There are readers...

...and there are readers.

Writing this blog has afforded me the opportunity to interact with many interesting people around the world. I have had the chance for "conversations" on a wide variety of topics, with people of diverse views. A number of my readers are insightful, intelligent and fun to "talk" to. However, not all are like that. A very, very small minority - perhaps less than .1%, but noticeable nevertheless, are a strange kind of reader indeed. They are readers who love to hate.

I shall explain. These somewhat deranged readers, lurk on my blog, seemingly reading every post. Yet, their purpose is not to enjoy what they read - it is to pick a fight. It is quite clear from their attempted comments - which are usually too aggressive, extreme or quite simply mad, to post - that they are the same person each time. They have uniquely warped identities that are very obvious. Each one has certain consistent lines of thought and argument. Each one has their "pet hates". Yet, they all share hate, in common. They really, really, really don't like what I write. Yet - and this is the mystery of it - they are regular readers. Whenever I post something with any of the views they don't like, they will try to comment. This can only mean that they are regular readers, waiting and watching for something to argue with. It is really rather mad.

Luckily, there are very few readers like this: less than the fingers on one hand - but that few, is somewhat too many. I find them puzzling. If I were them and someone was writing something I didn't like, I just wouldn't go out of my way to read it. Yet, they do: they read it and they argue with it, they fight it, they throw spite at it. It is bizarre.

Another characteristic they seemingly share is the inability to understand what I write. Their comments show that they have missed the point, or reinterpreted it in the light of their often rather strange world views. Sometimes, they craft what they obviously think are clever arguments, based on a complete failure to understand what I have written - thus showing that their argument is actually rather dim.

What is particularly galling is that with some of them, their position of hate is quite clearly founded on a misunderstanding of where I am coming from. They are making assumptions about my intentions - assumptions of stances which they can't stand.

I do wonder if they are ill. You see very few normal people would keep revisiting a site whose writing they don't like, just so that they can wait for an argument.

Thankfully, this minority of internet anti-fans, is a very small minority indeed. Most of my regular readers - over 99%, I would say - are here because they enjoy something of what I write and like to discuss some of the issues I raise, in a mature manner. Some regulars wish to share their own experiences and viewpoints, too...and so, in this way, we have interesting exchanges. It is for these readers that I continue to write. As for the others...well, I don't suppose they will like this post much will they?

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 6 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to:
http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

I also write of gifted education, child prodigy, child genius, adult genius, savant, megasavant, HELP University College, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, Malaysia, IQ, intelligence and creativity.

My Internet Movie Database listing is at: http://imdb.com/name/nm3438598/
Ainan's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3305973/
Syahidah's IMDB listing is at http://imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

Our editing, proofreading and copywriting company, Genghis Can, is at http://www.genghiscan.com/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)