Why They Keep Coming Back

my assumptions...

You know, it really never ceases to amaze me. "It" being people who hate the Gospel, who hate Christian positions on a variety of matters, who detest even the faintest sent of conservatism, reading my blog on a regular basis.

It blows my mind.

I regularly check my Statcounter and there they are! My adversaries. From disgruntled Romanists and other heretics, to left-wing hardened atheists, and everything in between. Many of them are banned from commenting, due to violations of my commenting rules, but still, I would say that on any given day, 30-40% of my traffic is from "the opposition". With those kinds of numbers, I thought I would try to understand what would move one of my adversaries to visit my blog, and then keep coming back. This is what I came up with:


1- "Mommy, look at the funny fundamentalist!"

Like a kid watching a monkey or some other bizarre animal at the zoo, I am well aware that there are many who read my blog because they see me as some sort of novelty. I therefore become a strange form of entertainment; a freak show, so-to-speak.

I don't really mind this adversary. I understand that there really isn't too many like me out there in the world, so I gladly accept being the strange zoo animal for their entertainment. While these souls would definitely stand against most of my views, they would, usually, be respectful of my positions, even if they think I'm completely mad. That's probably why I can't remember ever banning such an one.

Perhaps, as they are watching my antics, the Lord would save them. Therefore, it's a win-win situation.


2- Blog Hijackers.

These opposers are of the worst kind. Just like any other kind of hijacker, these souls' objective is simple: take over and direct everyone to a different destination. In the blog world, a hijacker is a person who continually promotes a position(s) in the blogger's comment box that are contrary to the blogger's views. I have banned plenty of these.

The reasoning behind the constant return of these folks is simple: they seek to sabotage and discredit anything and everything the blogger has to say. You really have to be passionately PSYCHO to be a continual Blog Hijacker, IMHO. I say this because at the core of the blog hijacker's philosophy is the denial of the expression of all other views but his/her own. The Blog Hijacker's views must always be preeminent, and that, even on another person's domain.

The funny thing is that I am often charged with "denying the expression of other views" because of my occasional banning of comments/commentors. There is a difference though. While I do keep a firm grasp over what is posted anywhere on my blog, I do not infringe on the rights of others to post whatever they want on their own blogs by incessant opposition. Few Blog Hijackers understand this precision; they are so convinced of their own point-of-view, they feel 100% justified in "straightening the blogger out".


3- Desperately seeking... attention.

I have seen a few cases of this now, and of all the types of opposition, this is the saddest. This adversary is actually looking for strife and heated debates. Such a person isn't interested in winning people over to his position so much as he is interested in arguing his points. The adage "loving the sound of their own voices" fits perfectly. You will find MYRIADS of people out there who couldn't go one single day without going to a blog they completely disagree with, just to argue.

The only possible explanation I have for this kind of behaviour is boredom/loneliness. No one talks to them or cares to hear what they have to say, so they log onto a website where they know they can get attention; and there are plenty of bored/lonely bloggers out there who will gladly give them the fight they are looking for.

Too often, these folks log on for a fight, and when they get it, they play the role of the persecuted. The effect of this aggressor/victim dichotomy is double attention; unfavourable attention from the blogger and his supporters, favorable attention from other adversaries. It's like winning the attention jackpot!

I'd say congratulations, if it weren't so sad.


4- Watching for a fall.

Just like "in real life", bloggers mess up online. No matter how nice and good the writer, he/she will eventually write something that is either completely or partially incorrect. And that's the sweet fantasy of this group of adversaries. They lie in wait to discredit, to mock and humiliate.

These are usually the most dishonest of souls, in that, while they will not say a word 99% of the time when the blogger is absolutely correct, they will write novels attacking the poor writer when the 1% comes around. There is no sense of fairness or temperance in their judgment, they just want cast down, by whatever means necessary.

The desired end result is to ruin the blogger's reputation; thus casting doubt and distrust on all his views.


5- On with the tin foil helmet, and off to cyberspace!

Crazies.

Wack-oes.

Nutjobs.

Quack-oes.

Whatever the term, you all get the drift. The internet is a perfect means of escape for unstable souls. It's where they can go and interact without being seen, or truly known; and they take full advantage.

With these souls, you really never know what you are going to get. They could be antagonistic to the blogger, they could be supportive, or they could be completely off on some unrelated tangent. Their points are often completely unsound and even contradictory, but when you're in CrazyLand, this is completely irrelevant.

Thankfully, I haven't had to many crazies commenting on my blog, but I have received some pretty insane e-mails in relation to some of my posts. I might share a few in the future.


And that's it. Those are the major categories in which I have come to classify my constant dissentors. They don't always fit perfectly in any one of the above categories, some will have elements of two or even three categories. That being said, that's how I have come to explain this constant 30-40% of my blog traffic. You have another category/explanation? I'd love to hear it!

Whatever the case, I believe I have made it abundantly clear that I really don't think much of those who come by just to nay-say. In the end, I guess I just don't see the point of it.


Rand