Gavan P.L. Watson
Mr. Towers,
Thanks for your comment concerning my use of three pairs of underwear–oops, I mean unmentionables–while on vacation in Peru. This is a personal blog with little or no audience, so I was pleased that you took the time to comment. I do have to say though, that I was slightly hurt with the tone you took. Insinuating that I don’t shower, that I’m cheap and that I’m dumb isn’t the best way to ingratiate yourself with someone you’ve never met before.
And while I might be, in your opinion, dumb about my choice of underwear unmentionables, I do have good skills of observation. For example: I did notice that you left an IP address with your comment: 66.146.150.239. An IP address, Mr. Towers, in case you didn’t know, is kind of like a mailing address. It’s the address you were using to connect to the internet when you left the comment. Luckily, I’m a bit more savvy about IP addresses than my choice of skivvies. I could see, among other things, that you were writing me from somewhere in Richmond Hill using the ISP Futureway Communications, owned by Rogers.
I don’t know if you read any more posts on my blog Mr. Towers, but if you did, you would have probably figure out that I’m a PhD student at York University. I also teach courses. Indulge me a moment to tell you about my teaching–one of the courses that I teach right now has a website. It’s pretty boring and has no photographs of me cleaning underwear. Students can log-in, download lecture notes and upload assignments. You know what else the course website does Mr. Towers? I hope you’ve managed to follow my foreshadowing: it tracks IP addresses.
So here’s where it gets interesting, Jack. A student in this course, on the same day you posted your comment, accessed the course website with this IP address: 66.146.151.29. You know what’s neat about it? Again, I hope you’ve followed the foreshadowing: it belongs to Futureway Communications of Richmond Hill, too!
That’s a hell of a coincidence, don’t you think?
So here’s my suggestion, Jack. I have a good idea who you are. I found the comment juvenile, but still insulting. Why don’t you come by during my course consultation hours so we can talk about this? I would like to hear how this happened. If you wrote it, an apology would be nice too. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
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9 Responses to An open post to Mr. Jack Towers
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Not too feel too disgruntled. I’m actually on the east end and not Richmond Hill, but you had a good guess. This computer is actually shared in a common area, and no I’m not a student of yours. I simply posted a comment on what I thought about the site and some of its content, nothing wrong there, no need to get upset. I was actually looking for something specific when your blog came up and posted a comment. As far as you having an idea about who it is, it wasn’t meant to be a guessing game nor a prank so please don’t think of it as one. I’m not familiar with the York campus so unfortunately I can’t come in to see you about this post. And yes, I am aware it’s a personal blog and as you would know, you can delete my post at anytime. If you dig a little deeper you will find that this computer nor IP address belongs to any student of yours both past and present. I don’t think i over stepped any boundaries with my comments that may fall under the categories of hate or any real personal attacks. I used no profanity, and there was nothing vulgar about my comments. Cheer up, I did like most of your pictures. Feel free and ask your student/s about this blog, I’m sure he/she would be just as confused about my identity as you are. But again, I’m not trying to jab at you, nor intentionally insult you. It was simply a comment about one of your blogs and nothing more. I’ve never had anyone track down my IP address before when I posted a comment on their pages, this is a first. I would like to think that you have good relations with your students and such a thing (personal attacks) do not happen very often for you to track them down and demand an apology. It just seems rather strange that someone would take the trouble to do all of that rather than simply deleting the post. I would call that juvenile and a bit insecure. Maybe you should examine the relationship with your students, constantly looking over your shoulder like this could give you high blood pressure and shorten your lifespan. Good Luck on the PhD.
Hey Jack,
Your defense, “I don’t think i over stepped any boundaries with my comments that may fall under the categories of hate or any real personal attacks. I used no profanity, and there was nothing vulgar about my comments,” is pretty weak. You drop by a stranger’s (?) blog, unload a bunch of pointed patronizing and insulting comments, including that Gavan should “get a job” while insinuating that he stinks. Can you really blame him for being a bit perplexed and curious why someone would unleash such unwarranted nastiness? It’s totally uncalled for. Then, once he does do some searching, you respond again with more condescending words, such as “Cheer up, I did like most of your pictures.”
I guess it’s your right to shit on people anonymously over the Internet. I assume it’s some kind of release for you. (I mean, has anyone ever really stated “go get a job” as a point of sincere constructive criticism? ) But please don’t position yourself as benevolent when you’ve clearly been mean-spirited and rude, turning it back onto the person you’ve crapped on as if they’re too sensitive. That’s rich, and a cop-out.
I hope the next time someone is a jerk to you out of the blue that you’ll remember your crappy comments to Gavan. The fact that you’ve enjoyed some of his pictures should at the least prompt a little more gratitude on your end.
I’m entitled to posting what I want where I see fit. If I enjoyed your blog or pictures I would say so, and if I find it to be crappy, I’ll say that as well. There’s nothing you can do about that now can you. Don’t cry too much about the stinky jokes, after all it was based on just one picture. The word stalker did cross my mind when you tried digging up personal information(address) on me which you clearly couldn’t find. Please don’t hold your breath for any apology from me for the comments made to you prior to this post. I did find it funny that you seemed to think that I would be shivering at the thought of you finding out where I live…ohhh, I’m shaking. But I guess it must be your way.
