Thursday, April 26, 2012

Glad I was born in 1975

I've had a few conversations this morning- some via Twitter, some on the phone and others via e-mail. Some have been constructive and positive (thanks for those), some have been laced with name-calling and curse words. Neato.

I started this site with two of my pals six years ago so we would have a place to vent about Purdue sports instead of sending out long e-mail threads on Monday mornings.  It's been a pretty therapeutic part of my life as I tend to get too angry when Purdue loses...so blowing off steam has helped me to fester for less time. But, the last few months, not just the last few hours, haven't been that way.

Comments on Twitter and on the site alike have shown me some things from fellow Purdue fans that have made this site feel more like a just a laborious activity than a labor of love.  It's really my naiveté that's the problem- I've always thought of Purdue fans as a cut above the rest of the world...but it turns out (SHOCKER!) that a school of 40K+ has quite a few knuckleheads and dumbasses leaving her doors each year.

But that's not why I'm writing today. I'm writing because I'm a very flawed person...and make a ton of mistakes in my daily life. Most of them can easily be looked past and gotten over.  I apologize to my kids and wife when screw up...and they're a forgiving group, thankfully, so life marches on as time does...even with my shortcomings. But some people don't forgive or forget quite as easily.

Earlier today, Boiledsports, which has really been Jandboilerdowd.com for the last six years, published something that isn't in line with the way we think and do things. We removed it, but the record of the article will live on via classy folks at Northwestern sites and elsewhere.  In other words, the digital copy is out there, and it will be...forever. I haven't talked to Nikki about her post.  I don't know if she regrets putting it up...and don't really care either way.  She's entitled to her opinion...and it's really not

But, having a pervasive internet and constant documentation of life has taken away much of the wiggle room that everyday life used to have built in.  Sure, much of this is by the choice of the person making the mistake...but perspective changes with time and experience...but internet mistakes are forever.
Color me Boilerdowd
When I was in high school and college, my fashion choices were questionable. I wore colored jeans and Nike Deion Sanders shoes...at the same time. I once shaved lines...into my eyebrows. I had brightly-colored leather and suede jackets.  Nasty, egregious stuff.  Sure, there's record of these mistakes...but they're locked away in old photo albums and VHS tapes...many under lock and key at my parents' home. You can't merely hit a few keystrokes and call them up to your computermaphone and show them to your chums...Thank God.
Busted!!
But that's not the case for everyone.  I don't know how to do it, but I'm sure there's a way to find old Twitter posts from accounts that are closed. And if you make an embarrassing video, even if you erase it, it's still floating around in the ethos just waiting for the wrong prying hands and eyes to grab it and use it in any way possible.

I haven't ever recorded myself sans pantalones...but I know some of you out there have...and I'm sure your friends have found the proof. What seemed like a good idea for just you and that special someone, wasn't so special or private as the dynamics of the relationship changed...and you and your pride have paid for that.

I guess what I'm driving at, is that, at least in this case, I'm glad to be a bit older than some of you reading this.  Like you, I screwed up a lot during my time in high school and college...but back then, my buddies would have had to grab the camcorder to document it...and the only way everyone would have seen it was if we had a viewing party.  A good friend of mine once questioned the sexual preference of a girl that turned him down during our Sophomore year in HS...and his reactionary stupidity spread quickly through school.  But there was no Twitter or FB to immortalize his stupidity...and it's a good thing.  He apologized to the girl, she forgave him and the thing just went away. Now, he's actually a pretty thoughtful and well-respected adult...he just wasn't that way when he was 15. Nor was I.

Sure, when I'm reminded by limited follicles, extra weight around the middle and the fact that it hurts to play basketball, I'm not too stoked about being a 36 year old...But all-in-all, I'm pretty damned thankful that I was born in 1975. And really, more importantly, I'm thankful to have been a teenager in the 90s (even if I may or may not have worn overalls during that era).

13 comments:

zlionsfan said...

Yeah, I'm really glad that I graduated before email could make its way off campus ... never mind this whole World Wide Web thing. There is zero doubt in my mind that I would have been one of those people posting crazy pictures and videos to my Facebook page (and having others post more of the same).

Also, seriously, if I'd had a laptop to take to class, I'd probably have to watch the lectures online because I'd be paying zero attention in class. Hello, Facebook. Hello, Diablo III.

Kids these days just don't realize how tough they have it.

(The first word of the captcha is "getworth". It should be "getoffmylawn".)

boilerdowd said...

I'm pretty sure I'd have gotten nothing completed if I had access to youtube during class...and had learned little.

EW said...

So, the "classy folks" who have a copy of the now taken-down article are in the wrong for something that you decided to publish on your site to begin with?

I bleed gold and black and always will. But frankly, your awful post and Travis’s crying video clip posted last month on Hammer and Rails were flat out embarrassing for Purdue fans who read your site for information on Purdue sports.

It’s sad that your site and Hammer and Rails are so fond of continually complaining that bloggers aren’t taken seriously as journalists, but subsequently hide behind a smokescreen of “fandom” or “we’re glad we’re old” excuses when any sort of journalistic credibility comes up. If you want to be recognized as the people who represent the pulse of everyday Purdue reporting, then start acting like it.

Anonymous said...

EW:

Do you come here often? Boiled Sports routinely states how they aren't journalists and don't wish to be seen as such. They are proud fans who say what they want, when they want.

