A DYKE???

Mary: I'm not like spiky hair crazy girl.
Julia: You are now!
Mary: I look like a dyke from the back.
Julia: This is true. But a hot one.

US:

What does a "DYKE" look like MARY RAMBIN? PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOUR STEREOTYPE MEANS! TELL ME WHAT THAT FUCK A DYKE LOOKS LIKE YOU DISGUSTING HORRIBLE IGNORANT PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A WOMAN!
DYKE's LOOK LIKE YOU, LIKE JULIA, LIKE MEGHAN, LIKE EVERYONE. YOU PIG.
And Julia, you AGREED with her! So NonEducated, answer me THIS: WHAT THE FUCK DOES A "DYKE" LOOK LIKE?

Speaks for itself.

In response to recent articles on "Internet Haters"

I for one have offered up more constructive criticism than anything else if you actually bother to read the longer posts I take the time to sit and think through. But when I emailed Julia directly to ask specific questions about things that seemed unethical, as someone who has been a supporter of her if not of Mary, I got a weak flimsy “I wouldn’t worry about it.”. This is when asking her about illegal google keywords I discovered in her source coding. I asked about Blueprint, and for her to clear that mess up for me. She didn’t even reply to that at all, went on to tell me how sad and tired she is, and told me I could be doing so much with my time. You mean like piano bars and kisseyfaces? I follow these sites because I am at the computer for much of my day WORKING on my own projects. I admired Julia and had been following her since a little before the Jakob and Julia site, and up until this recent mess of things, a laundry list of just shady unscrupulous practices… I still liked her. If anyone considers me a “hater” it’s because they are not reading the actual content posts, or following my blog regularly to understand that there IS something behind what I am doing. Women who are dishonest, who hock dangerous products, who claim to be putting it all out there but can’t even answer direct questions from their readers when people start to smell a rat… all while claiming this is a community. They should be slammed, they should be talked about and they should NOT be supported by their community. They have no forum, they have no comments section, so our only option is to email them which takes away the community aspect they say they are reaching for. They are insulting all of our intelligence. All we are offered is the QoD which they don’t even write, hardly involve themselves with, and delete anything they do not like. The advice box was out of use for a month, and even that is not interactive. So when enough people have something to say, and no forum to say it, to be heard: they will create one. Is that being a hater? It all depends on where you stand.

I think I found the NonSociety business plan.

(image via)

"Update", I guess...

So Julia and Meghan get back and suddenly Miss Mary reappears as they all throw themselves back into their “work”.

meghanasha:

My big accomplishment for the day: sleeping eight hours on the plane ride back, after being sleep deprived for 36 straight hours.

I’m recreating a new definition of the external fetal position.

One word: SQUASHED!

US:

Sitting in the middle of a three seat row with an obese smelly guy on one side and a new mother with a screaming newborn baby on the other is squashed. Not two leather seats to yourself on a private plane.

FAIL

It’s not about what you have it’s about your perspective of what you have. You usually carry yourself with respect so I stay away from throwing snark your way, so don’t take this as snark. Take this as something to think about.

charlsie:

I couldn’t have been more pleased to leave New York City yesterday.

US:

TEAM CHARLSIE

£

How did we live a day without a kisseyface?

From the QOD, by a poster named "becky":

“I think most posters have a valid point but I think really it’s falling on deaf ears. You’d think after hosting such a site that has such a strong reaction from people willing to log on to see what it’s about that they would actually take some of the advice (albeit some very negative advice) and take a long look at themselves and say ‘oh yeah, you know it’s hurtful to hear this stuff but these posters may have a point, let’s look to see how we can improve the site and ourselves’. but these girls clearly have nothing of value, importance or even originality to offer. There are some blogs that post things similar to this and for some reason they don’t ignite the same type of feedback because you feel they’re being genuine, intelligent and sincere about it. I don’t mind fluff dont get me wrong, but there is something so fake, so ‘look as us tell YOU how it’s done’ that really comes off here from these three women. For example - it’s not that we’re all perfect at spelling - but to not know how to spell even basic words? To refer to places as ghetto? To tell people to go fuck themselves on your own site? This is how you want to come across to the world? I think if they took more time reading the comments instead of deleting them they might actually come across one that sticks and try to change their ways, but probably not. And also more importantly? Stop posing like that. Making kissing faces to people you’ve just met?You have no idea how stupid that looks - and I’m not being mean here but clearly someone needs to tell you. You meet someone at a tech convention and you take photos of you sticking your face at them? Really? Again, not being mean or negative but this is advice you’d get from any public relations firm - you might want to conduct yourselves differently if you dont want people laughing at you.”

You say you haven’t had internet. A work ethic means writing your coverage so it’s ready to post when you do have access. Instead, we get your pictures so it’s obvious what is more important to you. No statements on the hailstorm going on on your website. No in depth thought provoking recap of the speakers. Just pictures. Of you. With different backdrops. You can manage though to get to the bar. Where you “don’t drink”.

juliaallison:

This is actually the outfit I wore the last day of WEF. Yes. To the conference. I wanted to go tobogganing, and I only planned to go to the Conference Center to say hello to a few people and maybe watch one session, but that turned into (what felt like) 25 people and (what felt like) fourteen sessions, and all told, for about five hours I slugged around as the ONLY PERSON THERE in ski gear amongst Serious People in Business Suits. Sigh.

That said, I have never in my life been more comfortable. Ever.

So actually? I’m going to chalk that up as a WIN.

