As many of you know I started KBW over a year ago in an effort to bring Kenyan bloggers together into a forum where we could discuss and exchange ideas, share opinions and build a community around those ideas and ideals. It has been very interesting and uplifting watching this come into being. And I have said many times, bloggers are my favourite kind of people!
What I have not shared though is my reaction to the hilarious, silly, childish and pathetic criticisms of KBW l have heard over the last couple of years. I hope I do not have to put a massive disclaimer explaining that I do not think that all criticism is bad. You can work that out for yourself right? Let me just have some fun writing about the lame ass attempts at insults sent our way.
1.) “You KBW bloggers you are so polite. Everybody loves everybody.”
This is actually my favourite attempted attack on KBW as it tells us all about the attacker while showering KBW with good light. We have a community of thinking, responsible adults who share their feelings through their blogs and even though they may disagree with each other they still conduct the debate in the good spirit of engagement. If you want an example, go through the archives on different blogs and look at opinions on Live8 and the whole Make Poverty History campaign. You will not find two blogs that shared the same point of view. Some were very opposed, others loved it. But you know what, we are all still here and we have moved on to discuss other things. That’s what intelligent people do, we debate, discuss and move to talk about other things together because we have not insulted each other to the point of offence.
People who try to knock us by saying that we are polite to each other are idiots (haha how polite is that then muppets). Since I started KBW we have never had any rules of engagement, any code of conduct. No made anyone sign anything saying that you have to treat each other well. KBW members are polite to each other not because they have to but because they WANT to. If you can not understand that people can hold different opinions but remain civil, that people can oppose each other yet remain friendly, that people can debate without insulting then you need some serious help.
In fact we have a kind of natural selection taking place. When people want to debate and engage in civil and robust debate, when they want to be part of a vibrant community they register that blog as part of KBW. When they want to insult, when they want to be derogatory and offensive they deliberately keep that blog outside KBW. Natural selection. No one makes them do that, they just know. And that for me is the best advertisement we have for KBW. We have high standards. We will not dilute them for anybody.
2.) “You KBW bloggers, you are such a lovey dovey family”
Now someone please explain to me how this one is meant to be bad. Again I feel it is all to do with the respect KBW members have for each other. The people who insult us thus confuse our respect for blind acceptance. I respect most of the KBW bloggers. That does not mean I blindly accept all they write (I mean for crying out loud we have frigging Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea supporters up in here, the misguided souls). But respect them and treat them with respect, yes I do that. I will not go around blogs writing, “this is bullshit, this is bullshit, don’t take it if you cant dish it out” because that is stupid. If I disagree then let us debate. I do not need to eat their first born to make my point.
3.) “You bloggers are not true Kenya. You have computers and money.”
Look at this idiotic attempt to define Kenya and Kenyans. Kenyans do not have computers and money. You can have a computer, you can have money but if you have the two together … WHOA … you better apply for Ugandan citizenship because you can not be Kenyan!
That is even before we deal with the basic assumption that all bloggers and rich and work for Dell or Microsoft with 24 hour access to computers and the internet. Umm yeah. Muppet.
I am proud of KBW. I am proud that we are making a name for Kenya online. I am proud that we are developing a strong and healthy respect for Kenya online. I a proud that we lead the way as a vibrant African webring. I am proud that we do not walk around insulting each other on our blogs. I am proud that we can agree to disagree in a civil manner. I am proud that before we agree to disagree we can have spirited debate. I am proud that I have made many friends through the webring. I am proud that some of our members consider each other family. I am proud that people on KBW think twice and collect their thoughts before firing of insult after insult. I am proud that the best insult people can swing at us is that we get along. I am proud that we have shown that a Kenyan online community does not have to pander to the lowest common denominator. I am proud that I can send the KBW link to my siblings, parents, uncles, aunties, professors, former classmates, work mates and not have to think twice. And most of all I am proud that thus far no one had to tell us how to behave, no one told us that we have to be polite or that we should not insult each other. No one told us, we just did, it became normal, because that the kind of community we wanted and that is the kind of community we have.
