Beric'ht is hiring! 4 (!) positions open! Whoa!

[E.S. Bornatfiglheu]

Journalists can definitely take it on the chin from time to time.  Many of them would say that it is part of the job.  The problem is that Sir Alex and Dame Miestra are not two of S:reu Alex's aforementioned students.  They are both public figures, and unfortunately that comes with a certain amount of surrendering one's privacy, be it right or wrong.

Alex, you have taken a stand on your editorial policies.  You have argued them, citing the Supreme Court of the United States, and are standing by your principles.  I say to you, bravo in this.  However, speech does have consequences, as we are all quickly learning.  If you really, honestly, and truly, believe you are in the right in retaining this editorial policy, then you suffer for the good of Talossa.  You are shelterIing artists so they can speak their mind without suffering as you have/are.

However, I still think that the Berich't practices at the center of this are deeply flawed.  The opinion that you cite references direct political speech (the financing of a leaflet campaign) as that which is to be protected.  The case does not concern journalism.  It really isn't even about ethics, but instead is a question of the law.  The work of the Federalists Madison, Hamilton, and Jay were also an overt political project, not a journalistic one.  If this is the foundation upon which you are building a journalistic enterprise, you are building on sand because this readily opens your paper to charges of bias and of simply being a "partisan rag."  This is fine, if this is what you want.

You countered my EC/ESM/ESB analogy by pointing out that nobody truly believes that this is a separate person and therefor isn't interacting with them on that level in good faith.  This is correct.  Absolutely correct.  However, it ignored the real point of what I was getting at.  Berich't's policy of accepting anonymous contributions allows those contributors a large public platform where their speech has no consequences for them, just as my sock puppets did for me.  They allowed me to run riot and, until I was caught, avoid any real consequences for those actions.  A pen name is not a sock puppet by any means, as S:reu Mildew reminds us.  But some of the effects are the same.

Thus we come to the loggerheads of the situation.  Dame Miestra, a public figure, is protesting your editorial policy.  You, another public figure, are facing the brunt of her displeasure.  The rough music is all the louder at the moment because Talossa is governed more by small group dynamics than a large-scale, Western style, civil society.  Hunter Thompson rejected the idea of objectivity in journalism, as did Henry Mencken and I.F. Stone.  But they could (and did) disappear from society.  So I guess this is a moment to ask yourself, is it worth it?

[Sir C. M. Siervicül]

Feb 28, 2015 22:28:04 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

Oh, and there's a fourth option, attempt to make "flying picketing on Wittenberg" illegal, but good luck getting that past the Covenant of Rights and Freedoms.

Oh, certainly, it's organically protected activity and could never be banned. It's just jerkish. You know, there are others who perceive you in a strikingly similar way to how you perceive him. One person's "lies and abuse" are another person's "truth to power." In fact, ESM probably thinks he's doing to you what you're doing to Alexandreu for what ESM is doing to you for what you did to others once upon a time for what others did to you once upon a time further back.

So by all means, let's all "flying picket" the heck out of each other until Witt resembles the futuristic landscape from the Terminator series, and no otherwise-prospective-immigrant will want to touch Talossa with a ten foot pole.

Feb 28, 2015 22:28:04 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

Do you have ANY concept of the context in which that comment was made, or what it actually means?

Heh, yeah. I was an avid reader of Støt and SoCro (and whatever else was available) at the time. The details are a little fuzzy by now, but I seem to remember Ben was feeling buyer's remorse about agreeing to the idea of citizenship assignment to Péngöpäts, and arguing that it was "fake". If I recall correctly, you were basically pointing out that he was only considering the perspective of Talossans who live in or near the GTA, but that for people like you and Adiens Glaça assignment to Péngöpäts made at least as much sense in practical terms as assignment to a province physically based in North America or Europe.

