Joe V
Joe V
Nov 6 · 2 min read

Noise is everywhere, as you say. The bait that got me to join this site was that I’d be able to read thoughtful and provocative articles and essays by accomplished writers. A place like Granta, perhaps, if not quite as polished, far more spontaneous, to say nothing of accessible. But here only a few weeks I’m stunned how this is, for many, nothing but an expanded and far more verbal Facebook. Many pieces are dreadfully crafted, if there can be such a thing as craft that is not craft at all, and many post hastily written and meaningless personal accounts— private revelations of misdeeds and errors that have as much value as gossip and end with the same shame they began. Lots of facts, of information, but nothing learned, so no synthesis, no knowledge. And seldom any skill in the telling either — please, at least make the sins juicy for Father.

Today I learned that Medium, like many other internet places, permits a writer here to block members whose comments said writer does not appreciate. Information Police, I suppose, protecting the right of the informed and their content from any scrutiny that might suggest even the merest lack or shortcoming. When one is blocked, one cannot see any of the blocker’s work, plus, any comment that one may have made about the blocker’s work is permanently removed from the site. Admirable, this rigor, if only there were something to protect.

It’s only been a few hours since I learned about this unfortunate forum killing format they have here, and I was wondering if I might not ask for my money back and move one when I saw your most recent work. It’s wonderfully empowering to be able to publish a piece for all the world to see, and to see what all the world might have to say about it. How very Socratic. But there’s nothing to be learned where a kill switch can put an end to discourse. Why are we so proud of our meager (and mostly useless) information? As you point out, in this age we smear the stuff all over the place — like schizophrenics with their feces. The kill switch is there to obliterate (to strike out the words) anyone’s pointing out that, hey, well, it may be decorative, but it’s still feces.

Thanks for your piece. I might add that you might wish to consider a subject/verb agreement that occurs in the fourth last paragraph, “it’s the thing that everybody wants to hear and are comfortable hearing.”

Best,

    Joe V

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    Joe V