… has the Commentariat been a tad testy lately?
Maybe it’s just that we began the year with the hot-button subjects of religion and terrorism. But it seems as if people are more-than-usually ready to take offense, air grievances, pick at details, and generally carp about things.
Oh, it’s all civilized and a lot of interesting information has emerged, so I’m not complaining. Just … noticing. And asking.
I’ve been sitting on one more controversial topic (a book that’s likely to offend the other side of the room than the side that took umbrage over Vin’s new novel). I’d planned to review it a week ago, but given the current mood, I’m not ready to stir things up again. OTOH, I guess you could say at least it hasn’t been boring.
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And speaking of non-boring, you may (or decidedly may not) be gratified to know that your friendly corporate marketer, and no doubt a world full of governments wants to know how you feel about things.
Great. The phone-answering computer can assess my speech pitch and rhythm to determine how I feel, but it still can’t tell if I’m saying “Yes” or “No,’ even when I punch the damned buttons. (Yep. Testy.)
I suspect aan awful lot of these researchers are even less socially-capable than me, and this is their fantasy of a machine to handle that for them at a safe distance from those scary humans.
(Which somehow put me in mind of L. Neil Smith’s observation on manned vs. unmanned space programs: Would you prefer to send in a teleoperated robot to sub for you on your wedding night?
These guys would answer, “Yes!”)
Telephone sales and surveys would be the perfect job for introverts except for that whole having to talk to people part…
I hate all telemarketers impartially… hang up on most of them immediately, and always on the recordings. Not too fond of the idea of machines trying to read my emotions for any reason. I barely get along with most people. sigh
As for the comments here getting testy. Gads, just sounded like spirited discussion to me – aside from the occasional troll, of course. I belong to a number of fora, including TMM, where things really get fired up sometimes. Don’t really see that here, and don’t see it as a downside.
Bring on that review!!! 🙂
I think that anyone who writes for public consumption is going to generate controversy either way.
Best to adopt Heinlein’s approach to writing: Wash your hands afterward.
He also have other advices on writing, suggest you look them up.
Yup, hot topics.Appropriate responses.
I’ve also seen it on Facebook. I think anytime the news causes religion to become a topic, this happens.
A few days ago in a local restaurant, a waitress told me that another customer had mentioned that someone had been irritating him in some way or another, and so he remarked, “I’ll just shoot him.” I said I thought society was getting more stressed all the time; she said she hears those kinds of remarks fairly often now.
Then it would be no surprise if the commentariat were to be getting testy, too.
After all, we’re just part of the mob anyway, right? 🙂
In 1984, Orwell described how cameras on TV’s would monitor the reactions of viewers. I guess we’re getting awfully close to that.
I think that tomorrow I better wear my t-shirt that says;
Being a crabby bitch is part of my charm.
LOL, Karen. You may have the tee-shirt. And the charm. But you’re about the last person I can see as a crabby bitch.
Would love to witness that. Perhaps at a safe distance, though?
It seems that Orwell’s novel, 1984, was as much prophecy as a how to manual. May we refer to Mr. Orwell as the Prophet Orwell? Maybe Charlie Hebdo could charicature him as a pig walking on hind legs holding a whip?
Prophet Orwell – sums him up nicely.