Hate Mail

Cidu Bill on Jun 11th 2009

It occurred to me today that in 15 years of fairly active online presence, most of it writing about crime and legal matters on About.com and Crimeweek, I’d never received a significant amount of hate mail until this week. I’m not talking about the usual Usenet namecalling, but more than a dozen people taking the time to look up my e-mail address so they can personally berate insult me. Three different people told me I was a f****** a******, which was a bizarre piece of synchronicity.

Many people over the years have e-mailed me telling me my articles revealed my right-wing or left-wing bias. Sometimes referring to the same article.

There were times I’d expected hate mail: When I interviewed a white supremacist leader, though, I don’t recall receiving a single negative comment. I got a letter of thanks from the Anti Defamation League. Also from a white supremacist group, which was kind of creepy.

I wrote a lot about the Mumia abu-Jamal case (black activist convicted in the murder of a white Philadelphia police officer), and while a lot of people commented that I seemed to be the only person writing about it in a balanced way, some on both sides criticized my “bias” for supporting the other side. I got an angry e-mail from the widow of the police officer, which did disturb me.

I’m not sure I can explain, in 2009, the online community of people following the JonBenet Ramsey case. They were divided into “the parents did it” and “the parents didn’t do it” groups, and I thought of them as opposing groups of cultists. There were at least two actual death threats between the enemy camps, one incident of offline harassment, and (though I couldn’t confirm this personally) one arrest. 

I have to confess these people did scare me, to the extent that I made sure my employer, About.com, did not have my home address on file. Still, I managed to negotiate this minefield pretty well, with both sides coming to trust me to the extent that the chat rooms I set up were the only places where groups from both sides would come and interact. I thought of it as neutral territory where both the Jets and the Sharks would come to dance.

(I eventually became so involved with this story — all the time really, really hating it — that a writer for a major magazine called me up to ask me some questions; when the cover story came out, I discovered she’d taken everything I told her, most of it word-for-word, and used it as the basis of “her” article, casually mentioning my name only once)

 The point of all this? In fifteen years, through white supremacists, racially charged murder cases, being knee-deep in JonBenet cultists… I never had three separate people seek out my address to call me a f****** a****** until I changed the CIDU Page’s RSS feed. I can’t speak for anybody else, but I find this very funny.

Filed in Bill Bickel, CIDU, JonBenet Ramsey, Mumia abu-Jamal, RSS | 51 responses so far

51 Responses to “Hate Mail”

  1. Chipper Jun 11th 2009 at 08:22 am 1

    That was an amazing punchline. Especially because it is true. I guess all the other issues you deal with are on a more theoretical level for most (though certainly not all), whereas this change hits home - it affects these people directly.

    Being a dinosaur, it doesn’t affect me. I’m still getting the hang of the web 1.0, forget newfangled inventions like RSS!

    Still love your CIDU site. Keep up the good work.

  2. Chipper Jun 11th 2009 at 08:24 am 2

    BTW, that was very well written, keeping the punchline for the very end. A lesser writer would have just revealed the issue at the beginning or middle.

  3. Elyrest Jun 11th 2009 at 08:41 am 3

    Bill, I was pretty sure where you were going with this because of all the hoopla surrounding the RSS feed. I’m glad that you find it funny and can laugh at it because the ones still reading CIDU need your sense of humor intact. Well, we need you to still be confused about comics so we can display our superior intellects and rapier wits.

    All is still well with the universe.

  4. Charlene Jun 11th 2009 at 08:45 am 4

    I’ll admit I have a very hot temper, but complaining about an RSS feed to the point of sending personal insults? I agree with Chipper about the personal involvement, but my God.

  5. Ross Jun 11th 2009 at 08:50 am 5

    Yep. That’s funny.

    I don’t use RSS, but I do use Firefox, and have never had a problem with your site, which
    is a constant source of amusement for me. Especially today. Thanks.

    (…and what’s with the click through anyway.? It’s what a mouse is for!)

  6. Charlene Jun 11th 2009 at 08:51 am 6

    BTW, what gets me about this is that I am affected by the RSS change in that I don’t see the comics any more. Big deal! I clicked through about 90% of the time before and I’ll continue to click through 90% of the time, so you get your numbers all the same. I suspect many of your readers do the same thing.