[Sir Alexandreu Davinescu]

Like a dozen people have PMed me or said here or elsewhere that they hate the bickering and nastiness, and just want it to stop. If you feel that way, PLEASE ASK HER TO STOP, since I'm certainly not following her around and being nasty. She's bullying me. Check yourself, for heaven's sake.... just click on our profiles and click "view post history." While I have said some clipped, rude, etc. things, it pales in comparison with her determination to just chase me down and be as mean as possible in order to punish me for my editorial position.

People complain about how there's too much politics and too much fighting on Witt, and it's because this is allowed and so many people are "hesitant to speak up" just because the Distain has power (both personal and political).

ESB, editors of papers and political figures typically get some compensation, but in Talossa I am a volunteer with the paper. If being willing to volunteer to work on a newspaper means that someone has license to harass you constantly to try to bully you into changing your paper's policy, then either Wittenberg is going to be nasty and unreadable everywhere, or Dama Miestra gets her way all the time (since most people aren't willing to be this single-mindedly vicious, or don't have her power), or people will stop volunteering.

Feb 28, 2015 16:37:53 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

I can't give in to bullying!

So it is an ego thing? A "I can't afford to lose face" thing? I was bullied by the Lord God King Champion of bullying, R. Ben Madison, for 9 years and I outlasted him because Talossa was worth fighting for. I outlasted five years of defamation of character - actually, which was really directed at our current SoS - in the form of BETRAYED STOLEN KEPT. Hell, some say that I "gave in to bullying" by seeking Reunision and swearing an oath to the Woolley monarchy.

The fact that I had an opinion that was different than yours is NOT bullying. Bullying is you following me around and trying to make me miserable to punish me, and you being as vicious as possible at every turn in order to try to force me to change my mind. I have looked back at the old Witt postings, before they were taken down, and let me tell you: congratulations, you're the new Lord God King Champion of Bullying.

And I know this will be the cue for you to paraphrase about how mean he was, but how can you possibly go through that and think it's okay to do to someone else?!

[Dr. Txec dal Nordselvă]

AD has a good point Dame Miestra. I'm not condoning his editorial stance but it is starting to look like you are doing to AD what you accuse him of doing to you. One of you (AD or DM) could take the high road and move on, or both of you could. Let's try to discuss what's important to the majority of Talossans, not the Hatfield-McCoy feud.

[Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN]

No, I'm not bullying. AD is just making it up. He's not personally hurt at all - he's just pretending to be a victim to gain sympathy. I am engaging in political free speech. Sir Alex is arguing that he can do what he wants as BT editor and shouldn't have to face consequences for it, no matter how much it hurts others.

Mad Ben personally abused me. He abused my religion, he abused my gender and sexuality, he abused my nationality, he accused me of being a habitual user of illegal drugs which I never was. He slandered me under my "street name" all over the Internets. Point out where I have said anything personal about Sir Alex.

And if the anonymous cowards who hid behind the pen-name "Mildew" want to "stop volunteering", that's all to the good, I say. And if Sir Alex is one of those anonymous cowards, that's all to the good for trying to have the privileges of free speech without the responsibility.

If BT's editorial policy changes, the "bickering and nastiness" stops. Why is BT's editorial policy more sacrosanct than me being able to give back what I get?

[Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN]

Mar 1, 2015 8:27:27 GMT -6 Sir C. M. Siervicül said:

Feb 28, 2015 22:28:04 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

Do you have ANY concept of the context in which that comment was made, or what it actually means?

Heh, yeah. I was an avid reader of Støt and SoCro (and whatever else was available) at the time. The details are a little fuzzy by now, but I seem to remember Ben was feeling buyer's remorse about agreeing to the idea of citizenship assignment to Péngöpäts, and arguing that it was "fake". If I recall correctly, you were basically pointing out that he was only considering the perspective of Talossans who live in or near the GTA, but that for people like you and Adiens Glaça assignment to Péngöpäts made at least as much sense in practical terms as assignment to a province physically based in North America or Europe.

Well, yeah. Then you understand why that quote isn't odious or harmful to me at all. I wouldn't say it now but I defend the concept behind it.