Now as far as the question mark after ‘stranger’, no we have never met before, but over the past few days I feel like we’re friends now. My friends do call me Jack, so you’re already one step ahead.
As far as the pictures, I really did like them, so Gavan shouldn’t think that I was being condescending. In some cultures ‘go get a job’ is quite a motivational tool and hence it can be constructive criticism. You’ve been to Peru, so you should know when el Padre dice a su hijo “Ahora trabajas!”, it usually commands an immediate action.
Now I hope someone typed that post for Gavan since I tend to be scared of people who refer to themselves in the third person, i find it to be… a little…perplexing.
On that note, let me say for the last time, I did enjoy your photos…other than the one with you washing your…well let’s just move along.
Su amigo nuevo,
Jack.
P.S. All the joking aside Lauren, if you had someone looking up your IP address after posting a single comment with an attempt to find out where you live I’m sure it would worry you as well. No one has ever actually went so far and this was only after one comment. It makes me question the type of person Gavan is.
Hey again Jack,
The message I posted was unsolicited by Gavan. Unfortunately, Gavan and I have both been swamped with school and work, and unfortunately we haven’t spoken in the past while. I responded to your post because I respect Gavan as both a colleague and friend.
So, Jack… Of course, post whatever you want to post, wherever you like. Freedom of expression! Free speech! Heap unsolicited motivational advice on the unsuspecting masses! It’s your right to throw down the gauntlet, and fight against whatever rivers of perceived verbal diarrhea and pixilated underpants you believe will continue to spurt and pile unencumbered in cyberspace.
You note, “All the joking aside Lauren, if you had someone looking up your IP address after posting a single comment with an attempt to find out where you live I’m sure it would worry you as well. No one has ever actually went so far and this was only after one comment,” so clearly your blogger-insulting ways are systemic and Gavan is just your latest target. Hum. (Btw, what makes you sure that other people haven’t looked up your IP address before?)
My point is only that you were a jerk, to say the least, and if someone were a jerk like that to me, I would probably wonder who he or she was. As much as I admire Gavan’s technical savvy in various areas, it’s not really super challenging to look up someone’s IP address and track it. So don’t flatter yourself too much by thinking that Gavan’s investigatory work was too strenuous or insidious.
Comments like yours naturally prompt questions: “Why would someone write something like this? What’s the motive? Who is this person?” While Gavan’s insatiably curious (which helps make him an excellent academic) and interested in patterns of information, he’s also a busy guy.
I’m sure you’re a decent person, Jack Towers. It sucks that you come off so badly here. In closing, I wish you well. I mean that. I’m sure you’re kind and considerate in other aspects of your life. Anonymity does strange things to people, I reckon.
You know what type of person Gavan is? He’s the type of person who packs three pairs of underwear, because he wants to save room for a bird book and camera, and appreciates the benefits of packing lightly. I call that efficient and geeky in the best possible way.
p.s. Jack, I know, I know, I need to go “get a job” myself!
Actually, for now, I’m off to take a shower. ;)
There’s a thin line between being insatiably curious and downright creepy. I don’t see someone looking up and IP address and trying to link it to a student or someone familiar to them as being insatiably curious. That alone can tell a lot about the relationship he has with his students. If Gavan is as busy as you say he is, maybe he would have less time to search for IP’s, whether is its a difficult task or not. Comment’s like mine would prompt questions such as the ones you posed to someone who’s probably insecure and paranoid. This is the internet and a personal blog. If you don’t like the comment, then delete it. I’m not disputing the fact that someone has probably looked up my IP in the past, but to link it to someone else and throw a fit about it leads me to question the mental state of both you and him. You, for obviously failing to acknowledge the fact that there was an attempt to find a link to someone familiar to him. It’s obvious that a reason exists for someone to act this way.
And no I don’t know the type of person Gavan is nor do I know the type of person you are. If you think I was a jerk then fine, I’ll obviously have to accept that. Just the same, I think of Gavan as a little creepy for going to such lengths (a few small steps, yes I know, but more than one too many). And Lauren, good for you if you agree with the entire action (you seem to mention simply searching for an IP address and not the other part). Good Luck to both of you. Maybe I’m the one over reacting, who knows. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Hey Gavan, I enjoyed the video. Most people would call some of my ancestors barbaric(can’t blame them). I did get a good laugh from it, I’m hoping you didn’t shed tear while watching it though. I know a few students at York, one a good friend of mine. I told him about this incident and I’m afraid to say that he did agree with me. Don’t worry Gavan, he doesn’t know you nor has he ever heard of you. I only asked to make sure that I wasn’t crazy, after all psychiatry bills are quite expensive i hear and hey, what job could I possibly have since I’m sitting here posting a comment on an early Friday afternoon. Quite an early one actually it’s only 10 minutes after 12 o’clock.
I wonder if most students would agree with me? oh well. I’m off to conquer someone else’s blog, away I go with my mouse in hand.