    It reminds me of the TV Tropes page “They Changed It Now It Sucks”. Some people *really* don’t like change unless it’s specifically meant to benefit them and them alone.

  7. BGneiss Jun 11th 2009 at 08:54 am 7

    My heart sank when I saw this post today, Bill, because I knew exactly what it was about, and I was afraid you were saying you’d have enough and were quitting. Thanks for keeping up the good work and having a great sense of humor! We need your site! Screw that haters!

  8. Terry Jun 11th 2009 at 09:10 am 8

    Yes, but on the other hand, it’s truly sad that the only time I click through to your site any more is when the subject is something like “Hate Mail”. I used to click through about half the time. No more.

    You are not a f****** a******, but I really really miss the comics showing right up in my RSS feed. I wish I knew a way to persuade you to bring them back.

  9. Norm Jun 11th 2009 at 09:14 am 9

    LOL. Illegitimi non carborundum.

  10. Rough Jun 11th 2009 at 09:16 am 10

    Bill, I have been impressed by your objectivity many times on this site. Your responses to our responses are always thoughtful and courteous. The people displaying their emotional instability are in stark contrast to your stability. This ‘playground’ would not be what it is were it not for you. I love coming here! Thank you very much!

  11. Cidu Bill Jun 11th 2009 at 09:21 am 11

    Norm, you can’t read what it says on your carburetor??

  12. Patrick Jun 11th 2009 at 09:23 am 12

    CIDUBill, are you sure it wasn’t the same guy using three different aliases to call you a F****** A******?

  13. Cidu Bill Jun 11th 2009 at 09:28 am 13

    Patrick, three different e-mail addresses. If it was the same person, he went through one hell of a lot of work to disguise his identity just so that he could work “f****** a******” into three different messages.

    I think this would be more disconcerting than if it were three separate people.

  14. Aijaz Jun 11th 2009 at 09:31 am 14

    Keep up the good work, CIDU Bill. If I may make a suggestion: I don’t know if your blog software allows you to do this, but it would be nice to be able to navigate from one post to the previous or next post. It doesn’t appear that we can do that, and we have to go back to the the CIDU home or to our RSS reader.

    I enjoy your site and visit often - more for the comments than the comics. ‘Cause, isn’t that what the site’s really about?

    Thanks again,

    Aijaz.

  15. Catlover Jun 11th 2009 at 09:34 am 15

    I think you are fabulously awesome for spending your time in providing and participating in this forum. Will I get in trouble for that?

  16. Cidu Bill Jun 11th 2009 at 09:39 am 16

    Aijaz, there are templates that allow this (Crimeweek uses one), but there are very few templates that allow enough room for horizontal comic strips — and of course that has to be a much higher priority.

    If one becomes available, I certainly will use it; but for now, I’m happy that this one seems to be working out so well.

  17. Nicole Jun 11th 2009 at 10:07 am 17

    Well Bill .. I knew were you were going with the story. Funny ending ?? I suppose, in a pathetic sort of way. Three people took the time and effort to write you to complain about an RSS feed change? And berate you ??? But clicking through to your site is just WAY to inconvienient.

    I’d like to suggest you add another donate button on your site, this one would be to collect money for these people so they could buy themselves a life.

  18. Cidu Bill Jun 11th 2009 at 10:12 am 18

    Nicole, about a dozen people sent me angry e-mails. Three of them happened to have called me the same name.

  19. Nicole Jun 11th 2009 at 10:19 am 19

    guess we will just have to collect more money to buy these peope lives

    BTW I was thinking that even looking at the full content RSS feed was a lot of work. So here is what I propose. Call me when you have a new comic posted and read it to me the way Larguadia did during the NY newpaper strike. Then as people post their comments, you can call me and read them to me as well. Don’t leave any voice messages just keep trying — you know what a pain it is to pick them up

  20. Cidu Bill Jun 11th 2009 at 10:25 am 20

    You do have Bluetooth, don’t you? Because having to actually pick up a phone to answer it is a real bitch.

