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Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Et Tu Morte
I struggled with writing this because the catalyst of the topic is serious illness and death, and that is not something to be taken too lightly. I am of course speaking of the downturn in health of BeeJay aka Bobbie Jo of Jokers Updates. Here is the thread announcing her illness: http://www.jokersupdates.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=Salon&Number=2922929&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=7&fpart=
First let me say my thoughts go out to BeeJay and her family and I hope that their decisions result in a good path.
That being said, her illness has created even more turmoil at Jokers Updates, who has been going through some trying times with many of their long term posters leaving the fold.
If you read the original thread there are comments in it, some by Jokerette, about how the missing posters should "come home" in this time of sorrow. And then Independent starts a separate thread stressing this same point here: http://www.jokersupdates.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=Discussion&Number=2923689&page=&view=&sb=5&o=
To be quite honest, this is one of the most reprehensible things I have seen on a "civilized" message board. Using the illness and possible death of one of your members to try to resolve totally unrelated issues is sinking to the level of ambulance chasers. I had thought that one of the lowest forms of internet life were those that faked their own deaths on-line - it seems that I was mistaken.
The whole scene at Jokers, with the wailing and gnashing of teeth, saddens me. It is a true statement on where our society is going, where it seems people are becoming more involved in electronic "friends" instead of those in real life.
The whole situation reminds me of a co-worker who died suddenly last year. Several of us from work went to the funeral. It is funny how you think that since you spend so much time with them, you think your coworkers are a big part of your life and you theirs. But we went to that funeral and there were hundreds of people packing the church - friends, family, members of his community - all who were probably a bigger part of his life than I was. And I think of BeeJay - is Jokers the bigger part of her life, and is she hanging on every piece of info she gets from there? Or is there family and friends with her now who are helping her, in the flesh, through her tribulations? If the first it is extremely sad that we as a society have come to this. For either case I feel sad for the people at Jokers, and for all of us as a whole, for investing so much time and energy into relationships that aren't that real.
Peace be with you BeeJay.
First let me say my thoughts go out to BeeJay and her family and I hope that their decisions result in a good path.
That being said, her illness has created even more turmoil at Jokers Updates, who has been going through some trying times with many of their long term posters leaving the fold.
If you read the original thread there are comments in it, some by Jokerette, about how the missing posters should "come home" in this time of sorrow. And then Independent starts a separate thread stressing this same point here: http://www.jokersupdates.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=Discussion&Number=2923689&page=&view=&sb=5&o=
To be quite honest, this is one of the most reprehensible things I have seen on a "civilized" message board. Using the illness and possible death of one of your members to try to resolve totally unrelated issues is sinking to the level of ambulance chasers. I had thought that one of the lowest forms of internet life were those that faked their own deaths on-line - it seems that I was mistaken.
The whole scene at Jokers, with the wailing and gnashing of teeth, saddens me. It is a true statement on where our society is going, where it seems people are becoming more involved in electronic "friends" instead of those in real life.
The whole situation reminds me of a co-worker who died suddenly last year. Several of us from work went to the funeral. It is funny how you think that since you spend so much time with them, you think your coworkers are a big part of your life and you theirs. But we went to that funeral and there were hundreds of people packing the church - friends, family, members of his community - all who were probably a bigger part of his life than I was. And I think of BeeJay - is Jokers the bigger part of her life, and is she hanging on every piece of info she gets from there? Or is there family and friends with her now who are helping her, in the flesh, through her tribulations? If the first it is extremely sad that we as a society have come to this. For either case I feel sad for the people at Jokers, and for all of us as a whole, for investing so much time and energy into relationships that aren't that real.
Peace be with you BeeJay.
