November 12, 2015

De-mob

Social media has profoundly impacted the piping and drumming world. I wrote before about how technology platforms and gizmos have brought all of us closer together, and certainly I am an early adopter of digital whatevers if they move us forward.

Social media has made everyone sort of familiar with everyone else. For better or worse, it has broken down the mystique that our greatest bands and players once had. Just about everything is right there now for anyone interested. That hot new medley that was once debuted with a pent-up splash at the first contest is now pretty much old-hat, heard on recordings, seen on YouTube, the scores circulated by phone. Ten-time-Clasp-winner Dugald MacFarquhar is a “Friend.” You made a sassy comment to a famous drummer’s status update — you don’t really know him, but by chiming in you feel aligned with greatness.

We’re so familiar with everyone and everything vicariously on the Internet that, when we actually meet people or attend things in-person, there are hardly any surprises.

In general, technology has made us cozier. Our once rather cold, cold competition ground is now a lot lot warmer. There are fewer bitter rivalries. The arch-enemies who we’d previously willfully ignore are now Friends whose posts we Like.

But along with that new-found glow from social media has come a disturbing underbelly of animosity and vitriol and even hatred. In fact, it was there from the beginning of the net, starting with the wretched cesspool called alt.rec.musicmakers.bagpipe, an early newsgroup chat thing where anonymous crackpots would go to spread their vile, even psychopathic, bile.

Gradually, though, things like that and the horrible Delphi Beer Tent forum and occasional other sordid places lost out to saner people. Facebook, with its mostly positive, authentic temperament, is the platform of choice for the pipe band world.

But there is still awfulness out there. There remain those who will say horribly demeaning and even libelous things about our fellow pipers and drummers. Where once they would do that only anonymously, there are those who are actually willing to put their names to their invective via Facebook.

It generally happens when a sort of online mob-rule takes over good judgment. One idiot throws a rock, so another jerk breaks a window, and pretty soon mild-mannered and kind folk join the raging mob, take leave of their facilities and start lobbing personally-signed Molotov cocktails of flaming hate.

The difference is, these online glassings of our fellow pipers and drummers are there forever. No amount of deletions or apologies will remove the digital stain of their wrong-headedness. When they pressed Enter, no matter how many beers they had consumed or how many others egged them on, the fact that they made the decision to say what they said remains.

Forever.

It also can be hurtful and damaging beyond an intended schoolyard taunt. Some hateful comments are even actionable.

If you’re wondering if this post is about you, well, then it probably is.

I’m not suggesting the pipe band world should be the land of the Care Bears. Healthy debate and discussion and even the occasional heated argument allow us to grow. We’ll never like everything or everyone, but the least we pipers and drummers require and expect of each other is mutual respect.

There’s no place for mob-rule. After all, it’s music. But those who consciously and consistently press Enter to spew their hatred against others will get what they deserve: eventually they won’t be welcome in the club, which ultimately stands for good.

 

November 08, 2015

Worlds away

Is it Worlds or World’s?

Answer: it’s World’s.

Worlds is the plural of world, and there is only one world, at least when it comes to the World Championship.

“World’s” is possessive, as in “Championship of the World.”

Since it’s the championship of one world, it’s World’s. If it were the championship of two worlds, it would be Worlds’.

Just like “Field Marshal” is correct, and not “Field Marshall”; and there is no space between Scottish and Power in ScottishPower; and Dunn is “Alastair,” Henderson is “Alasdair,” and McLaren is “Alisdair,” it should be “World’s.”

It isn’t Worlds, it’s World’s.

Oh, and it’s pipes|drums, pronounced “pipes-drums,” not “pipes and drums.”

Their. Thats better, isnt it?

Registration

Forgotten Password?