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As far as I can tell, the story here is that 1. the person tasked with introducing an author talked more about her own initiative (getting people to read more)

As far as I can tell, the story here is that 1. the person tasked with introducing an author talked more about her own initiative (getting people to read more) than the author; 2. the person was criticised for this; and 3. the author wants people to know that he doesn't mind not being talked about because he likes reading too, and he doesn't feel he needs help promoting himself. So far, so boring. There's also some mysterious implication that the criticism was due to some kind of undercurrents in Hungarian politics. Is this another tedious culture war thing?

junon 3y ago
I think he was more alluding to the possibility of a language or cultural or political barrier, one of which he was not aware because he is not from there, that could be a driving force behind Hungarian backlash toward this individual.
kitd 3y ago
There's a comment on the blog that mentions the woman is a journalist at an independent media outlet not affiliated with the government. I am not familiar with Hungarian politics other than there being a right-wing populist leader in charge. They often come with shill hordes who see independent outlets prepared to criticise the gov as "the enemy". I can imagine she could become a target at the slightest provocation.
- bannedbybros 3y ago
  [dead]
justin66 3y ago
> There's also some mysterious implication that the criticism was due to some kind of undercurrents in Hungarian politics. Is this another tedious culture war thing? You're allowed to regard anything as a tedious culture war thing, and be annoyed or offended by it on that basis. That's what's great about a culture war. Feel the annoyance course through your veins. You know you want to.
- sdenton4 3y ago
  Mild annoyance is the path to the dark side... Mild annoyance turns to irritation. Irritation turns to outrage. Outrage turns to anger leads to hatred. And hated leads to suffering.
karaterobot 3y ago
> There's also some mysterious implication that the criticism was due to some kind of undercurrents in Hungarian politics. Is this another tedious culture war thing? I doubt it. I think he was just saying "I can't know whether I have all the facts or context when I say this" in the same way that I, a random person on the internet, can only assume that John Scalzi is giving me all the relevant facts in that blog post, and if there is something I'm missing that makes it more complicated, my comment here on HN does not take that into account.
jandrese 3y ago
Yeah, it's great because it is boring. Some people got in a huff over some perceived insult, but the supposed "victim" chimes in and says there is no problem and the entire situation is defused. This is how online discussion is supposed to work, even though this is the kind of situation that the algorithm hates because who is going to engage now?
curun1r 3y ago
From my 5-minute read of the situation, this feels similar to the quote about politics in academia, “Academic politics is the most vicious and bitter form of politics, because the stakes are so low.” The more you get out of the mainstream and you’re dealing with status in some tiny subculture, the more you’re going to see people delve into minutiae to undercut someone achieving that status. The lower the stakes, the nastier it often gets. Chances are that this person has people who are envious of whatever limited celebrity she has and are waiting for opportunities to criticize her. When she gave them one, they jumped on it and used the defense of this author’s feelings as their pretense. But anyone thinking it was real outrage is missing the underlying dynamic.

junon 3y ago

I think he was more alluding to the possibility of a language or cultural or political barrier, one of which he was not aware because he is not from there, that could be a driving force behind Hungarian backlash toward this individual.

kitd 3y ago

There's a comment on the blog that mentions the woman is a journalist at an independent media outlet not affiliated with the government. I am not familiar with Hungarian politics other than there being a right-wing populist leader in charge. They often come with shill hordes who see independent outlets prepared to criticise the gov as "the enemy". I can imagine she could become a target at the slightest provocation.

bannedbybros 3y ago
[dead]

justin66 3y ago

> There's also some mysterious implication that the criticism was due to some kind of undercurrents in Hungarian politics. Is this another tedious culture war thing? You're allowed to regard anything as a tedious culture war thing, and be annoyed or offended by it on that basis. That's what's great about a culture war. Feel the annoyance course through your veins. You know you want to.

sdenton4 3y ago
Mild annoyance is the path to the dark side... Mild annoyance turns to irritation. Irritation turns to outrage. Outrage turns to anger leads to hatred. And hated leads to suffering.

karaterobot 3y ago

> There's also some mysterious implication that the criticism was due to some kind of undercurrents in Hungarian politics. Is this another tedious culture war thing? I doubt it. I think he was just saying "I can't know whether I have all the facts or context when I say this" in the same way that I, a random person on the internet, can only assume that John Scalzi is giving me all the relevant facts in that blog post, and if there is something I'm missing that makes it more complicated, my comment here on HN does not take that into account.

jandrese 3y ago

Yeah, it's great because it is boring. Some people got in a huff over some perceived insult, but the supposed "victim" chimes in and says there is no problem and the entire situation is defused. This is how online discussion is supposed to work, even though this is the kind of situation that the algorithm hates because who is going to engage now?

curun1r 3y ago

From my 5-minute read of the situation, this feels similar to the quote about politics in academia, “Academic politics is the most vicious and bitter form of politics, because the stakes are so low.” The more you get out of the mainstream and you’re dealing with status in some tiny subculture, the more you’re going to see people delve into minutiae to undercut someone achieving that status. The lower the stakes, the nastier it often gets. Chances are that this person has people who are envious of whatever limited celebrity she has and are waiting for opportunities to criticize her. When she gave them one, they jumped on it and used the defense of this author’s feelings as their pretense. But anyone thinking it was real outrage is missing the underlying dynamic.