Maybe this illustrates it perfectly.
We’ve got too many bloggers who are trying make up for lack of attention, either from parents or friends or co-workers by screaming “Dig Me!” at the top of their lungs using what a buddy of mine called “online nerd diaries.”
“I liked your online nerd diary,” he told me when he found out about my blog. And he made a point to use the phrase “online nerd diary” any chance he got. But I digress…
Perspective would be good for all those folks. Somewhere between “online nerd diary” and obsessing about people knowing your work and how many hits you’re getting, to the point of calling a kid a bastard, there iswhere writing a blog is just something you do to amuse yourself and (if you’re lucky and good, a few others).
The Insta-post concerned.. you may have to scroll down to notice it.. and there’s an update added to point to the BfB guy, but Insta-man didn’t remove the original link.. hence the hissy-fit directed at a 13 year old. Tossers.
peteb:
Yeah, I saw that. I could just imagine this Jordan dude firing off an email to Glenn in a frenzy.
Tossers. A perfect term. :)
There is a middle ground, is what I was trying and failing to say in that last paragraph…
Online nerd diary! I like that. I myself enjoy keeping an OND. The second I start firing off enraged letters to Glenn because some KID didn’t attribute some OTHER blogger correctly … is the day I need to retire.
Having read more about the affair, I can’t understand the rage directed at a 13 year old. Fine, the kid made a blogging faux pas. To direct all that hatred at him is downright evil.
It made me laugh, too. But it’s also made me think anytime I want to spout off and argue with something on an online nerd diary.
I hope Austin gets his blog back. His parents sound like really nice people.
tommy:
hahahahaha Yes. It gives a nice perspective, don’t it …
Here’s another scary thing from Jordan’s “apology”:
I had been in contact with Austin before over other things including the Tsunami videos.
Poor Austin, again. Having to deal with this freak emailing him about copyright issues. LEAVE THE KID ALONE.
FREE AUSTIN
1) He really is an asshole.. ? WHAT??
2) The ‘Update’
a. It’s a shitty apology
b. He had to be reminded to send the apology to the people involved.
But then that’s NOT who he was apologising to..
Oops. That should have read
“For immediate release”? WHAT??
Preview, pete, Preview.
peteb: I have to admit I was puzzling a bit over your comment, as written. I was REALLY trying to make sense of it. heh heh
Thanks for your update. :)
I’m painting ‘preview’ across my monitor to try to prevent any future potential misunderstandings, Sheila.
I’m sure you ALREADY know what I have to say to all the people so worked up about this, but I’ll say it anyway…
Settle down, Francis. :-)
Maybe Pete should just have a flashing sign that comes up when he hits “post” that reads “PLEASE DO NOT PRESS THIS BUTTON AGAIN.”
HAHAHAHAHA
But it’s such an invitingly large button, Emily.
linkage [updated obsessively]
A few links I’ve been meaning to get to, which I don’t want to get lost in my disaster movie blogging craze, which is bound to last another day or two before I realize no one is quite as interested…
Tommy – You need to go and check out Michele’s latest post. You know. On her OND.
I think you and your buddy might have started a trend.
That’s hilarious.
So – ya think Jordan describes himself in personal ads as laidback and easy going?
My Son Will Take Down the Picture and Link After He Gets Home From School
A 13-year-old blogger who committed a minor blogging faux pas by stealing a photo from another blog got an Instalanche- and was called a little bastard by a blogging copyright attorney who had a problem with it. Something is very…
“Austin now understands the great gravity in being human, thirteen and upsetting his mother” – I love her!
what’s an Instalanche?
Beth:
It’s what happens to your traffic when Instapundit links to you. There are some bloggers out there who LIVE to get linked by him. It’s a bit pathetic. He’s linked to me before. And the traffic is indeed startling.
So a link from him is the holy grail to some people. It’s kind of silly.
betsy:
I know. I love her too!
Can’t wait to see you next week. It’s been too long.
OND, man!
Via Michele I was pointed to Sheila, where I discovered that I’m not blogging here- this is an Online Nerd…
“what’s an Instalanche?”
It’s a word I made up and never thought would catch on. Or in this case, hoped it wouldn’t.