[Redway]

Originally Posted by Gusto Brunt

I'm loyal online but often if my loyalties and contributions aren't reciprocated or appreciated, I tend to ditch people who I think take my presence for granted.��

Yeah. I hear that. Face-to-face interactions of all kinds (from the irrelevantly-mundane to the deeply-personal 2.a.m. conversations with your bestie/s) come and go and they’re a daily bread-staple (however you feel about them) but when you’ve got some free say over how you initiate communication (as you do online) I’m the sort of person who takes that as an opportunity to at least try and build meaningful connections (down to the word) and make people feel a bit more understood or enriched for connecting with me. If you move with a madness to me for no reason or spew prejudices (that someone of any active moral stance is obviously going to check) on the Internet I’m not going to be that nice in return but the way my [online] loyalties do manifest is in the sense of treating people online with (at least) the same appropriate level of confidential respect as I would if we were friends in person if we’re not already and not wasting both of our time(s) by gaslighting them and their capabilities or passing unnecessary judgements. I won’t form a negative opinion on someone online if I don’t feel a reason to and in a world where it feels like so much time gets wasted just going through the wet humdrum of life and interacting with people you wouldn’t actually interact with if you had it your way (cranky Harley-and-Karen-bosses inc.) I’m not going to now waste time bringing negative energy and unwarranted judgements to the table over WhatsApp, F.b. or Insta. and draining someone else’s energy/making them feel inadequate for reasons which really wouldn’t be anything to do with anyone other than me (in connection with my particular purview of experience). I know the web’s an inexpensive space but interpersonally there’s no time to waste (unless you actually have a reason to dislike the person).