Kerfuffle

I do love me a good blogosophere kerfuffle, like this one brewing over at The Chronicle. Er, I used to. I wouldn't even have known about this, given how infrequently I read that esteemed publication these days, if JC hadn't mentioned it and linked in her comments to an old post of mine.

A couple years ago, I would have been slinging mud with the best of them. These days, the pettiness and incivility just strikes me as sad. I think the author of that piece takes a reasonable stand, but readers don't have to agree with her in order to respect it, especially since it's a personal piece. That's what's the real turn-off for me -- the personal attacks against someone who courageously speaks up against what she has experienced as an illness-inducing, hopeless, and exploitative situation.

What gives? You expect it from opposite sides of the political divide, say, in the comments to a HuffPo piece on the climate wars. Even there, comments are more along the line of "You're a stupid commie shithead!" "No, YOU'RE a stupid right-wing douchewad shithead!" This is sad in its own way, but it isn't personal.

When it comes from inside academe to another academic, a postacademic, an altacademic -- or whatever -- it is both personal and unprofessional. It is a reflection of the toxic environment that, for a lot of us, is one of a host of factors that caused us to choose to leave. Frankly, I haven't encountered it in the workplace culture on the outside. You have your friends, your enemies, and your frenemies, but people basically treat each other with a degree of professional respect. It's refreshing.

Full Circle

Sorry about the relative silence lately -- and for totally going poof! for a couple days. Not that you missed anything, given how little I've been posting. I've been struggling with blogger identity issues (see my response to Physioprof in the previous post), and then, unthinkingly, I left a comment somewhere that linked one identity to the other in a place where they REALLY could not be linked. Fortunately, I don't think anyone saw, so I'm back. But ... this is becoming a problem. I like writing this blog and don't want to abandon it, but ......... I have this thing about treading too close to the edge.

My worlds have a way of colliding but in such odd and entertaining ways I can't resist sharing.

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A little over a year ago, An Incident happened at Think Tank. I didn't say a whole lot about it on the blog, surprisingly little as I look back on it now. You could read back around some of the spring 2012 posts, like this one, if you forgot or you're curious. The thing is, it started a chain reaction that led to Another Incident and, ultimately, to the formation of New Think Tank and my landing on my feet here at the Petting Zoo, when all was said and done.

Now things have come full circle. The Villain of the original Incident -- the Villain or the Hero, depending on whose side you're on -- is going to be a featured speaker at a big PZ showcase later in the summer.

I wonder if I should tell the Villain/Hero of the role ze indirectly played in my fate. But ze is one of those people who would probably throw their drink in my face if they knew my history at Think Tank.

If you recognize him, the more power to you. It's only the tip of the iceberg.

If I do disappear for good and close up shop here, I will still be reachable at the recentphd [at] gmail address. Write me there and I'll let you know where I've reinvented.