Blocked.

Once again I'm writing a different blog to the one I planned. This is because of what happened to me last night. This blog contains what my Gran used to call "language" but I will censor it.

As I think you all know, I'm on twitter. In fact I'll goes as far as to say if you're not following me on twitter you won't be reading this. So you all know what it's about. Well, last night I blocked someone for the first time and I don't know how I feel about it.

I follow people, as I think we all do, who we find interesting and have things to tell us and these might be celebrities who might, on occasion, reply to a tweet or be friends who we chat to at length. One of the ways I met lots of good friends is at #frys as I think most of you know, and if you don't, call in soon. I'm one of the bartenders there and because of this it can get confusing sometimes who I'm following and who is just a regular (I'm bear of little brain). This is why I've ended up following just one or two people who are OK but not really on my wavelength (Not you, you're lovely!)

The person I blocked last night had said some things to me before but then put lots of :) after it. Thought it was rude but I know late at night how you can say something as a joke and it be misinterpreted, it's happen to me. But I hope, no I know, I've never been offensive.

Last night after another lovely impromptu party at #frys to celebrate the announcement of FrysgigNYC (get your tickets soon) it was a late night for me, around one thirty in the am and I had had, as those who know me won't be surprised to hear, a couple of glasses of wine. I was having a pleasant chat to a good friend when one of my comments about how it would be good if we could met in real life, a thought I think many of us might have had, was retweeted with the additional line TW*TS ANONYMOUS! (This is from memory because as I've blocked this person I can no longer see the offending tweets myself).

Now this shook me in a couple of ways. We all know, but sometimes forget, that if people are following us they can listen to our conversation, especially if we are including a hash tag such as #frys and it's great when other people join in. Some people even apologise for butting in, but if it was private we would direct message each other. There is a way of behaving online and on twitter as there is in life, I think, and that's with respect to each other. If I was chatting to a friend in a "real" pub and someone came up to me and shouted "TW*T" at me I think I have the right to be offended. I was in this case too and I after a lot of thought I replied (again from memory) "Hardly anonymous and f*** off!", I censored myself at the time too. Which is how I think I would reply in real life as well.

This person then started to fire off a volley of tweets to me which I'm afraid I can't remember but they seemed to me at the time to be equally unpleasant and so I blocked and walked away. Maybe in the cold light of day they would not seem so bad, I don't know but I really think there is no excuse for this behaviour. Some have said drink may have been involved and that's why he said what he said. Well, drink was definitely was involved at my end and often is but I don't think that is a valid excuse, but maybe I'm wrong.

This has upset me more than it should. Didn't like blocking, it seemed a betrayal of why I joined twitter. I haven't named the person as I'm sure they would love the infamy but if you need to know DM me.

Did I over react? I'm not sure myself. But I think life's too short to waste time on people you don't like. Please let me know what you think.