If you have made it this far, congratulations! As a reward here are some pictures of an adult goat at a nature preserve which adopted a baby rhinoceros whose mother was killed by poachers (click on the slideshow).
Pamoja Tuangamize Ukimwi
Kaybees - Thanks for voting!
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February 28, 2006 at 3:42 pm
Nakeel
I book my place off to read the post …
February 28, 2006 at 4:03 pm
Nakeel
Mental thats a very strong points you have raised there and though people will never wish others well those who are coming in with their insults direct or inderect then they better know you as the dad will live to see your family grow together.
This is the kind of KBW you built and dont sit behind and watch as others bring it down. No you worked hard for it and you gat to see it progress.
Count my support to see the family remain peaceful and loving as ever..
Those who cant accept us the way we have lived at the blog world then they should see the door and never set their foot at KBW…
Thanks for the pics.. Like no 5… reminds me of something.. lool
February 28, 2006 at 4:45 pm
mshairi
Hear hear!
I am proud to be part of KBW.
I am trying to think of a suitable quote:) Will be back.
February 28, 2006 at 4:56 pm
magaidi
Permission to speak freely?
I won’t lie. I have expressed similar opinions mentioned by Mental in passing and in writing to certain personalities within KBW in private conversations ki-roho safi . However they were not meant as insults. Actually they were meant in the spirit of constructive criticism. I also discreetly remember pointing out the delicate balance between a healthy debate and plain insults on one of the pieces. The combative nature with which this piece has been written makes me think that these opinions may have been misconstrued – this said, I don’t know from whom you heard your opinions Mental – by whomever I may have addressed mine to. If nothing, the tremendous growth of KBW, in the one-year since formation, should serve to quell any argument that it is not a vibrant community because it is – this because of the personalities within. That is why we come back over and over again. Still good piece
February 28, 2006 at 5:00 pm
uaridi
Please note that I am overlook our running feud and saying “YES” to your post.
Our blogs are mirrors of ourselves. We can only write what is within us, not echo the thoughts and opinions of other people. When we therefore become nasty, rude and generally un”lovely dovey” to each other, we are only refecting the emptiness within us and obviously react badly when this emptiness is exposed to the whole world.
Please let us behave as people who are representing not just ourselves, but our homes, families and nation. And nevermind the fact that there are those who want to deny us our citizenship just because we are currently living outside of Kenya (they need to read about the AU and its document on the African Diaspora.
February 28, 2006 at 5:04 pm
uaridi
sperring collection:
reflecting not refecting
February 28, 2006 at 5:08 pm
Mentalacrobatics
@ magaidi - combative nature maybe … just showing that we can defend what we believe in robustly. When people write that we all agree on everything they are being short sighted. We do not all agree on everything. But when we disagree we can do so without insulting or putting someone down.
If people can not disagree sensibly or think because we do not insult when we disagree that that is bad thing, shauri yao. Here we have bigger fish to fry.
thanks for engaging in the debate.
February 28, 2006 at 5:10 pm
mshairi
And yes, your snide attack on Arsenal has been noted and filed for future reference.
February 28, 2006 at 5:32 pm
magaidi
when we disagree we can do so without insulting or putting someone down.If people can not disagree sensibly or think because we do not insult when we disagree that that is bad thing, shauri yao
I agree.
thanks for engaging in the debate
Thank you
March 1, 2006 at 1:13 am
acolyte
There will always be people who talk trash about the good that other people do.Yes KBW is not perfect but I must admit that it has done a whole lot more good then many other online forums for Kenyans ( I will not name names) But as for that crack about us not being Kenyans and being in the moneys!Sheesh!These people should know that my early KBW days were spent blogging from a cyber and at one point I was jobless.Things have since looked up, way up.As for being lovey dovey I think not, there are definetely disagreements that do go on but most of them are in a constructive manner plus we have grown so large that not everyone knows each other.I must admit I only visit at most 10 blogs or so per day and there are over 100.Anyway good job we need KBW!
March 1, 2006 at 3:13 am
Mentalacrobatics
Yes acolyte you are right, I am happy you understand … mutual respect and understanding that is what we are about. That is integral to KBW. That is our foundation. You mention other Kenyan online forums that have gone the down the dirty road, we will not go down that road. We know where we stand and we will fight for our position.
