Oy
So, write after posting about why I’m not happy about Z, I run across this blog post by Chris Spannos, staff at Z.
Chris, in that post, seems to be trying to guilt-trip the entire left into using Z:
They may think that they agree with our efforts and that is good enough, or maybe they’ll even take the extra step to donate a few bucks as a sustainer, and think that is all that needs to be done before logging in to check facebook status updates and their friend activity. This orientation is easy to slip into and many people do including those on the Left. But just because it is easy or convenient does not mean that it works in their own interests and in the interests of Left communities they are a part of and care about, or the Left projects they support. Overall, the corporate interests are exactly opposed to their interests and in knowing this, especially Leftists, they should not give up the benefits of facebook, etc., but be more consciously active in the Left alternatives like ZCom, not by simply donating money, as much as that is needed, but by filling out their profiles, posting blogs, commenting on articles, uploading other content, connecting with other sustainers and writers, etc.
I really don’t like guilt trips. Being told that it’s my responsibility to participate right away takes away the whole enjoyment of participating. I want to build a better world, and I’ll decide for myself how best to do that. Being told that specifically that I have a responsibility to sacrifice my own enjoyment (that is, if I enjoyed facebook) in order to use their clunky website, that takes chutzpah.
Ironically, I ran into a software oddity when I attempted to add a new comment by clicking the “add new comment: it asked for my email and password, which I filled in, then it took me back to the same page, without any difference. I clicked the button again, and it gave me the same login box. I looked up above, turned out I was already logged in. Perhaps I haven’t paid enough to be allowed to make comments, but the software never told me that.