And I have to ask you one more time. Why does BT get to slander me issue after issue (via cartoons), but me saying "Change your editorial policy" is terrible horrible nasty bullying which is ruining Sir Alex's life? AD says that I "hate him" which is a plain lie. I believe that he has acted like an asshole towards me and mine in Talossa for going on 9 years now, and he's throwing a tantrum now because he can no longer behave with impunity, but that's not the same thing.

[Sir Alexandreu Davinescu]

Mar 1, 2015 10:20:04 GMT -6 Dr. Txec dal Nordselvă said:

AD has a good point Dame Miestra. I'm not condoning his editorial stance but it is starting to look like you are doing to AD what you accuse him of doing to you. One of you (AD or DM) could take the high road and move on, or both of you could. Let's try to discuss what's important to the majority of Talossans, not the Hatfield-McCoy feud.

I would love to take the high road. I have already been trying to do that, by avoiding engaging with Dama Miestra wherever I can. When I do speak to her on matters of policy or the like, I try to be courteous and not to say anything nasty or personal.

This is not an equivalence here... I'm not following her around and bullying her.

[Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN]

Of course, Sir Alex's refusal to engage with constructive criticism - just declaring it "bullying" and crying for sympathy - is part of the problem.

Defend BT's editorial policy. Explain why you feel compelled to give a platform to any nasty stuff which the cat drags in to your editorial in-box.

[Sir Alexandreu Davinescu]

I have defended it many times, exhaustively, and if I engage with you then it just becomes another excuse for you to be cruel and nasty to me! As I just said, I am trying to avoid engaging with you. I am tired - I think we're all tired - of long-running, wrangling, vicious discussions. You just want to drag me into another one to punish me. You're not interested in dialogue, you just want to sling some more mud. Even if we did start off with a civil conversation, you'd lose your temper and say something you regret and then blame it on me.

You're uncomfortable because now people are starting to pause and say, "Huh, maybe he's right, maybe she should stop this bullying." Stop trying to change the subject - I want you to stop bullying me!

I have often and repeatedly, and very recently, discussed the merits of the policy. I recognize the shortcomings. But I think it is impossible for any paper to survive if it only publishes opinions that I deem acceptable. It needs to be an open forum, within the bounds of refusing any slanderous, sexist, racist, etc. material. There's a reason why every other regular publication has failed, without exception. In fact, I'm not sure any of them have lasted more than six months of regular publication. Beric'ht Talossan has run for a year, and never missed a deadline, and has continued to keep growing. This is not because I am some sort of journalistic genius, but although I owe virtually all success to the amazing team behind the paper, I think I am probably the best qualified to say why I think we have been successful. It's because we seek everyone's input and contributions, without discrimination on the basis of experience or politics. And by having a policy that I will not turn away anyone's opinions unless they are overtly slanderous or bigoted, it's the only way I have found to effectively regulate my own editorial role as well as to make it clear that everyone is welcome. The rule is that "All opinions are welcome, just turn your work in on time." If the rule was "All opinions that the editor thinks are okay are welcome," then it wouldn't work. I am a party leader with strong opinions, and this rule is as much for me as it is for everyone.

But this is not the point, since your viciousness here and everywhere is not an attempt to reason with me. Other people have done that, even recently, and made me reconsider the wisdom of my position (even if I ultimately decided to stay the course). You're just trying to make me miserable to punish me.

I'm not asking for a lot, I just want you to stop being so vicious all the time, following me around to try to harass me and bully me into changing my mind.

Say whatever you want to say! If you want to be nasty in this scorched-earth campaign, fine, but at least don't follow me around and spread it in every thread. Even beyond what you have said at times, which is way beyond anything I've said and way beyond the pale, your insistence on following on my heels to try to slather mud everywhere as a malicious punishment is insane.

Just stop bullying me!

[Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN]

I´M NOT BULLYING YOU. I´m not being vicious. Your post above is a tissue of transparent fabrications set up to gain sympathy. It is deeply dishonest.