Just because we are polite, just because we are civil, just because we smile does not mean we are walk overs, does not mean we will let any instigators or perpetrators run us over. I am ready to fight our position. Anyone who tries to cross us on this will know just how much we care about this project we started.
We believe in ourselves. We believe greatly. And as I am sure you know, believers always make the best fighters.
Thanks for your input to the debate.
March 1, 2006 at 4:57 am
Keguro
I object!
Mental shoud not be allowed to respond to comments until after we’ve hit number 10! I missed the 10-spot because he responded. I object.
I’m not sentimental (he lies). kbw reminds me of home, with all its wonderful contradictions and arguments and personalities. With a certain member, I’m inclined to say, me I love kbw, regardless.
I’ll simply ignore the double-nakeel, double-magaidi, double-mshairi, and double-mental, and claim a place in the top ten.
March 1, 2006 at 9:34 am
Wangari
well said Mental, thank you for fighting our corner.
and there is nothing wrong with being lovey dovey, so even if we are, its cool…
March 1, 2006 at 2:50 pm
Guessaurus
Hear hear…
First off, is Nick still an administrator?
KBW is great, and I am proud to be part of it. No two blogs are the same (although most of them look similar) and no two bloggers are the same. I have learnt a lot since I joined and made lots of friends thanks to you Mental. This is our corner and we will not move, sway or fall. Shame on anyone who thinks otherwise.
Now, while I am still lovey dovey with you, what did you just say about Arsenal (said in a sweet voice, instead of me calling you a muppet
?
March 1, 2006 at 4:55 pm
Ms K
Me I loves me some KBW!!
March 1, 2006 at 10:18 pm
Mutumia
By Keguro’s math, I am number 6.
You are so on point Mental when you say that disagreement is no reason to call each other vile names. We have had— let’s see Aco/ Keguro showdowns, Aco/KBW mamas showdown; Keguro/Passive KBW showdown; M/diaspora showdown (yes, yes, I know— it wasn’t this simple– I’m illustrating a point here); ten-Quoits lovers (kina Liverpool, Arsenal and all those teams)/ “Real Football” lovers showdown… but still no one’s mother was brought into the equation….
What am I trying to say? Keguro and Aco start all the fights and Guess smooths them over.
Quite simple really
*still whistling hamnitishi-tishi*
March 2, 2006 at 9:06 am
Girl Next Door
KBW is a great idea–props to you for putting it together. I’m glad to be a part of it!
March 2, 2006 at 2:10 pm
Shiroh
This post must just have been backdated. I was here yesterday and i feel so lonely at number 18!
Mental, we are just mature Kenyans devoid of all those other things that divide Kenyans.
A blog is a personal space! first and foremost. KBW is home where our personal spaces meet. I am so proud of you Mental!
Whether or not we feel like family is another thing. We have different views; Valentine for example ; few of us expressed love for the day and many of us expressed disgust for the day. So…if we all agree and what is wrong. Synergy my friend ,synergy is important.
You don’t know just how much the support of KBW keeps a blog going. I wonder if there was no KBW, i would have a blog. Look now even outsiders are recognising our efforts.
March 2, 2006 at 11:55 pm
hash
Great post Mental, and the work you’ve done for KBW helps us all, so thank you.
Our blogs are like wazee meeting in a market place. We state our opinions/thoughts/ideas and we discuss them. Some of us may never agree, but we are still open to discussion.
The fact that the Kenyan blogging community has remained a mature place for discussion is a testament to the bloggers themselves and the platform provided. KBW has helped bring us all together so that we feel like a united whole. The fact that much of the blogging world degenerates into juvenile flaming when they cannot agree does nothing but make us look good.
March 3, 2006 at 10:35 am
Prousette
I am happy to be part of KBW because I have been able to see the world through the eyes of others. We are not exactly lovely dovey in fact some have been known to shoot others from the hip on sight, lakini si kwa ubaya.
Respect for each other is important for a peaceful co-existence. And since none of us is in the evangelism business we shall keep it on.
Lakini that line of us not being Kenyans because we have comp access and money? haiya!!