Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?
So on a recent Twit (linked here) the four of us were lamenting the ridiculous Web Top 25 list put together by Forbes. I described this choosing process as laughable since I have been on similar Top X list meetings on various publications. Apparently a couple of off-handed remarks upset the blogger cum SFgate writer, Violet Blue, since she was mentioned as someone who probably shouldn’t be on the list. I said I never heard of her. Leo said she wrote about sex or something and I thought about it and said ,”yeah I ran into her” meaning I ran into her site sometime back and did indeed recall who she was.
But my point was that I thought that people left off this list such as Arianna Huffington and Michele Malkin, who each have huge online numbers, were more deserving. There are, in fact, a number of other women who should have been on the list as they are essentially more important than half the people on that list.
The fact is the list stunk and was an obvious poorly thought-out throw-away quickie kind of thing. I’ve decided to put together a list by the Editors of Dvorak Uncensored that will be well-thought-out and definitive. But I digress.
Violet was not the only dubious choice on the list (in my opinion) and I made that clear. The number one pick, in fact, is totally laughable – LonelyGirl, the actress who posted a YouTube vid. What about the guys with the Coke and Mentos? Cripes.
Anyway, Violet got personally bent out of shape, called us a bunch of pigs in a long-winded rant in SFGate (cited here) and I want to personally apologize for being too glib about her on TWiT. She does good work and I never said she was a bad person. So I’m sorry. That said, she still shouldn’t be on the list. Let’s be real.
All publicity is good publicity?
Plus all your regulars will be visiting her site, she should check her logs tomorrow.
I wonder if VioletBlue even heard the podcast. Because to me it sounded like John was just being himself (“an ass”-in a lovable way of course). So without listening to the audio and only reading a transcript the context could’ve been misinterpreted.
One wouldn’t think that a journalist that adopts the nickname of a porn star would be on sexism patrol. Wonders never cease.
One of my favorite rants of yours on TwiT was about the “Person of the Year” award where you took shots at the editors. The best line was something about “blowin their brains over this choice, it’s a cop out….”. But anyway, when I listened to the episode I really didn’t hear what she heard. Let alone something that would justify the statement of “open degradation of women like me (by Dvorak and LaPorte).” She should have listened to more TwiTs to get a feel for your apparent disdain of top ten lists.
As a little anecdote, I was in a college campus Mac store the other day looking around when one of the employees saw my “John C. Dvorak is Nuts!” button on my laptop bag and said, “You actually like John C. Dvorak? I responded in the affirmative and he looked angry and followed with “I hate him!” All I could think about was your quote from an early episode of TwiT where you said, “There are a lot of Dvorak haters out there, and most of them tend to be old Mac users.”
I checked her rant and couldn’t bring myself to waste the time to read the whole thing.
No apology was necessary IMHO
4. I know what you mean, at my shop 2/3 Mac 1/3 PC, I leave DU on the desktop of 2 of my shop computers, and it drives the little fannies psycho. Always good for a laugh.
I have her podcast as a regular on my iTunes. what she does is read erotic stories. I find that its certainly not worth Forbes top 25. I mean, why not then choose Jenna Jameson for her porn empire, or any other douche female these Forbe people could think of. Now I’m glad kevin Rose wasn’t picked, Definately don’t want him associated with the other 24 idiots on this list.
DON’T APOLOGIZE!
P.S. Violet blue is NOT ON MY PODCAST LIST ANYMORE ANYMORE!
I agree with #2,#5,#7. Im baffled why you’d apologize.
Violetwho? I’ve never heard of this ankle biter and perhaps she sit back and enjoy the spike in page views. At the very least do a reciprocal link to DU. John rains on alot of peoples parade. It’s the price of admission for being on his radar. He’s an equal opportunity critic.
Instead of apologizing, give her more material. Tell her to stick to audio-porn and not to worry her pretty little head……
I enjoy Violet Blue’s columns occasionally, but she gets bent out of shape WAY too easily. Before she stops and thinks, she fires off blistering blogs to the Internet at large. It’s only later the angry mob finds out it wasn’t that big a deal. It’s sweet that you apologized, but she’s the boy who cries wolf.
Her rant cracked me up! Especially the indictment of those notorious guilty bystanders Patrick and Robert. The “…silent complicity of Norton and Heron is out of line, yes, but even more conspicuously, it’s out of place.”
