Silverstein: Blogger Behaving Badly
February 01, 2006 | Aussie Dave | Comments 11
I know this topic is not popular with many of you, and has even bored the socks off some of you. If so, I suggest you don’t read past this point. Nothing to see here, move along.
I am asking myself the following question: How does one respond to a blogger who continues to lobby serious accusations of racism and impropriety against me, and the awards competition I am jointly running?
On one hand, I am very tempted to do what I have done in the past – link to the blogger’s accusations and respond accordingly. However, since it has become manifest that this blogger’s main objective is to gain traffic and attention, I do not want to play into his hands.
I am referring to blogger Richard Silverstein, who has repeatedly attacked me and the JIB Awards, without provocation. Not only that, but he has been fighting dirty. After making accusations, he has habitually deleted my comments on his blog – comments that rebut his assertions, correct his errors, and put him “on the spot.”
In short, Silverstein is using very dirty tactics in his quest to besmirch my name, the JIB Awards, and blogs participating in the JIBs which do not conform to his radical ideological beliefs. In employing these tactics, he has made it abundantly clear that he does not care about the consequences of his words.
Here are some examples of his dishonesty and dirty tactics:
Finally, I wonder what the Post makes of its partner and founder of the JIB Awards, Aussie Dave, when he calls critics like this one “d***head.‚Äù Well, actually he didn‚Äôt quite come out and say it but we’ll let him speak for himself below and you can be the judge. In a feeble attempt at mockery, he often calls me “Dick” or “Silverstein” to which I replied that those were not names of address I find acceptable. This was his ‚Äòcharming‚Äô response:‚ÄúDick and Silverstein are your names. I do not see the need to refer to you by your first name‚ĶSo deal with it. Just be thankful I don‚Äôt give you the middle name ‚Äúhead.‚Äù
Yep, be the judge. Problem is, he has omitted some pretty crucial sentences needed to judge my response fairly. Here is the full text including the parts Silverstein omitted:
Dick and Silverstein are your names. I do not see the need to refer to you by your first name, since you have done nothing but try to undermine me, my blog, and the awards I have painstakingly set up. Unprovoked, might I add. So deal with it. Just be thankful I don’t give you the middle name “head.”
Without these sentences, one might think I was being harsh. These sentences provide perspective on my comments, a perspective that Silverstein does not want anyone to have.
If you want to let him know that you disapprove of his nastiness, feel free to email him at richards1052@comcast.net. I just ask that you don’t visit his site and give him traffic, which I realize is what he wanted all along.
Filed Under: General
About the Author: An Australian immigrant to Israel, Aussie Dave has been blogging since early 2003.
Finally! You should be doing just that from the start.
I think you’ve made the point that he isn’t honest. Why bother responding to him.
You yourself recognize that he is boring. I think the best thing to do is to ignore what he posts on his own site. If he chooses to leave a comment on your site, then respond, otherwise, why should you go to his home and extend to him a courtesy he doesn’t extend to you?
There are some other interesting “errors” he quotes a line that LGF uses
“Flying Pig moment of the day” – as being demeaning to Muslim practice of not eating pork.
Actually, any American, and I assume, anyone from English speaking countries knows, that “When pigs fly” is a pretty old saying
Now, to imply that it is meant in a racist fashion is so ridiculous that I’m not sure if he is deliberately lying or simply bananas.
Either way, this is clearly not someone who can be taken seriously.
-ron
My two cents worth is to ignore Silverstein.
You are doing a great service to the Jewish/Israel bloggers by creating and hosting the JIB awards.
Keep focused on the positive and ignore the negative is my modus operandi.
If Silverstein wants to have his own blogger awards, then it is a free world and he can do what he wants.
Thanks for doing JIB. It is a way to introduce many people to these pro-Israel bloggers and a way to thank the bloggers for their tireless and unpaid efforts.
I haven’t even heard of Silverstein before this. On the other hand, I hear about JIB everywhere. I think he’s too insignificant for anyone to bother writing about it.
Meanwhile, JIB is a real accomplishment. Thanks, and don’t let people like S. get to you!
It sucks that you have to deal with someone like this. I have been in the same kind of situation, and what you’ve done above is exactly how I handled it. Good on you. ^_^
Is 1052 the year he was born?
Silverstein is an idiot.
However all you bloggers delete comments that piss you off. ALL of you. You’re all ego-driven-chickenshits. That goes for the ones I like as well. Hell, all of you are just waiting for the day you get big enough so you can turn off the comment function.
Jokers all.
Scott
Actually, I am pretty tolerant when it comes to comments on here. Unless the comment is anti-Semitic, or an insult, I leave it on. I think the fact that I left your comment on here is proof enough!
Heh, it would have been funnier if you deleted it tho!
-ron
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