  21. Patrick Jun 11th 2009 at 10:39 am 21

    When you think about it, it’s pretty weird that even one person thought to call you a “Falafel Admiral,” let alone three.

  22. Aijaz Jun 11th 2009 at 10:56 am 22

    @Patrick That’s brilliant! I’m gonna have to steal that phrase and use it, just to confuse my antagonists. :)

  23. Judge Mental Jun 11th 2009 at 11:00 am 23

    I can see why some might prefer the RSS feed, I can even understand being upset that it had changed, but what I truly found funny was the number of folks that took the time to post the sentiment “Unless you give me free stuff in the manner I want, I will never accept your free stuff again!”

  24. Steven Hunter Jun 11th 2009 at 11:44 am 24

    I think Billo needs to come out of retirement (or whatever happened to him).

    “Stand there while I drop a house on you.”

  25. Chase Jun 11th 2009 at 11:57 am 25

    Way to maintain your sense of humor in the face of being called a francophile astronaut. Times are tough.

  26. Nicole Jun 11th 2009 at 12:35 pm 26

    Bill

    Have you thought about how you are going to replace the income you are losing because of the people who left because of the RSS fracus ?

  27. anaceofkidneys Jun 11th 2009 at 12:41 pm 27

    I used to run an anti-PeTA website and got virtual mail bags full of death threats and hate mail every day. I probably could have called the FBI or something, but usually they were so absurd that I didn’t care. Now I run a sideshow history site and I STILL get a handful of hate mail, mostly people chiding me for being insensitive to the disabled (I’m autistic, BTW). My solution is to keep a hate mail hall of fame page so that everyone can point and laugh at the idiots.

    But I guess pointing and laughing doesn’t work if you’re dealing with scary creeps like white supremacists, not just suburban moms who are easily squicked out.

  28. Chakolate Jun 11th 2009 at 12:50 pm 28

    Hate mail? For this? Really? Wow.

    I didn’t like the change, but since it’s your page, your feed, your column, I thought you just *might* have the right to do it the way you like. Silly me. Sorry! Next time I’ll try to be more rabid - I just didn’t know the protocol.

  29. Nicole Jun 11th 2009 at 12:53 pm 29

    Oh … hatemail can be enormously entertaining.

    I go the the Church of the Flying Spagehtti Monster website regularly just to to read the hate mail they get (and post)

  30. Nicole Jun 11th 2009 at 12:56 pm 30

    Chakolate:

    It seems that coming between some people and their full content RSS feed is the same as coming between a bear and her cubs — you are risking your life in both cases

  31. Norm Jun 11th 2009 at 01:59 pm 31

    Bill, courtesy of the Odd Bodkins strip years ago (many, many years ago) “illegitimi non carborundum” means “don’t let the bastards get you down!” Hey, if it was good enough for Dan O’Neill, it’s good enough for me …

  32. Cidu Bill Jun 11th 2009 at 02:11 pm 32

    I actually knew that, Norm. I was just making a joke which, having gotten only 2 hours sleep last night, I thought was funny.

  33. Nicole Jun 11th 2009 at 02:15 pm 33

    It got a chukcle out of me

  34. dd Jun 11th 2009 at 03:12 pm 34

    Ugh. There are plenty of good reasons to keep the comics in the feed, none of which matter since the issue has turned into “rss jerks” vs “nicole and other TRUE CIDU lovers.”

    Whatever. I’ve been here as long, if not longer, than 95% of the twue readers. It’s not being asshole-ish to have and express a preference and provide good reasons for that preference. It’s asshole-ish to call names and be condescending, and that goes for both sides.

  35. Nicole Jun 11th 2009 at 03:31 pm 35

    DD — if you really read my comments you would know that I prefer the RSS feed to contain the comment as well.

    No one is accusing people who express their preferences in a civilized manner of being assholes. However some people have threatened Bill (albeit a meaningless threat) and breated him. Those people ARE assholes.

    I admit to being at a loss when trying to understand why this is such an issue for some people. It just seems like much ado about nothing. If you like the site — as I do — click through. If you don’t and it isn’t worth actually visiting the site .. don’t.