===

To the watching audience:

The biggest problem that we Republican leaders had negotiating with Kingdom leaders before Reunision was a feeling of "unreality" - the feeling that, far from being honest negotiators, the Kingdom leaders (who were RUMP or RUMP-aligned) were "playing characters", that they could not respond sincerely to proposals or shift their positions to come to an agreement because they were constrained by the bounds of those "characters". They would say "we cannot possibly formally recognize the right of the Republic to exist", and things like that. We knew they could - it would be extremely easy to - but they just didn't want to, because they were role-playing the character of "Talossan monarchists", and could not do things outside of that narrow script any more than, I dunno, Sarah Palin could turn around and say "you know, Barack Obama is a decent human being who genuinely wants what's right for America, even if we disagree".

This is still the feeling I get from debating with AD. He simply refuses to directly respond to communications. He does what Scientologists call "Q&A" - he changes the subject to distract his interlocutors. He simply refuses to accept that changing BT's editorial policy to, for example, simply not print inflammatory/defamatory material, is an option. And this new plea for sympathy against personal, vicious bullying - which never happens, he just makes it up, he degrades the experience of those who really have been bullied, like myself - is just another "twist" in the character of Sir Alexandreu Davinescù. It is deeply manipulative and clearly a planned strategy to "win" in Talossa. He seems to have no interest in coming to a mutually respectful agreement with me. And it's just as bad in PM, so don't suggest taking it there.

I get the feeling that I would like Alexander "Deebus" (as he calls himself on FB) quite well, if I ever met him as a person. Instead, I have only ever met this pompous, deeply dishonest, two-dimensional character he plays in Talossa. For me, Talossa was never role play. Miestrâ Schivâ is not a creature distinct from Daphne L. in any way. I always speak honestly, occasionally to my detriment. This is me. And I have a serious character flaw in that I become enraged by people who lie. I'm in therapy to deal with it, because almost everyone lies and it means I spent a lot of time enraged.

[Sir Alexandreu Davinescu]

Mar 1, 2015 15:47:09 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

I´M NOT BULLYING YOU. I´m not being vicious. Your post above is a tissue of transparent fabrications set up to gain sympathy. It is deeply dishonest.

From the past four months or so, here is an incomplete selection. It might not seem like some of them are not all that cruel, and some aren't personal, but this is what I have to expect from her all the time, and for years.

Feb 27, 2015 15:12:28 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

Spittle-Flecked Foamer - Have you been a Talossan citizen for less than ten minutes but have already decided you "hate" a certain political party and that Talossa would be better if they were eliminated? Berich't has a job for you! Whether it's personal insults, religious bigotry, accusations of terrorism or just plain slanting the news to make those bastards look bad! Defend the Monarchy (by dumping on anyone who criticises the King or his buddies)! Impress your new friends! Get to bully someone yourself to make up for all those wedgies you get in study hall! Successful applicants will probably get a Peerage of the Realm or something.

Satire is protected speech under the Covenant of Rights and Freedoms.

Feb 2, 2015 14:01:19 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

Jan 27, 2015 18:48:26 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

The "terrorist" jibe in this issue, added to the "Muslim" jibe from last week, really seems to add up to a theme, and that theme is "subtly but clearly throw the worst personal abuse we can at Miestrâ".

It's increasingly plain that Sir Alex is Mildew himself. I was loath to come to that conclusion because it seemed paranoid. But here are two additional bits of information: a) the way he stormed out of his guest speech to the ZRT convention when I made a "mildew" joke; b) Alex himself can't tell the difference between a Sufi and an orthodox Muslim, as he revealed in a Witt thread a while ago. Thus, all Sir Alex's fine statements above are just window-dressing. The purpose of the anonymity of ESM is, and let's emphasise this:

so Sir Alexandreu Davinescu can throw the nastiest personal (not political) abuse he can at Miestrâ Schivâ, and yet keep his squeaky-clean polite public image.


