I got my first hate mail!

[erikhaugsby]

I don't normally get much activity on my blog, which suits me just fine. But today I got a comment - and hate mail at that!

Jeez, in your imagination you’re a “good photographer”. Your photos are godawful, boring, and you stink.

It came from someone who uses an IP address from New York City, and used an anonymous (@mailinator.com) email address to register for the Wordpress comments system.

Internet anonymity is magical. This is the first time that someone's ever directly said to me that they dislike my work, although I'm sure/certain it's not the first time someone's thought that sentiment. I'm curious to know who this person is - and why they took the time to leave me a comment.

Do you ever get hate mail? What's your favorite piece that you've received?

 

[daveleo]

Don't waste any more time on this person.
Too many people on the internet with too much free time on their hands.

 

[back alley]

i like to think of these kinds of people as having tiny brains and little dicks...

 

[jsrockit]

Don't waste your time... I think you'll find that whoever made that comment will suck worse than you ...it generally works that way. People that are good have no reason to do this to someone.

 

[Al Patterson]

I wouldn't consider anonymous trolling by losers who won't sign their name hate mail, just bleating of a tiny minded moron without the guts to use their real name. Consider the source, and move on...

 

[finguanzo]

Congratulations...

 

[peterm1]

Not exactly hate mail but when I posted over at Photo.net there were a few trolls there who would flame people on the forum - all using similar imprecations to the ones in the hate mail you quoted. (Jeez don't these guys have any damn originality!) Don't take it seriously. Small minds, smaller penis. Forget about 'em

 

[kshapero]

Congratulations...

Yes congrats, you have been noticed. All great artists have dealt with this. You are on your way. And BTW never take stupidity personally, its everywhere.😀

 

[Keith]

That's a PITA for sure Erik.

The only thing of this type I've copped was at photo.net ... in the gallery. Someone left some really unpleasant comments about a photo I posted and when I responded politely he ramped it up and got even more vitriolic. That was about the time I decided I never needed to go there again.

 

[nobbylon]

I've got a hater at the mo. They hate that I'm English and that I drive a car amongst others that is on UK number plates! I get abusive mail, typed and posted from the next town along, Den Haag. Sooner or later I'll find out who it is and thrash them to within an inch of their life with my F5!!!!! 🙂 Don't waste your time on people who are too cowardly to not put their names to their stupidity!

 

[Rick Waldroup]

While Bush was still in office, I was documenting the anti-war movement here in Texas, including several stints at Cindy Sheehan's Camp Casey, in Crawford, Texas. The amount of hate mail and outright threats I received was astounding, including a stalking incident. Almost every bit of that nonsense came from anonymous sources. Big guys hiding behind a keyboard- most of them all talk, and nothing else.

I would not be surprised to learn that your message came from someone here on RFF- perhaps someone you pissed off or perhaps someone with a whole lot of time on his hands and he needs something to do to entertain that small, feeble mind of his.

 

[Landberg]

You have done something right if he/she made the effort to send the mail!

 

[erikhaugsby]

While Bush was still in office, I was documenting the anti-war movement here in Texas, including several stints at Cindy Sheehan's Camp Casey, in Crawford, Texas. The amount of hate mail and outright threats I received was astounding, including a stalking incident. Almost every bit of that nonsense came from anonymous sources. Big guys hiding behind a keyboard- most of them all talk, and nothing else.

All of this just for documenting? For me, "documenting" does not require (or, more correctly, requires no) participation and endorsement.

Some people. 🙄

 

[Rick Waldroup]

All of this just for documenting? For me, "documenting" does not require (or, more correctly, requires no) participation and endorsement.

Some people. 🙄

Yes. Seems strange, doesn't it? All I did was document what was happening. I did not editorialize or interject my personal thoughts on the matter. Now, some people may have assumed what my personal stance was on the war, but that was all they had to go on- assumptions.

I live in a weird country, and especially in a strange place, Texas.

At least one thing is for certain about where I live- there is never a dull moment.....😎🙂

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

About 10 years ago, I belonged to an email list devoted to film photography. A guy on there posted a 'for sale' ad for a photography book. I wanted it, and wrote to tell him so. He never wrote me back; instead he posted a nasty comment on the blog I had at the time. He wrote that my work was worthless, that my photos were not art, but just 'record shots' that would be laughed at by the members of his local camera club.

I posted the entire comment back to the email list, including his real name, and I commented that his behavior was no way to treat a potential customer. The guy went completely psycho on the list and was quickly banned by the moderators.

 

[Lauffray]

Not worth wasting your time, like everyone said.
On the other hand, would you rather make photos that please everyone and make everyone happy ? (an impossible task btw) 😀

 

[timor]

The guy went completely psycho

Yup, some people just can't handle the pressure of everyday life. Anger has to be released somehow. Net is a safe way for it.

 

[Sparrow]

I don't normally get much activity on my blog, which suits me just fine. But today I got a comment - and hate mail at that!



It came from someone who uses an IP address from New York City, and used an anonymous (@mailinator.com) email address to register for the Wordpress comments system.

Internet anonymity is magical. This is the first time that someone's ever directly said to me that they dislike my work, although I'm sure/certain it's not the first time someone's thought that sentiment. I'm curious to know who this person is - and why they took the time to leave me a comment.

Do you ever get hate mail? What's your favorite piece that you've received?

I'm really jealous ... you know you're making the world better when the buggers resort to insult

Keep up the good work sir 😎

PS ... no sadly I don't get hate mail .. a bit on here recently, but no one I'm bothered about

 

[stompyq]

Haha congrats!!

The only ever hate mail i've had was when I posted on APUG. I asked about bracketing in a largeformat thread. The question specifically was if anyone bracketed 4x5 exposures. This lady (I can't remember her username now) went on a rant about how much I must suck to even ask a question like that. Sent me a couple of pm messages telling me to quit 4x5 and photography all together. And here's the funny part. She was from NYC as well!!

 

[tunalegs]

I've recieved a lot of "hate" from people any time I've written anything about art that isn't purely instructional, especially when I (gasp) wrote about the lack of creativity and the insular nature of the comic publishing industry. I think the funniest part of this whining was somebody, completely sincerely, linked me to the work of two different artists to demonstrate how much variety there was in style within "alternative" comics - and showed me two artists who might as well have been copying over each other's shoulders.

If you have any opinion at all about something on the internet, somebody, somewhere is going to get their panties bunched up. Either you like something they don't like or your don't like something they like, or you don't pay enough attention to something they like, etc. etc.

It's best not to respond to them.