Wednesday, August 16, 2006
An Open Letter
...to those who see fit to plague indy zines with DOS spam attacks:
Do you really feel so secure in your own sense of poetics that you think yourself worthy to mete out these potentially destructive attacks? You should spend more time writing and studying poetry, and less trying to take down sites that you disagree with, for whatever reason. Your actions are reminiscent of nothing so much as a spurned lover, and no, they don't make your work any more palatable to anyone.
Your misguided actions are the reason that this editor disagrees so thoroughly with those who are arrogant enough to think themselves qualified for the job of "cleaning up poetry." It is a destructive proposition, one that bases itself on the proposition that the one undertaking said task is in any way qualified to issue a definitive statement regarding what is poetry and what is not. You, like the rest of us, suffer somewhat from the lack of perspective that results from being within the "mess," and is compounded by your arrogance in believing yourself to be in possession of the "truth."
You actions also, incidentally, point up the necessity for anyone undertaking the task of establishing a venue for poetry to be fairly well versed not only in matters poetic, but also in having a fair grasp on technological issues.
You are correct in your assessment that such actions will turn our attention your way, but that attention is hardly of such a nature as to in any way improve your chances of publishing your work.
You are part of the problem, not the solution.
Do you really feel so secure in your own sense of poetics that you think yourself worthy to mete out these potentially destructive attacks? You should spend more time writing and studying poetry, and less trying to take down sites that you disagree with, for whatever reason. Your actions are reminiscent of nothing so much as a spurned lover, and no, they don't make your work any more palatable to anyone.
Your misguided actions are the reason that this editor disagrees so thoroughly with those who are arrogant enough to think themselves qualified for the job of "cleaning up poetry." It is a destructive proposition, one that bases itself on the proposition that the one undertaking said task is in any way qualified to issue a definitive statement regarding what is poetry and what is not. You, like the rest of us, suffer somewhat from the lack of perspective that results from being within the "mess," and is compounded by your arrogance in believing yourself to be in possession of the "truth."
You actions also, incidentally, point up the necessity for anyone undertaking the task of establishing a venue for poetry to be fairly well versed not only in matters poetic, but also in having a fair grasp on technological issues.
You are correct in your assessment that such actions will turn our attention your way, but that attention is hardly of such a nature as to in any way improve your chances of publishing your work.
You are part of the problem, not the solution.
# posted by Gene Justice @ 7:46 AM 