Anonymity is in a noble cause when one is afraid of persecution for free speech. It is just shitty bullying when it's a front for one man to carry out a personal crusade while pleading innocence. If I'm wrong, and AD is not ESM, that just means there are two Talossans who personally despise me and are too, and I will use the vernacular here, chickenshit to say it to my (virtual) face.

I'd like to add that I would agree that those cartoons aren't libelous. They would have to damage my reputation in a lying way to do that, which would mean someone apart from AD and his hard-core RUMP buddies would have to take what they say seriously, which I could not find evidence for which would convince a judge.

Jan 15, 2015 16:56:38 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

"Applications from knee-jerk conservatives, particularly those with issues with Muslims and women, are positively encouraged."

Jan 15, 2015 19:35:16 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

To be frank, my only real problem is the putrid bile that you publish and call "cartoons". Most of your content is safely anodyne.

But it's not a coincidence that said bile has driven away two pro-Government figures.

Jan 15, 2015 18:00:02 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

Spoken as the actual political diversity of BT collapses and it becomes increasingly a RUMP-conservative fan club...

Jan 12, 2015 1:47:14 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

Of course I'd pay the cost of postage, although who will pay the cost of my airfare to stuff said physical copy down the cartoonist's throats?

Jan 12, 2015 1:45:17 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

Françal, I don't know how much Talossan history you've read, but Beric'ht is not the first Talossan newspaper aligned with the monarchy to lead a campaign of personal abuse against me. People like Trotxâ and others aligned with the RUMP have made a habit of targeting me personally, although - as I say - they usually misgender me rather than lump me in with terrorist murderers, so this is a change.

The real crusted-on conservative monarchists - thankfully a minority within the RUMP itself - quite literally despise me and want me gone. I don't let things like that slide.

Jan 11, 2015 13:25:15 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

Let me guess. ESM thinks that the fact that I think he's a talentless partisan hack is just the same as if I walked into his office and shot him in the face.

Jan 4, 2015 3:10:57 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

I didn't see the latest Personal Spite And Reactionary Bile In Pictorial Form, aka the cartoons, but maybe they finally went over the edge??? Photoshopped my face onto the body of the star of a German Scheiße film or similar?

Jan 7, 2015 16:26:14 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

What the ZRT actually thinks that Berich't Cartoonists do:

Dec 17, 2014 12:42:50 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

Oh no, another Government appointee goes awol. Looking forward to Sir Alex jumping up and down and being condescending towards us again.

Nov 24, 2014 16:46:31 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

I'm going to steal Ceváglh Scurzniôl's shtick for a moment.

CARTOON: Sir Alex as Admiral Nelson, facing a huge battleship called "DIFFICULTIES IN THE SCRIBERY", holds up a telescope to his blind eye.

[Sir Alexandreu Davinescu]

If you're not actually bullying me, great. I think it's really obvious that you are, and you yourself said that

Feb 28, 2015 12:22:12 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

I follow you around because you refuse to deal with the issues. You refuse to accept editorial responsibility for the bile that goes out in your paper. I do not believe for a second that you really think you have no right not to publish an ESM cartoon if it contains personal abuse or religious bigotry. I think you just like being able to publish abuse of me and wash your hands of responsibility. Deal with the issues and this all ends.

and that you would stop only

Feb 28, 2015 12:22:12 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

To "make it stop", Sir Alexandreu, if you refer to the attacks on BT, I only require the following: apologise for publishing the nastier ESM cartoons with personalised abuse of myself including religious bigotry, and undertake that no further such cartoons will be published. I'm not requiring you fire ESM, their last cartoon was even-handed satire which proves it is possible.

Just stop bullying me! Stop following me around and being vicious in order to try to force me to change an editorial policy! Stop harassing me to try to punish me with "rough music!" Stop making demands about under what conditions you'll stop bullying me!