So for goodness sakes guys, get yourselves in line, straighten up, and know your place before you again standly idly by and say nothing.
i think the apology was a kind gesture on your part, John. that said, what a whiny little baby to go crying about it like you were talking crap about her or something. sheesh! learn to take a joke. she should be thanking you for the publicity.
This is ridiculous. Having her throw a tantrum over something as retarded as this is just really just reinforcing why she’s so undeserving of it. Good on you for apologizing, John, as unnecessary as it may be. I love hearing you on TWIT, keep up the good work.
Oh well, I never heard of her either. Audio porn? Blah!
She has a podcast? And attacks the podcast high on many lists? Hmmm.
Spoiled little brat who wants attention anyway she can get it, ignore the troll, she’ll move on to another target.
I listened to that NETCAST and it was good. I didn’t hear anything wrong with it!
Not that it matters……she’s ugly as shit.
dominate her dvorak.
Um, yeah. Talk about blowing things completely out of proportion. First, as a person traveling in both sexual liberation/porn circles and tech circles, yeah, sharing your name with a porn star is stupid idea #1 if you want to be taken seriously. Second, like most rapid feminists, she has no sense of humor nor sense of proportion. I checked out the Forbes list, and the TWIT’ers were correct. Pretty bad list, according to its self-defined criteria. Objectively speaking, she shouldn’t have been on the list. What’s the big deal?
Of course, then, on her blog, she tries to turn it into TWIT versus sexual liberation, TWIT versus women succeeding in the world of technology, and TWIT as old boys club. Wrong, wrong, and, yes, wrong. She takes herself way too seriously, need to deevelop a sense of humor, and keep her porn the audio, podcasting kind, because she’s got the face for audio porn. Why is it that all the hags want to talk about sexual liberation–so that it is more likely they’ll get laid?
John: Please note: Those guys used Mentos and DIET Coke. I think.
So here is a quote:
“The all-male open degradation of women like me (by Dvorak and LaPorte) and silent complicity of Norton and Heron is out of line, yes, but even more conspicuously, it’s out of place.”
Can it be fairly said that such happened on the TWITcast? Jeez, she’s a nut. If she was looking at all-male dismissive and degrading, here it is: no one wants to listen to an ugly broad talk about sex.
20. “no one wants to listen to an ugly broad talk about sex.”
Scientifically categorized as the Dr. Ruth Syndrome.
Overreact much?
She cracked me up. They should invite her to be on the next twit!
2 Quotes
‘The whole podcast has an old-techie Moose Lodge feel to it:’
‘And what about John Dvorak and Leo LaPorte? Well, I’ll always wear prettier dresses than either of them.’
Violet Who?? What small part of her own mind does she occupy?? Poser! Move on folks, nothing to see or hear here.
I am actually impressed with Mr. Dvorak’s apology. I disagree with many of his opinions and stands on issues but I still end up skimming through his blog. Good for you for saying sorry without backing down from your point (which I agree with).
I dunno…. if what she wanted to do was stir up the nest in this very heterogeneous, opinionated group, she seems to have done a pretty good job of it.
On the other hand, I bet she HATES it that John just gave her a mellow smile and apologized. Talk about your “Oh dear, now I’ve gone and ruffled your pretty feathers, haven’t I? And they are such fine feathers. Bad me, bad me!” reply. Bet it burns her porn-reading reactive butt. Heh.
Incredible. Asking who she is, saying you “ran into her” – this she calls “open degradation.” I can only imagine what she would have accused you of, had you actually expressed an opinion – any opinion – about her!
Can you say “pathologically oversensitive?” I knew you could.
She has done nothing to dispel my belief that people whose lives are centered on sex are rarely paragons of rational thought, to put it mildly.
I have been reading John D. Since the mid eighties and he never ceases to amuse and amaze. This lady should have read a comment I seem to remember (from around the windows 3.1 release) when (and I take the liberty to paraphrase) he said “windows is a nice feminine interface”. Holy crap the ladies where bent. But what the hell, back then the power users where OS/2 based.
Keep up the good work John!
This is GREAT! Who cares if John is a pig or Violet is overly sensitive. If we stir the pot a little more, this could get news coverage. Then John and Violet would get more traffic and everyone would be happy. I personally can’t wait to hear John on network TV say…… Dvorak.org/blog
haha, wow, what is her e-mail, TWiT army mobilize
But seriously, this woman is just crazy, I think I think I can summarize her blog.
“Nag nag nag John nag nag nag Patrick nag nag nag Leo nag nag nag Kevin”