Great big pile of "vapid, obvious, pseudo-intellectual self-examination"

You know, you'd think that by now, I'd have grown up. Or at least matured enough to avoid getting caught up in juvenile spats over things that aren't actually real. But this does not seem to be the case.

Example: Yesterday, I allowed myself to get involved in a skirmish on a website's comment forum. The point of this argument was whether or not a person can put pretty much anything they want on the website that they personally pay for and maintain. I said, yes, of course, it belongs to the author, let them be. Others seem to disagree. The discussion turned ugly. Lots of sarcasm, insults, and condescension being flung around. And yes, kiddies, your friendly neighborhood Teacher was right in the middle of it. I am shamed to admit it, but I did use certain words (not in attack, so much as just a seasoning to the comments...that might be why it's called salty language) that I know I didn't need to, and shouldn't have. I let it get personal.

Last night, on the way home, I chided myself for letting it get to me. I was really kinda bothered by it all. And I realized--it's...not...real. It's a bogus argument among several people (who will probably never meet each other) on a website's comment forum. The argument itself is pretty much a moot point anyway. The author of the site usually never lets criticism of the site's past content affect the site's future content. Which is why I am a loyal reader.

So yeah, I got entangled into a useless waste of energy and frustration. Actually, it's more like "I leapt headlong into" said event. And now I feel sheepish.

So, in response to this sequence of events, I make this pledge to myself, and you, my loving readers (and even you unloving readers...): I, TeacherDave, will not involve myself in petty arguments on internet forums and comment pages, especially when it concerns something absurd like whether or not the author and perpetuator of a webpage has the right to control the content of said page according to their personal preference, rather than some sort of "mandate" from the disgruntled online "masses."

No more argument silliness. There's no reason for it.

By the way, AJ... I love you, man.