Saturday, July 29, 2006

Because I'm Really a Jerk

Another blogger wrote a post about her younger child having poop issues, and since Lord, I feel her on poop issues, I left a comment saying that our doctor recommended mineral oil.

A subsequent commenter strongly cautioned against mineral oil saying:

"I wouldn't use mineral oil! I had a dr told me that once and I looked it up on the Net...many baby's have died from it. It's not commonly used now. I asked my new Ped about it and she told me to never use it.

Check out the facts before you use it."


My first reaction was, predictably, "EEK! Death! Oh my god I'm killing Lumpyhead! That woman read it on the internet!"

After she had a doctor told her that once. And the have belonging to a baby was killed. Or something.

So I calmed down and googled "mineral oil laxative death" and found nothing to support the other commenter's claims, even though she read it on the Net, which is like the word of God handed down. Instead, I'm going to continue following the advice of our son's board-certified and highly trained surgeon, I guess.

[grumbles]

Now, I certainly wouldn't go out and try everything every random commenter suggests. Please. But I might ask my doctor about something someone else's doctor recommended.

So, here's the thing. This really ticked me off. I shouldn't feel attacked, I suppose, but I felt my credibility was called into question. Perhaps I should have been clearer about a "please consult your physician before following any assvice from your blog" disclaimer on my comment. I don't know.

I considered not reading the blog anymore, but the author had no part in the off-pissing of me (although she may be rolling her eyes a little about the assvice, which: okay, fine.) But this isn't the first time I've been really horrified by the comments on this blog. It gets a LOT of trolls. For the most part I enjoy reading the blog, though, so maybe I should just stop reading the comment section. I can't shake the feeling, however, that if these are the kind of people reading this blog, what am I doing here? Am I like them? Dear God, am I?

Then someone cool like MetroDad or Wood leaves a comment there and I feel all validated again.

Anyway, do you read any blogs that consistently anger you, or do you just stop reading once you've been ticked off? Being challenged isn't a bad thing, but I don't think I want to be challenged doing something - like reading blogs - I do purely for enjoyment. I'm not looking for intellectual fulfillment, here. I want to laugh about farts and see your cute baby pictures and, every once in awhile, cry or think for days about a well-written entry. I don't want to be pissed off.

I'm not linking to the blog because I don't think that would be fair. Honestly, the other commenter doesn't deserve to be ridiculed; I sort of feel like a heel for doing that.

Sort of. Email me if it's killing you and you really need to know.

8 comments:

Melissa said...

If you like the blog, read the blog. Leave the comments alone if they bug you, but for goodness sake, you were trying to be helpful. And the "mineral oil might bring about the apocalypse!" reply sounds like it wasn't so much intellectually challenging as... um, ridiculous.

(Okay, really I would walk away and never come back, but I think YOU should keep reading. Apparently I think you're a better person than I am.)

Anonymous said...

Yes...I've read some blogs that pissed me off and I finally stopped reading them. Leaving a comment was tantamount to inviting yourself to be at the bottom of a dogpile of comments that were mean-spirited. I gave advice once about kidney stones and the person's reaction sounded similar to the mineral oil fear-mongers of which you speak. I felt stung...and none of my research could validate her opinion. I did quit reading after that...but for other reasons.

Auntly H said...

just to get this straight... annoying commenter was told to try mineral oil by her doctor, but opted to believe horror stories/urban legends she unearthed on the internet? I don't think it's worth your time worrying about her opinion. If there tend to be a lot of annoying commenters on that blog, skip the comments (or scan for those posted by people you respect).

just my 2 cents. Consult your doctor before you take my advice.

Sharon L. Holland said...

Hmm. Strange how I instantly assume the person with the better grammar must also have the better medical opinion.

There are blogs that bug me sometimes. I just don't put or keep them on my blogroll, and I don't bother commenting.

Miguelita said...

Trying to validate your resource by saying "I read it on the internet" is as gratifying as saying "I heard it at the mall".
Whatevah!

I have heard that mineral oil is good too. So far we havent had togo that route since taking a rectal temp seems to bring on a shitload of, well, shit. And tha's my two cents on the poop issues.

I get pissed off with some blog commenters and so sometimes I am "on a break" with certain blogs. Unfortunatly it is never the blog owners fault, just some commenters I need a little distance from. I always go back eventually.

Anonymous said...

I think that the blog you are talking about (because I read the post and comments too) often stirs up controvery, but that's usually a good thing in my opinion. Any blog that gets a lot of readers will eventually invite some trolls.

I agree with Melissa, if the commenters are what bothers you, don't read them. You were trying to be helpful (and you were nice about it!) so people shouldn't make you feel dumb about it. Not nice.

Gidge Uriza said...

I have to stop reading anyone who pisses me off that much, really. With and exception or two here or there, because sometimes I recognize that I would like people and that we would just differ on subject X or Y.
But now, when I google Mineral Oil Laxative Death I will hit your blog.
Which is far better than LARGE PUSS FILLED CYST which used to get you to mine........

mo-wo said...

P-man and I are disagreeable by nature. About 80% of the blogs we read piss us off. But that is because on top of being disagreeable we are really dull and stodgey folks who can't stand challenging ideas from others. Tho' we receive some masochistic thrill from their existence.

But you blog is lovely.

And, that 'other' blog.. I know whereof... The trolls have done in my reading of it off and on.. yes.