Even when you demand an explanation of the policy, and I give one, like I did just now you just ignore it and start making things up about how I was some evil bogeyman! It's just insane! What could my endgame possibly be here if this was some masterminded conspiracy to "get" you?! Is it so unreasonable to ask you to stop following me around and harassing me?!

What the hell would "winning" in Talossa look like?! I want to have fun in Talossa and publish a paper that's open to all ideas and all political persuasions, not just the ones I think are correct. I want to write bills and discuss politics and campaign for votes. I want to have fun with my friends and talk about interesting things and stupid things. I want to learn our language. Why are you trying to purposefully make me miserable?!

Just stop bullying me! Whatever imaginary grudges or conspiracy you built up in the past... just stop bullying me!

[Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN]

That stuff you reprinted, Alex, isn't bullying, it's satire. And occasionally quite amusing, if I do say so myself, and I just did. And it's only vicious in the sense of "viciously funny". I'm particularly proud of the image-posts and the term "spittle-flecked foamer".

But since you are plain asking me, here's what I sincerely believe: your endgame is to discredit me personally - to make my name stink in the nostrils of Talossans as a bad, bullying lady - while continuing BT's campaign of smearing and abusing political parties you disagree with, with plausible deniability through "anonymous" cartoons. (At least KR1 signed his name to his own slander.)

You want to have fun in Talossa, as you did from 2006-2012, by using your closeness to the monarchy to big-belly around and be top dog. Your having fun in Talossa, for your nine terms as part of a governing majority, made the Kingdom of Talossa a stultifyingly boring and cold place for people who weren't in your "Good Buddies of the King Club". (The King that you guys put in that job, of course.) That's the essence of RUMP, I think, and the essence of monarchy - fun and games for us, crumbs for the peasants. And that is why I am a republican.

Since you're now out of power - due to the superior political skills of the centre-left parties - you want to hit your enemies and exercise influence via your paper.

And that's okay. And I have the right to fight back. Just like Viteu M. fought back after you used your power over the Wiki to cause him personal shame and embarrassment. That was another case when you could have done something very simple to stop upsetting another Talossan. And you refused to because... that's your character? You never back down, never admit error?

I tell you what, though: if you really will print anything, would you print an extended interview with me, carried out by a non-Free Democrat, non-RUMP journalist?

[Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN]

[Sir Alexandreu Davinescu]

Mar 1, 2015 16:44:11 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

That stuff you reprinted, Alex, isn't bullying, it's satire. And occasionally quite amusing, if I do say so myself, and I just did. And it's only vicious in the sense of "viciously funny". I'm particularly proud of the image-posts and the term "spittle-flecked foamer".

I'm sure it's very funny to you. I'm sure you look back on all of the nasty things you've said, over those few months and over years. Following me around and harassing me at every turn, with vicious lies and comparisons to bloodthirsty dictators and with insane theories about how I'm secretly behind all your problems.

But it's not funny to me! It's something I have to endure every time I go on Wittenberg, and it's even worse now, knowing that there's no chance you'll ever admit you're wrong or stop! I just have to keep coming onto Witt forever, and get nastiness heaped on me whenever you have a spare moment.

Or I guess I could give in to your demands just so you'll stop bullying me, but then hey golly it works, so I bet it'll be a week before there's something else you're demanding. It's fun for you, so why not, huh?!

And even worse, there's people who are writing me that they think you went beyond bounds and should stop, but while they're also sending you messages urging you to let it go, you probably think it's a conspiracy that I am in charge of, so you won't listen to them! And they can't say anything or else they'll be marked as one of the Enemy and you'll have fun with them, too!

It's not funny to me! Stop bullying me!

Mar 1, 2015 16:44:11 GMT -6 Miestrâ Schivâ, UrN said:

I tell you what, though: if you really will print anything, would you print an extended interview with me, carried out by a non-Free Democrat, non-RUMP journalist?

I will bring on anyone of any political persuasion as a regular contributor, and because contributors have a choice about what they want to report on, I would do that. Obviously I have no objection to that, since I wrote a lengthy positive profile of you myself!