This is the internet people. The internet is overrun with folks living out their issues online. It’s a breeding ground for socially challenged individuals who love finding ways to antagonize others.

Online forums are like Happy Meals for contentious misanthropes who spend most of their waking hours surfing the web. 

It’s the price we pay for free speech.

If you don’t want to become like them, then for God’s sake stop acting like a bunch of howling monkeys flinging their poop at each other.

Stop the malicious back and forth.

Stop the, “He said, she said.”

Stop the, “But she hit me first!”

Stop the, “I’m going to tell teacher on you!”

Stop the, “It’s time we rallied to protect so and so!” campaigns.

Please stop flooding the feed with this stuff. 

All of our blogs come with a delete button. If you don’t like comments delete them. If you don’t like certain bloggers ignore them.

But in the name of God please stop the childish school yard behavior.

If you “left” OS for whatever reason, please stop coming back to antagonize others using an “alter” ID.

It’s not cool or cute or clever to use a fake ID to confront someone about anything. It’s cowardly, no matter how you justify it. Worse still when you come back with a “alter” gang. Either come back as yourself or not at all.

If you’re offended by a post, a comment, or a blogger, grow up for God’s sake, and learn to ignore them.

Quit playing the victim. If you’re the one keeping the issues front and center with yet another post describing how you or your friends have been abused, that’s not victimization. That’s participation.

“But I was wronged!” you say. Yes. You and thirty million other people. Every day. But this is the internet, for Pete’s sake. It’s not like they stole your food ration while you’re starving in the Sudan.

There are no online martyrs and very few genuine online victims. There are, however, far too many folks who want to appear to be one or the other or both.

For God’s sake stop. Grow up. There are always going to be idiots who write rotten stuff. They have that right. Just don’t become one yourself. Stay out of the kerfuffles du jour if you really want to be different.

Not just once. Not just most of the time. But consistently.

Writers must have tender hearts and thick skins. Very thick skins. Bloggers need these things too.

Try this test. See if you can quit writing posts or comments about anyone else on OS unless it’s to direct folks to great work.

Drop out of your gang or club or group. Be brave. If your best friends are acting stupidly, say so. Admonish them to stop acting like spoiled infants or spurned lovers.

But in the name of all that is holy, quit saying you care about this place, or art, or people, if what you’re doing is perpetuating the strife on either side.

Open Salon has the potential to blow the doors off the literary world. There is so much talent here.

Please. Don’t let this place become just another forum where people fight online. Do all you can do to make OS what it could and should be: A repository of literary and artistic riches.