US:
Rather than take advantage of this sure-to-never-happen-again-after-the response-you’ve-received opportunity to learn and absorb as much as possible by actually attending the conferences, rather than give us any actual coverage on what you are seeing and doing and learning other than the quality of the food and accommodations… we get even more vanity shots that show us nothing but you dressed unprofessionally at one of the most well respected events in your field. Somewhere recently I read an article where you used the word “journalism” as a descriptor for NS. But Julia, all we are really getting from you is a narrated Flickr.

PS: Where’s Mary? Don’t you have an inkling as to what’s going on over here? Any networking you are doing over there is only going wind up embarrassing you, once they check out your actual website and see how things are going. Your priorities are out of whack.

FYI:

Yesterday’s QOD is STILL up and the comments section has, for once, not been censored. With Mary and the show’s producer still stateside, I have to wonder why this is. Do they really just not know how? Maybe they could ask the elusive “programmer” that Mary said would be commenting on their innocence in this whole Google mess.

Any why hasn’t Scary posted for the past 24 hours?

“Now, take the glitz back. I want the soul instead.”

Vanessa Carlton, “Nolita Fairytale” (via charlsie)

Charlsie, dear… I like you. Please don’t let this initial experience with New York define the city for you. Starting off somewhere new is always hard. I was born in New York and spent the majority of my growing up years there, and the city is infinite and romantic with so very much to offer. But starting off somewhere new anywhere is tough. Multiply that by the biggest number you can think of, and that’s the shock of moving from your every day family life and neighborhood to a metropolis. I promise you, that in time you would find your own path. You would make great friends and have unbelievable experiences. You just have to give it time and faith. One thing I have learned to be undeniably true in life is that wherever you go, there you are. If who you are inside is honest and beautiful at the core, at the soul you speak of here… You will see that emulated by everything around you if you just give it enough time to set. There are all kinds of people in this world. We have to be grateful for that, in a way. Life would be boring and we would learn nothing if everyone was simply “good”. Immerse yourself in the beauty of your journey and have faith in who you are.

I think you will do just fine.

NonSociety’s REAL stats:



(Thank you to the RBNS commenter who posted the link to this.)

“I have been visiting this site for a couple of months now. I used to think the nasty commenters had no point. Some don’t; it’s true. However, others do express some valid concerns.
Mine? I think the content has become more and more weak. There is nothing to see or read or think about here. Why can’t you three just answer the question everyone is asking?

“What is going on with NonSociety?”

If you admitted your mistakes, then you’d be percieved as human and honest. You cover them up by not mentioning things. Obviously, you have to see that people do not appreciate that — especially readers like me…those you want to stay.

Another one bites the dust.”

Caryn P., Brooklyn

From today’s QOD.

That’s all I’m posting, there’s just way too much and you get the idea.

“Pretending that my decision to have an abortion was a difficult choice filled with remorse, when really it was just a huge relief and I have absolutely no regret whatsoever. True story.”

This was from a commenter who called themselves “Women Everywhere”. Obviously referring to the Roe vs Wade comparison.

“Mary,
You guys are scared to end the free-for-all here by making commenters register ( and thereby really becoming part of a “community) the way Gawker does for three reasons:
1. you dont know how to. Even your “tech geek” can’t write a simple entry code predicated on an avatar and password.
2. You know it would reveal you have not hundreds of thousands of readers, but only, like many start-ups, dozens.
3. Even the readers who do support you would criticize the meager content. So shut down QOD and Ask Us.”

From today’s QOD.

“Keeping a smile plastered on my face while kissing up to people I despise so that I can enjoy the finer things in life. Growing older and more desperate while my biological clock ticks louder and louder with each passing minute.”

From a commenter who called themselves “Mary”

The “Question of the Day” section is really out of control today and I have to say… I have honestly and truly NEVER seen anything like this on any other site. Especially not with these things being DIRECTED TOWARDS the site itself. It kind of offers hope though, for the rest of us. This reaction everyone is having. It says, “We are TIRED of brain candy!”. It says we are in many ways rebelling against what they are dishing out because we have had ENOUGH. Bloggers are reclaiming their turf. GET OFF OUR LAND!

You want tips, Julia? If you get together with a couple of girlfriends and a great idea, and two of them aren’t really writers, don’t have much experience with blogging… why not just SAY so from day one? Why not say, “Hey, no we aren’t professional bloggers. No we don’t know entirely what we are doing or where we are going with this idea. We have only a vague idea of how to make money off of this. But it’s an idea we have and we want to really just be ourselves, and share that with you, and let this evolve and tell US where it wants to go!”. I think you would have been better received than by pulling 2 girls out of nowhere and touting them as “professional bloggers” and even moderate “experts” in their fields. REAL experts and bloggers will spot a fake from a mile away and well… look what happens. There is something to be said for just keeping it real, leveling with people, being candid. I think it’s appreciated. I think then you would have had the support of people when you make mistakes. But the constant victim stance you all take, mixed with the constant looking down the nose.. mixed with the rude way you reply to your readers feedback, rather than appreciating it and BEING ACTIVE IN A COMMUNITY YOU CREATED, rather than hiding behind “Question of the Day” features and “Advice Box” features that are shallow and flimsy and don’t make anyone feel connected with you at all. Especially when you are blatantly, immaturely, and unethically deleting comments that you don’t like. You’ve only made it worse for yourselves. Don’t we learn in Kindergarden to ignore someone when they tease you? Your deleting was not passive. It was aggressive. It separated you.

I have some more advice. Some more ideas. But you guys will just have to wait a few more days. I think I’ve left you with more than enough to ponder.

To follow… my favorites from todays QOD. Better hurry before they delete delete delete.