A Celebration of Good Sense
For the past few days, I've been carrying around the weight of a post I don't want to write.  Julian Dibbell's Wired article on griefers was so vile I've felt it like a coating of slime for days, yet every time I've sat down to write a counter-argument, I've just felt its toxins sinking deeper into me.

I don't *want* to give vent to frustration and disgust, and especially, I really don't want to put in an evening's work gussying up that frustration and disgust in abstract argumentation. That unwritten post would neither be emotionally satisfying nor intellectually useful: not one mind would be changed, and I'd only make myself and my readers feel worse.

So, I'm not going to do that. Instead, I'm going to celebrate the voices of moderation, sanity and tolerance I've heard across the blogosphere the past few days.

First, to the gentleman whose emails have done so much to restore my faith in the world the past few days: your grace and wit and helpfulness have been an effective anti-toxin. You know who you are; thank you.

Lillie Yifu, your post today, "The Play's The Thing," was a masterpiece. You gently and effectively deconstructed the "SL is fake" worldview, standing up for freedom of expression with humor and dignity. You're just getting better and better, Lillie - it's really a delight to see.

Hiro Pendragon, we occupy very different places on the identity spectrum. I wish all augmentationists had your serene integrity: "Identity in a new era" makes the case for unity without bigotry or disrespect, and comes from a position of solid self-assurance. You're the antithesis of the sniggering frat boys Dibbell glorifies. Thank you for reminding me that augmentationists aren't all small-minded and unimaginative.

Micheru, you wrote so that I didn't have to. Thank you.

vannesh, woot, love!  We've clashed a bit on identity issues in the past, but "Why Do 'First Life' Characteristics Matter?" is just *golden*!  It's so simple: one rule for any world - take people at their word till they give you cause to do otherwise. And, jeez, everybody, grow up about gender already!

faerie_h: your comment on London's blog was just so much fun!


To all of you above, and to everyone who through their actions every day helps build a world of gentle acceptance of differences, of delight in diversity, thank you.  Thank you for helping to cleanse the toxins of the mockers, the disrupters, the barbarians. 

Okay, enough of that. We've got a new world to build. Let's be about it!