I appreciate Pat Hurley’s offer of peace and accept it gladly. Reading his heartfelt remarks and plea for compassion towards the fragile egos of some Useless Knowledge writers, one cannot help but be touched. I am happy that there are people like Pat in the world, and on Useless Knowledge. I am also amazed when I meet someone with his outlook on life, and know his or her life experiences have been much different than mine.

Yet, there is also a place for those with my outlook. Mine has not been a coddled life in an emotional sense. Yes, I benefited from an upper middle class upbringing for most of my childhood, but the first six years were wretched. I was abandoned by the one person by whom no one should ever expect to be abandoned. I have had my home pillaged of everything of value and burned, effectively, to the ground. Everything I owned fit in a plastic bag. After years of distrust, I finally committed to another – and was stabbed in the back at what should have been the height of my career, and robbed of all I had worked for to that point. I have been fired from four different jobs for performing too well. I have been fired from another to cover my manager’s mistakes. Recently I was fired because someone had to be and I seemed most capable of handling the adversity. I could continue for several more paragraphs listing the undeserved injustices that have been handed me.

Never in my entire life has emotional and financial security been firmly in grasp. It has, instead, been consistently wrested away again and again from me, despite my admirable work ethic, acknowledged talents, and respect for others. But, I believe it has made me stronger, a strength that I find fortunate on a weekly basis in a world that continues to be cruel and harsh. That I have overcome, that I continue to have to overcome in the latter half of my middle age, is sustaining for me. I truly know that I could be thrown out on the street tomorrow penniless and still survive.

Unfortunately, a result of my life is that I have little pity for the whining of others. And I’ve developed a keen sense for knowing when someone is trying to deceive or manipulate me. I’ve learned that if I do not attempt to stop their efforts, I will surely pay the price.

The truth is that I’ve seen the other side of Pat’s life. He worries about the frail, undisciplined, and talent-challenged, and has the patience to support their slow climb towards responsibility and respectability. I worry about the strong, disciplined, and talented who are abused and robbed by the greedy, corrupt, and deceitful in our society. Both perspectives are valid; both are of value to Useless Knowledge.

Pat wants to build people up. I want them to know the world is a mean place, so that they will protect themselves and prepare for cutthroat, and unfair, competition. We both love people, mine is simply "tough love." Thus:

1. Pat does not want critical articles in the main forum to mention another writer by name. I tell that writer that his/her name will be mentioned in the real world, so get used to it. Providing a place where one can hide from his/her mistakes does not make this a "legitimate writing site," it only gives illegitimate writers a false sense of confidence, and does not inspire them to improve.
2. Pat does not want any writer to suffer the slings and arrows of our Rebuttals section unless they’ve volunteered for that punishment. I believe they are better off learning the cold hard truth about their writing here, anonymously if need be, rather than in the real world where the consequences are much greater. Pat thinks a kinder, gentler approach will be more welcoming to the novice writers. I think the prospect of being associated with crap repels truly talented writers, and suggest that novice writers who are sincere and committed will work to overcome their errors. Either way, as long as criticism is kept in the Rebuttal section, those of fragile egos need only stay out to still secure the benefit Pat seeks for them.
3. Pat wants to eliminate "duplicate" threads. I have an open mind on the subject – there are instances where redundant threads are created for devious reasons, and at other times there is a logical rationale. My solution is for the Editor to exercise discretion and, at worse, simply merge the threads. Deleting posts should be seen as a very rare and discouraged action – except for those with vulgarity and over-the-top assaults.
4. Pat wants to limit Rebuttals to 500 words. I can’t think of any reason to do so – unless the site is running short of disk space. Readers can decide on their own when they’ve read enough; we don’t need someone else to protect our eyesight.
5. Pat wants to eliminate personal attacks and demeaning insults. I agree – to an extent and probably close to the same extent that Pat would accept. I would allow fairly harsh criticism of one’s words – the words can be accurately called "stupid" without saying the author is.

I would only also elaborate on another comment Pat makes – "I do not believe everything I write is accurate or factually true, but like any of us in here, I try my best." If that is a writer’s attitude, I have no problem – because, if that is their attitude, they should readily admit to their error when it is respectfully pointed out to them, and they will undoubtedly strive to correct such errors in the future. Just as he recommends censorship or restraints on those who are repeatedly vulgar, or repeatedly create redundant threads, I would want to rein in those who repeatedly lie, and refuse to retract their lies.

Otherwise, I think Ed Abraham summarized my feelings quite well in his article.

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About the author Tom Pain: Just an American boy with so much common sense, it hurts.

Email: thomas.pain@hughes.net

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