To a certain extent I agree, but I think at some point continuing to yell at them won't help anyone, especially if this is indeed the product of institutional racism. If that's the case, I'd say it's more like throwing the mudball after someone told you it was okay. You made a horrid mess, but then you have so many people yelling at you. It was wrong, you're sorry, but at some point the mob does just become too vengeful I'd say. (I'd argue this in any case, just like after some point the art theft mobs get to be too much.)
Just like in your example, after everyone slaps the person, they'll be pretty damn beat up to the point where it is a mob situation. I'm not saying what they did is right, but if they're going to learn, they've gotten all the feedback they need to realize it, and if not, well, I don't think more feedback will make the difference.
I'm not saying that the author shouldn't be 'punished' but at this point, it sounds like she has been. I think the fandom needs to move on. I understand why people are angry, and they have a right to be, but at this point it seems like it's just insulting a stupid teenager. At some point it is vigilante/mob justice. :/ I can't say for sure I know that it is in this particular case, but sometime after an individual gets 20-50 some comments saying they're a horrible human being, it stops being about justice and seems to be more about revenge.
Of course if the person in question is playing innocent after so long and doesn't acknowledge the wrong doing, that's a different story, but it still doesn't seem like more comments would change that. It's more that I don't know where I stand in that case.
(Sorry if any of this is nonsensical, it's too late at night.)
Calling this 'mob justice' is really inappropriate. It's a bunch of people expressing their feelings to an author who put out something hurtful. Those who were hurt have the right to express how they were hurt. It might not make a difference, but they deserve the right to say: "Hey. This fic upset me. It offended me. Your story is part of a system that makes my people backdrops to the lives of yours." There weren't 20-50 comments saying she was a horrible human being. There were 20-50 comments saying: 'your story hurts people and is built on the dismissal of living, breathing human beings.'
Also, another problem is the focus on this author, rather than the focus on the people hurt by the fanfic. We should not be focusing on this author. She is not the victim, she should not be the target of our sympathy.
I'm retracting a lot of what I said because It looks like the author is 33 and should know better (it was late when I first posted and I wasn't up to research). I mean a 13 year-old should know better too, but likely aren't as subtle and don't tend to think about the consequences as much. Basically, she doesn't have the excuse of being young and stupid anymore. To a certain extent, she made her bed and now she has to lie in it.
You are well within your rights to say that it hurt you, offended you, and how (especially if the author isn't backing down). That being said, I don't think there should be any of the "you're a horrible person and deserve to die" type posts or any in that same vein. This is particularly true when it's posted around communities. I may have jumped the gun quite a bit because I've seen a lot dog-piling like that with art thieves. I do think that what I've seen is wrong and I apologize that I wrongly thought that was what was happening.
tl;dr: I think I got the situation wrong and it's okay to say why you're hurt, just not okay for a mob to wish the author a horrible death.
Just like in your example, after everyone slaps the person, they'll be pretty damn beat up to the point where it is a mob situation. I'm not saying what they did is right, but if they're going to learn, they've gotten all the feedback they need to realize it, and if not, well, I don't think more feedback will make the difference.
I'm not saying that the author shouldn't be 'punished' but at this point, it sounds like she has been. I think the fandom needs to move on. I understand why people are angry, and they have a right to be, but at this point it seems like it's just insulting a stupid teenager. At some point it is vigilante/mob justice. :/ I can't say for sure I know that it is in this particular case, but sometime after an individual gets 20-50 some comments saying they're a horrible human being, it stops being about justice and seems to be more about revenge.
Of course if the person in question is playing innocent after so long and doesn't acknowledge the wrong doing, that's a different story, but it still doesn't seem like more comments would change that. It's more that I don't know where I stand in that case.
(Sorry if any of this is nonsensical, it's too late at night.)
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Also, another problem is the focus on this author, rather than the focus on the people hurt by the fanfic. We should not be focusing on this author. She is not the victim, she should not be the target of our sympathy.
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You are well within your rights to say that it hurt you, offended you, and how (especially if the author isn't backing down). That being said, I don't think there should be any of the "you're a horrible person and deserve to die" type posts or any in that same vein. This is particularly true when it's posted around communities. I may have jumped the gun quite a bit because I've seen a lot dog-piling like that with art thieves. I do think that what I've seen is wrong and I apologize that I wrongly thought that was what was happening.
tl;dr: I think I got the situation wrong and it's okay to say why you're hurt, just not okay for a mob to wish the author a horrible death.
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