Troll Stalking

Fellow expat blogger, newspaper columnist and friend Simon Pitchforth says this: "It depresses me ... that intelligent debate often loses out to personal digs."

Yeah, me too Simon, but this is a personal dig at Samuel Kurniawan for his inane comment: I have often wondered what planet "Jakartass" exists on because so often it shows naivety and such a limited understanding of Jakarta and beyond.

I don't have to and perhaps shouldn't respond, but, hey SK, you've got under my skin. It's your choice to come here. I didn't ask or force you to. You have the right to articulate your own perceptions of life in "Jakarta and beyond". So why don't you? Could it be because you have nothing to say, at least in a meaningful way?

As I have noted before, I write primarily for me. That Jakartass has a 'community' of followers and subscribers, and that Jakartass is in every list of the top ten blogs in Indonesia (and currently the top ranked English language blog), is an indication that my perception of local happenings strikes a chord. I believe that is also why I was invited to rewrite - another plug ahoy - Culture Shock! Jakarta.

I welcome debate, especially when it stays on topic. Occasionally it leads me down unexpected paths, but that is a reflection of the dynamics of social intercourse.

However personal digs add nothing to anything and smack of immaturity. You are welcome to disagree with my opinions or errors of fact, but in writing about the new Traffic Law I highlighted some of the new regulations which had been published by media staffed by paid journalists who are under professional obligations to report the 'truth'.

I'm not under that obligation, but I do my best to be 'honest' and at all times strive to be balanced and fair in my writing. I have earned respect for that, Samuel, and that is sufficient reward. I haven't (yet) accepted any of the many offers I've received to monetise Jakartass and, you'll note, that I don't carry Google ads.

What you get is pure me, rants and all.

And here endeth one such rant.
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Which one of these are you SK? If you hadn't had the courtesy to input your email address, I'd probably have banned you.
 

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¶ 10:00 am