Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Ravelry Bubble is Bursting...oh and lots of Toast talk

I have been on Ravelry for some months now (ahem..a good few months), in fact I owe my blog, and all other Internet activity to Ravelry. Before that I was an Internet virgin. I just thought it was a vast telephone directory, and why would I be bothered with it. I had a great social life, I had a fantastic social life. But with meeting a man, settling down, too much age, beer and toast. My first blog was nearly going to be a toast blog, such is my devotion to the Irish Sliced Pan, Toast recipes for the poor, drunk or just cant get anything else together. I'm talking about it now because I have been off the bread bin for two days now and am feeling it. Stop, stop thinking of creamy butter and melted cheese over tomatoes with a sprinkle of basil....

...So, as I said with too much age and too little money I have slowly turned into a..a.. as my boyfriend snorts, my girlfriend the blogger! Something he never thought he'd see. (I know you secretly read my blog, so this rant is especially for you, because you read those ranty kind of blogs and also for the toast part as i know your missing it too!!)

So, since becoming a Blogger, Raveler, and general computer chair potato, I have been revelling in Ravelry, the be all and end all of Crochet and Knitting communities. I have found wonderful
people and patterns and ideas. Oh it has been a woolly nirvana, but today I sadly had my bubble slightly deflated. Like the beginning of a slow puncture, you cant quite see, but you know its there. I know its probably just a reaction to the withdrawal of white bread, don't laugh, white bread is an Irish institution, it forms the foundation of every meal. Toast for breakfast, roll for a snack, maybe soup with bread for lunch, a slice folded over with dinner, chip butties for a late night snack...back to the topic at hand...

It will probably seem so trivial to most people but I got a negative reaction to something I posted. My first one. I have seen them in other threads, and have just glazed over them, but today, it was to something I posted. I wasn't sure quite what the etiquette was on how to react. What is the etiquette, is there one, or do you all just rant off and rant back whenever you feel like it? My view was always if you saw someone expressing views you didn't like just ignore it, or neutralise it. The one thing I have strong opinions on is the right of every individual to Keep their opinions to themselves!! It wasn't like I was discussing some moral topic like war or religion, it was an article on a knitted bus in Mexico. What I was remarking on was that most of it was actually crocheted not on the rights and wrongs of graffiti, or the damage to public property by putting a knitted leg warmer on a pole, the mess and danger of fraying wool...

I dont know why it annoyed me so much but it did, so I thought I'd have a good old rant about it here in my blog where no-one can answer back negatively. Well you can, but if you do, I'll delete your comment. I haven't done much ranting on this blog, my apologies if you come here for the usual woolly banter. If you are new to me and this post annoys you, it isnt my usual line. You see, I cant even rant on my own blog without apologising, and trying to keep the peace...

Oh dont worry I did give a big old rant back at them. They wont cross my threads again!!
Here's the link to the article as I think its interesting, and I wish I was in Mexico on that damn bus with an extra large toasted sandwich...

4 comments:

Lauria said...

Ugh. I had a similar experience a few weeks back. Someone disagreed with me and I calmly explained my point of view and said that I could see why someone might disagree with me. Then someone else posted a comment that was inflammitory and all I wanted to do was post back and say "I'M NOT A MEAN BAD PERSON. HERE IS WHY." But I had seen how this person dealt with others in the past. She will not listen to reason and acts rather childish. So I said nothing. I couldn't see the point in arguing back as I wanted it to just die down and go away. So I've actually been quite upset about it for some time. And what makes me sad is that I'd really like to be active in that group and I really want to be a part of the company/community that is the reason the group exists, but I'm afraid everyone hates me now and thinks I'm a wiener. It's terrible.

So I know how you feel. It didn't turn me off to Ravlery, just that group, which makes me sad.

And now I REALLY want some food. And some kind of bread related thing sounds delish. THANKS. I SHOULD be getting to bed. But now I have to see if I should make some toast and jam...

Heather Wardell said...

Some people just have to disagree for the sake of disagreeing. Good job, Lauria, for seeing that you couldn't win with those posters. I'm sure nobody else in the group thought anything bad of you - if anything they were probably impressed that you let it die down.

It's hard, though... I tend to want to win in those cases, and I guess everyone does. You have your opinion, for all sorts of valid reasons, and why can't they just see it?

That's when I log off for a while. :)

jafabrit said...

I find it quite strange how het up, angry/disagreeable people get about what one does with their knitting or crochet as if there was some universal law that it is only allowed to make utilitarian items. I got quite a few vehement/nasty comments for doing the Knit Knot Tree. I respect others right to their personal tastes in art, craft, food or whatever and why they don't like something. What I found astonishing was the level of anger and nastiness because they didn't approve of how I chose to use yarn. I love that bus, it is joyful, and it allows people to see yarn in a different way. It makes me want to try and crochet again.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi :)

Anonymous said...

nice rant, but you can leave me out of it in the future pet

Stitchlily's Man