    If you remember this all started with someone DEMANDING that the comics be put back in the RSS feed and if it wasn’t he would NEVER visit the site again. That is not expressing an opinion — that is being laughably rude.

  36. Nikimac Jun 11th 2009 at 04:16 pm 36

    I still don’t have a clue what an RSS feed is and yet somehow I’ve survived this devastating crisis. But as to why you’re so upset that 3 people called you a farting apostle (as I assume you meant), that’s something IDU. Most would find that a compliment!

  37. CIDU Bill Jun 11th 2009 at 04:23 pm 37

    Okay, now I’m getting a mental image of the Last Supper: “Whew… Luke, was that you?” “It wasn’t me, it was Matthew.” “No way I did that, it was John.”

    Of course we know it was Peter, even though he…

  38. ljdarten Jun 11th 2009 at 04:43 pm 38

    I was way off, I thought it was a Filipino arachnid, which would probably be a little racist on top of being rude.

    Keep up the good work Bill, we’ll try to help beat down the troll population. I think you have a good group of readers here overall, and you can count on them to keep the few manners-deficient in line.

    Oh and I was disappointed to see that the Latin phrase wasn’t about carburetors. Just me? Yeah I know there probably isn’t a Latin word for carburetor.

  39. ljdarten Jun 11th 2009 at 04:46 pm 39

    Racist to the Filipinos, not the arachnids. Couldn’t care less about the eight legged li’l bastards.

  40. Sari Everna Jun 11th 2009 at 05:18 pm 40

    My dad always quoted the phrase Norm was going for as “nils carburundum illegitimi”, although I don’t think that’s the right spelling. Either way, don’t let the bastards wear you down!

    People get worked up over the silliest things, don’t they? :)

  41. Keera Jun 11th 2009 at 05:19 pm 41

    Well, Bill, you must have done something right to get so many people cussing at you. ;-)

  42. Elyrest Jun 11th 2009 at 05:20 pm 42

    ljdarten - that’s not racist it’s speciest. Poor li’l suckers.

  43. Singapore Bill Jun 12th 2009 at 02:58 am 43

    Nicole, I think CIDU Bill already has a plan to replace the income lost due to the RSS deserters. I think he said it involved something about couch cushions…

  44. chuckers Jun 12th 2009 at 08:37 am 44

    I was taught the phrase “illigetimus carburundum nunc”

    But googling it, I find out it’s neither one….Won’t stop me from using
    it, though.

  45. tristara Jun 12th 2009 at 09:58 am 45

    CIDU Bill:
    Thank you for providing me a laugh or a “huh?” nearly everyday. I was reading when the old site went once a week and then when it went “sometimes” and I never stopped just checking to see if it was still here.
    And it is still here, interactive now, and so much more fun. Thank you for your time, your trouble and the fact that this site isn’t subscriber based.
    Thank you for actually answering your email. I know over the years I have sent in several strips and what not and sometimes you always answered me personally.

    I originally found the site because IRL I am a professional clown (well I was back then) and Billo came up on a search. I never cared much for Billo, but ya know, I had the good sense to know that was for some people and not all people and that mostly it was for you and you just happened to share. It mattered to no one whether I liked it or not, not even to me.

    Seriously, thanks.

  46. tristara Jun 12th 2009 at 09:59 am 46

    Ya know, why not put the RSS back, however they like, with a deep apology, and make it subscriber based? Like for $50 a week?
    :)

  47. Bullthistle Jun 12th 2009 at 01:41 pm 47

    This is one of the funniest threads ever - #19 is especially good. Only thing missing is Clamato juice.

  48. Chakolate Jun 12th 2009 at 03:09 pm 48

    CIDU Bill, If three people all sent you hate mail calling you the same thing, it’s probably one person with two sock puppets. Pretty lame, I know, but then calling someone a ‘falafel admiral’ for controlling his own output is also pretty lame.

  49. Cidu Bill Jun 12th 2009 at 03:26 pm 49

    I was thinking the same thing, Chakolate.

  50. Bob in Nashville Jun 13th 2009 at 11:23 am 50

    Just goes to show you what people care most passionately about. :-D

  51. Nicole Jun 13th 2009 at 12:31 pm 51

    and how really trivial it can be

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