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Or, how about the writer has experienced something very personal which their editor thought would appeal to an audience as wide as that of NYMag? Perhaps, inste

Or, how about the writer has experienced something very personal which their editor thought would appeal to an audience as wide as that of NYMag? Perhaps, instead of just saying the writer is wrong, you could try and empathise with the position, see if you feel better after some time apart from the internet. Try and understand another perspective. Writing is 1 to many, the author was most certainly not writing just for you. No need to be so incensed.

ryandrake 10y ago
It's fine to say, "Hey, I don't like this--here's the personal story about how I had a huge problem with it." It goes off the rails when he starts calling it "our" [collective] problem. Sorry, I just think that's assuming an awful lot about one's audience.
- jsmthrowaway 10y ago
  You're assuming that your ability to control this implies that everybody else in the audience is just like you, has the ability, and doesn't need or want the article. This is quite obviously false and a form of projection. Again, you're not the audience.
- marmot777 10y ago
  Fair enough, I certainly don't want any government programs to come out of this discussion. I kind of doubt he meant collective in that we need a collective solution. He meant collective in the sense of it captures the times. He's right. At least I hope that's what he meant as collective solutions aren't called for here. Thoughtful thinking and discussion are called for online, please. I like online.
- azeirah 10y ago
  "Our collective problem" can also be interpreted that this is a problem for an amount of people in our society, and that is is /our collective problem/ that these people are dealing with these issues.
- crawfordcomeaux 10y ago
  I'm a recovering info addict (not the author) & here's what I mean when I describe it as our collective problem: 1. We're living in the Information Age. 2. Information can be addictive?! Holy shit! 3. And we barely have a clue as to how to deal with people addicted to anything else, let alone addicted to that thing we're defining this entire age of humanity on?! It doesn't have to be a problem you suffer from to see that information being addictive implies significant potential for collective harm.

ryandrake 10y ago

It's fine to say, "Hey, I don't like this--here's the personal story about how I had a huge problem with it." It goes off the rails when he starts calling it "our" [collective] problem. Sorry, I just think that's assuming an awful lot about one's audience.

jsmthrowaway 10y ago
You're assuming that your ability to control this implies that everybody else in the audience is just like you, has the ability, and doesn't need or want the article. This is quite obviously false and a form of projection. Again, you're not the audience.
marmot777 10y ago
Fair enough, I certainly don't want any government programs to come out of this discussion. I kind of doubt he meant collective in that we need a collective solution. He meant collective in the sense of it captures the times. He's right. At least I hope that's what he meant as collective solutions aren't called for here. Thoughtful thinking and discussion are called for online, please. I like online.
azeirah 10y ago
"Our collective problem" can also be interpreted that this is a problem for an amount of people in our society, and that is is /our collective problem/ that these people are dealing with these issues.
crawfordcomeaux 10y ago
I'm a recovering info addict (not the author) & here's what I mean when I describe it as our collective problem: 1. We're living in the Information Age. 2. Information can be addictive?! Holy shit! 3. And we barely have a clue as to how to deal with people addicted to anything else, let alone addicted to that thing we're defining this entire age of humanity on?! It doesn't have to be a problem you suffer from to see that information being addictive implies significant potential for collective harm.