Got A Life

I recently had an unsavoury exchange on BoardGameGeek where I objected to one poster's comment that other posters in the thread should "get a life". It was a thread about an aspect of gaming, where many people jumped in with an opinion. The comment I objected to was a particularly patronising one suggesting that other posters should do something like "open the door and step outside and get a taste of what the big wide world has to offer", or something like that. I object very strongly to that sort of comment. I've had two marriages, one child, travelled to dangerous places, my mother has a terminal disease, I'm in love and confused; and if I feel like arguing minutiae of board games, I'll damn well do so. I don't care who you are, I've got a life, every poster on BoardGameGeek has a life that they are leading to the best of their ability, and it's the height of arrogance to assume that because someone wants to discuss small details that they are somehow lacking in other aspects of their lives.

Of course I chose not go into such detail in my reply on the thread, merely pointing out that this was actually a geek website, and that being polite wouldn't go astray. I received email from the "lifer" saying that he'd been on BGG longer than I had (ooh, and his dad could beat my dad up!) and knew what was appropriate. So I told him to get a life :-). Then he called me assorted names which I didn't read very closely and didn't distress me. I know what sort of person he is now. He goes on the list of arseholes to ignore on BGG. I don't see him posting very much, which I guess is lucky for all of us.

Anyway, that's something that Pisses Me Off. We've all got lives, we choose to play board games in them. I don't think for a second that my life is better than anyone else's - I don't know what other people do when they're not posting on BGG, I don't know what motivates and distresses and excites them. We come together to discuss board games, not to play at one-upmanship. We've got lives.