A friendly reminder to the world – be careful who you talk to over the net. Some people have serious mental issues. I just got cyber-cussed out by a long time (hailing back to the ZPBSTimes days) ‘fan’ who has been saying hi to me on the net for a few years, but we’ve never met up. Most of our convos are short.

Now those of you who know me – male or female – know that I associate screen names with pictures. When dealing with the medium of the ineternet, in an effort to secure ‘realness’ (since the net mainly engages only one aspect of personal communication), I ask folks for pics sometimes and exchange pics. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a picture person. Pictures add a level of ‘personableness’ to e-mail, websites, etc… In fact, recent web research trends have noted this in the area of website design. Don’t be surprised if you see many of your favorite websites (especially sites like churches and other ‘social’ and ‘personal’ organizations – even many businesses) with more pictures on their top banners, etc… the ‘human-ness’ of seeing ‘us’ helps create an air of comfort and familiarity. Then they take your money.

Well, tonight, the ‘fan”s self-image issues led to me being cussed out for crossing boundaries by asking for a picture and not ‘taking the hint’ and whole host of other mental issues and things in her head projected onto me. I got called everything from a ‘wife-beater type’ to being FOS (you figure out the letters). I kindly told the ‘fan’ that she needs to go seek some professional help – for REAL – and get whatever’s ‘broken’ inside of her fixed. She spent about 20 IM messages projecting her anger onto me. After posting that she needed help, I minimized the IM window and let her rant on until she was done and logged off about 10 mins later. Apparently others have rejected her over her looks or something.

‘Fan’, if you’re reading, I honestly wouldn’t have cared if you had two toes and twelve teeth. Sorry (again) that it’s a sensitive area for you. I hope you can forgive me for ‘stepping over the boundary’ here by asking.

But seriously… I wish you well and hope that you get some help to heal whatever’s broken inside of you. That being said, if you have nothing positive to say or if all you want to do is tell me more about your perceptions of me, please don’t make any effort to contact me. Remove my name from your IM list, don’t e-mail, don’t go searching for info on where I live. All access to my blogs and e-mail are being logged (aren’t they always ?). My lawyer is frat and reads my blog and he works pro bono. Your IM conversation with me including timestamp has been saved.

I don’t care if you were impressed with me or whatever. Sorry you were disillusioned. Try worshipping God instead. I’m just some regular person with a website and a little above average intelligence.

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