note to self

I'm most happy when I don't have access to my referer logs.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating:

If you don't like what I have to say, if you don't like what I do, if you don't like me (not that you know me, most of you don't, not really), if this site in any way raises your blood pressure, go away and don't come back.

Seriously. You'll be happier. I'll be happier. Everybody wins.

That's what I do. I don't read sites that make me crazy. If I could stick certain urls in a LAN-level ban list so I could never go back, I would. I'll spare you the list – that's between me and my blood pressure.

There's enough in this world that pisses me off. Things I have no control over. The dog that barked outside my window for an hour this afternoon, for example. Pac Bell. Spam.

I have no control over these things, so there's no use in getting all worked up over them. But I do have control over which sites I visit. So if I read a site that consistently pisses me off, it's on my internal ban list. Done. I just don't have the time anymore.

I suggest you do that, too. And if it's my little site that's getting your goat (hell, if this post is getting your goat), hit that back button and be gone! No one is forcing you to be here, to read my drivel, day in and day out. I don't have anything to say that you want to read, anyway, right?

So take off. Be gone. Be happy.

...

And if you're still here, after all that, I'm sorry. I love you. Really. Let's never fight again.

{ 10:40pm }

» Right on brotha man....

– ~A,  { 6.18.01 @ 11:19pm }

» I once had Bert Convy's biggest fan angry with me because I thought it was funny that he had a fan (she had read her referrer logs). He's dead, BTW. But I learned my lesson—if you can't say something nice about Bert Convy (and his fans), don't say anything at all.

– Timo  { 6.19.01 @ 12:47am }

» what's up, Derek? Who are these morons?

– anisha bordoloi  { 6.19.01 @ 1:20am }

» I completely agree with you....if you don't like what I'm writing about- don't visit my site! It's that simple. I'm over it.

I got an email once telling me that I should give a lot more information on my website....that that's what my "audience" wanted to hear. Don't get me wrong, I totally appreciate helpful comments....but the thing is, I write my site for ME and for issues that I think are important. It isn't a story. I'm not going to fabricate things to make them seem more interesting...it's a true, personal blog. Don't let those butt-heads piss you off- that gives them the power!

"Be gone...your power is of no use here!" - Glinda, the good witch.

– Jenn, your little sister  { 6.19.01 @ 7:04am }

» hey derek -- i inadvertantly dissed you on my blog a few months back, in the midst of a link to the new fray (which i loved) -- i just wanted to apologize for that directly, since it's come up, and convey how much i sincerely admire your work. don't let the assholes get you down, dude. after all, those who can, do -- those who can't -- well, you know how it goes.

– adam  { 6.19.01 @ 10:26am }

» "That rat! ... I slam the iron door."

(from a movie... theoretically slamming the iron door on all nuisances)

Derek, you're great :) Don't let them bring you down- smiles & hugs!

– amy  { 6.19.01 @ 4:19pm }

» Derek I check out your site when ever it updates. I think you're doing a great job. I like the design, and am interested in your book on Web community and your trip to Poland. Some of my ancestors are from Poland, although I've never been there myself, I plan to go.

– Dave Winer  { 6.19.01 @ 4:46pm }

» Your site, and all the Powazek Productions, really, are a constant source of inspiration for me. Be it design, unusual or edgy content or the continual honesty, I, along with alot of others I'm sure, visit for postive & happy reasons. To be inspired. Don't let the bastids get ya down! ;)

– anathea  { 6.19.01 @ 5:03pm }

» I agree with the previous comments, Derek. Your sites are some of the few which I find worthy enough to actually open IE to view (because they don't work in Opera). :-)

– Jay Allen  { 6.19.01 @ 8:18pm }

» Derek, some of your content is a little liberal for my taste, but I've read your blogs many times and I am utterly convinced that you are a genuinely nice, good guy. And all of your sites are like "here....its free...be involved...enjoy...". How could anyone complain and give you grief?

– Brandon  { 6.20.01 @ 7:54am }

» Derek, you've been at this long enough to know better now, dontcha?

People are never going to be satisfied. That's rule number one. No matter what you do, what you say, what you try to deliver, there's always going to be one guy pissed at you (or more). Case in point. I recently received a scathing email about how callous I am in a site I run by not making it 100% lynx friendly. Apparently this guy doesn't like all the tables, the layout doesn't make sense to him, and my use of javascript popups for enlarging thumbnail images and some side stories to reviews and stuff bother him to no end. Insults and references to my "discriminatory nature" were hurled. His solution was for me to recode the entire site from scratch (past some 650 pages now) so he could read it properly in Lynx. Forget that he could read 95% of the site now in Lynx - heck, I even always remember the alt tag.... just for lynx users. And how many users would be lynx users? at last look at 3 months worth of logs (livestats ROCKS!), approximately 0.0142% of all my visitors (out of 100.000%) were Lynx users.

Like I said Derek, with your experience you should know better. Don't just *not* visit the sites that get your goat, but ya gotta develop a thicker skin when dealing with the twits who harbour jealousy or resentment towards you, and may happen to post a few scathing comments here or there. Feel the pity instead. Most of the time these people aren't worth anything, even the pity.

Oh... and yeah, you are a bit too much of a pinko commie liberal, I agree :-) Ain't that capitalist peeg bug bitten you yet?

– Mark  { 6.25.01 @ 4:29pm }

» I think your site is really good. Keep up the good work....

– lonybee  { 11.1.01 @ 10:50pm }