What's with everyone lately? Every other day the sky is falling over something in the world of Purdue University. This too shall pass folks.

Boilergal said...

I would be unhireable if camera phones and the internet existed while I was in school... or even after. Thankfully I was also born in 1975 and my friends weren't of the mindset to immediately record and post my actions even after these technologies were created!

Loretta8 said...

Boilerdowd,

You are completely missing the point here. This in particular:

"I haven't talked to Nikki about her post. I don't know if she regrets putting it up...and don't really care either way. She's entitled to her opinion..."

shows that you just don't get it.

It's not a question of opinion. If she had written a piece entitled "Robbie Hummel was a terrible, overrated player" or "Matt Painter sucks and should be fired", that would be an opinion that she's entitled to. I'm sure most Purdue fans would be extremely angry about such a piece, and some would even say mean things about her, but you'd be correct that she's entitled to her opinion.

But what Nikki-J wrote about a high school freshman was not "opinion." It was her attempting to publicly embarrass someone who isn't even old enough to drive a car. A kid who did nothing wrong besides poor spelling and grammar. She described him as a "dumb jock", and described his tweets as "blathering" and "incomprehensible." She also took the time to find a picture of said high school freshman, which she posted as part of the story with the caption "the man of the hour."

It was completely indefensible by any standard of basic human decency (not to mention incredibly stupid from a Purdue perspective to potentially alienate a recruit). Purdue fans (along with anyone else on the Internet) has every right to rip Nikki and your site for your appalling decision to publish the article.

Pulling the article is a step in the right direction. However, you're rambling on about forgiveness and how young people make mistakes. Yet not only has there not yet been an apology from Nikki, you yourself say that you don't care if she regrets posting it. Why should anyone forgive her if she doesn't even apologize?

If and when "Nikki-J" does publicly apologize, then people can decide whether or not to forgive her. Until then, neither her nor your site is worthy of anyone's forgiveness or respect.

boilerdowd said...

EW, I don't think you understand my post. My focus isn't on the mistake of the post, but the mistakes made by youthful people in their everyday lives being documented...but, reading is hard.

For the record, I have NEVER complained about not being taken seriously on this site. I write here because I want to. I have job...and jagoffs like yourself imposing someone else's opinion on to me does nothing but piss me off.

But please, don't come back if it makes your life better...there are a ton of options out there. Enjoy yourself.

CalTravelGuy said...

I don't know what you posted. I don't care what you posted. I won't go searching other sites for what you posted.

The only thing that is important is that you took responsibility for something you did and apologized. It's over and everyone should move on.

The line between edgy, truthful, hurtful and mean CAN be razor thin. I've been all over that line and am not proud of some of it. This post is DEAD ON... I am SO THANKFUL my youthful discretions were not documented on the world wide web. :-)

QuadBoiler said...

I was one of the people who read the post last night and commented on how distasteful I thought it was. That being said, the post was taken down and neither J nor dowd posted it, so constantly bashing them and their site (which has been filled with great posts over the years, none of which get any pub on twitter) for one poorly written post by a completely new BS blogger is ridiculous.

Loretta8, please get down off of your high horse. Seeing your comment here and your 50 something tweets about the subject are making me nauseous. I don't know if you have some deep hatred for Boiled Sports or just Purdue, but in my mind you are a troll and should be treated as such. I guess news must be slow there in Evanston or you would have saved us all the trouble of reading your incessant bitching about something you have no business being a part of. Keep up the good work boys, don't let these jags get to you.

boilerdowd said...

I didn't even see Loretta's comment.

Here's what everyone on here might not know. Loretta called me a douchebag to his 300 twitter followers this morning...and continued to bag on me for much of the morning...Also started this by saying on behalf of all bloggers, "f--- you". Nice guy/girl...really good way to start the discussion. Then he/she thought I was being obtuse by getting bothered by the language and name-calling.

If Nikki wants to apologize, that's up to her. I'll say it again, she has the right to have opinions...and yes, people do have the right to have opinions of other people...they might not be right and I might not agree with them, but they have the right.

I didn't agree with the post, I removed it and have expressed this in as calm of a manner as possible. 6 years of this site and we've made it a practice of not ripping kids. That's why the post was removed...it's not congruent with the way we do things.

Lastly, if our site is not worth attention, why have you spent your entire day crusading against us? Perhaps your inconsistencies are why only 300 people follow you on Twitter. Or maybe your repetitive schick of posting the same crap over and over bothers them. Who knows. Whatever the case, I appreciate most of those who read our site, but appreciate people like you staying on your side of the fence and off of our site. If you talk to people face-to-face like you do via the internet, I wish you nothing but failure. People that treat people like crap deserve what they sow.

BoilerBloodline said...

Was Nikki not a Boiled Sports fan before she became a blogger? If she was, she would have known this site doesn't rip current players, let alone a freshman in high school.
I do find it interesting the blogs are not proof read before being posted. Either way, this is still by far the best Purdue blog out there and I appreciate the hard work and great insights over the years.

J Money said...

The post was looked at by both of us and it didn't feel right to either of us, but long work hours, travel, fatigue and an effort to not censor new voices led to us green lighting it. We shouldn't have. Not sure what more we can say.

bsjagoffreader said...

What more can you say? You could apologize instead of hem-hawing around like Jason Giambi trying to sidestep an admission of using steroids.

But what do I know - I'm sure you'll just consider me another "jagoff" reader.