BTW, a while back a bunch of Sloggers had a go of it on "Freaky Friday." We didn't rip them to shreds (even Aislinn, who slept until 2 in the afternoon). You know why? Because they were part of this community. Not some whackadoodle whom we'd never heard of who had been given a soap box.

So fuck you too, bitch. And the horse you rode in on.

Thank you.

Fifty-Two-Eighty: That was so crazy-immature, that I have to wonder if you meant it as a joke.

Anyway, the title of your blog is grammatically incorrect. It should be Who Did What to WHOM.

That being said slog is a pretty cutthroat place. But that's the nature of the game, and you'd be a better blogger if you kept playing.

So go back, if you like, to your little echo chamber and sniff your farts to a ripe old age, or stay and practice your jedi skillz. Your choice.

Anonymous cruel comments on a blog are cowardly. I doubt that those of you that can find it in yourself to say such angry things would be able to say the same things to someone's face.

No one deserves to be on the receiving end of ignorant rage.

Good luck Chelsea. I have only read a few of your posts, but wish you the best.

On the other hand, if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen and if you can't take abuse from ignorant shitheads don't post on the internet.

Unless by "pearl-clutching" you mean... heeeeyyyyy.

You should check the comments on youtube sometime...

Here you go.

also, @4? you don't own the comments section. just because you and a few other commenters frequent the slog doesn't make your opinions have more value. actually, if anything, i think it may mean less (similar to what i said about mr. poe).

Her posts were dime-a-dozen banalities that brought down the property values around here, though, so I can't say I'll miss her.

Also, I liked all of your posts and I'm kind of pissed that the cranky bitches made you quit.

Hey, guys, I have a blog too. I don't use it to babble about "I'm listening to a rap CD" or "this is the best fucking tuna salad recipe ever", though, so I might be underqualified.

I do agree with Fnarf that I wish you would stay. I think there was a period of hazing that was really, really rough, but I looked through the comments on your post yesterday, and most people were discussing the substance of the article. There wasn't any pearl clutching or what not.

Granted, 5280 wasn't there...

Ultimately, I don't want to hear what any of the aforementioned fuckwads have to say about anything, which leaves no choice but to recruit bloggers from outside this so-called community to be guest-Sloggers. I can't help but think this will end up a failed experiment because of a few bad apples.

I think Fnarf (and even Mr. Poe) are good guys in person, but the net is like the potion Doctor Jekyll used to turn into Mr. Hyde. In print we come off worse than if you met us in person.

Chelsea, you really should have read the Slog, and especially the comments, before agreeing to guest blog here. Slog Readers have a low tolerance for bull shit and we call our Sloggers on it, even though we still love them (even Charles and Erica).

Now let the grammar and spelling Tsars attack!

Sometimes I think the same applies to ECB posts. She'll post on the most innocuous, non-controversial thing and the comments will be all like, you're an idiot with no value as a human being whatsoever.

I usually don't take the time to read the comments on her posts anymore because what am I getting out of reading shit like that?

"some whackadoodle whom we'd never heard of who had been given a soap box" = sour grapes? Sounds like somebody wanted their own soap box.

I find your writing to be completely and utterly inane. I am, frankly, glad you will not post here anymore.

That said, I do not recall telling you to kill yourself. That doesn't sound like something I'd say normally -- and I try not to drink and Slog.

So, if I did indeed wish such end upon you, I apologize and take it back without reservation.

Best wishes to you, and, like, totes wow!!!

On the one hand, I didn't like your posts. I thought they were boring, and your overuse of the word "fucking" as an adjective felt contrived and deprived your writing of any semblance of flow. That is my personal opinion, nothing more, and I expressed it in comments on your posts (which is the exact same thing I do to any Slog poster when they post something I find vapid and/or banal).

On the other hand, Fnarf is right - what we've done to you since you started posting here basically amounts to a type of hazing. What we really wanted you to do was play along, but instead of choosing to say "fuck you, I'm staying", and not let us get under your skin, you said "fuck this, I'm out". And that, my dear, is disappointing. I hope you would reconsider and finish out the month.

The whole "Chelsea Alvarez-Bell" episode seemed as contrived as an episode of "The Hills". Was this done as an attempt to justify "cleaning" up Slog by using it as an example of how out of control it is?
What did The Stranger expect to happen? Why would you pick such an inexperienced Slogger with limited writing skills to inaugurate the new Guest Slogger position? And the writing was so obviously bad and designed to enrage the hardcore Slogger it seemed fake and contrived. I have to be honest and admit, I'm still not convinced that this was "real" and that "Chelsea Alvarez-Bell" is a Stranger staffer, or friend, in disguise and the whole thing is a dumb joke.

And, if she is real, what did "Chelsea Alvarez-Bell" expect to happen? Had she never read Slog before? Had she never seen the posts on "Freaky Friday"? And how old is she? (She writes like she is about 18).

Were some people overly vicious?
Sure.

Was her writing inane and inarticulate and contrived?
You bet.

Was it a smart idea to have her guest slog?

No, it wasn't.

Also, Ms. Chelsea, I'm sorry if you were offended, but after the first "sex and the city" post I swore never to read an article of yours unless it had over 60 comments. So, in the tangled web of my personal relationship with the Internets, Mr. Poe was kinda helping you win.

What would help, I think, as one other Slogger suggested, was to get down here in the trenches with us. Respond to those of us with actual insightful comments (I hope me, usually) or discussions and ignore the trolls. I am amazed you have a blog and have yet to learn this lesson.

I think you mean "I'm so fucking happy that I am leaving." Otherwise it sounds like you are "so happy fucking, that you are leaving." If this is what you actually meant then you may need to seek professional help for your obvious sex addiction.

Note to Dan: Please do not hire 14 year-olds to Slog anymore. There are plenty of out of work Journalism Majors that you could hire.

That is all.

the abuse you took is nothing compared to what sir charles and ECB take. but they could care less, and continue to post and as far as im concerned the site is better for it.

you say you could care less, it is obvious by this post that you care.

Bands are still playing here and I'm not familiar with any fighting on the dance floor.

As far as Chelsea goes--I have to admit, I don't always pay attention to who writes what on the Slog. Oh, sure...sometimes, you just KNOW who has written something...but I couldn't tell you anything that Chelsea's written.

...so, I went back to check out what all of this fuss being kicked up might be about...and I didn't find anything that Chelsea'd written on the Slog. I went all the way to the "more in the archives" forced jump (as my curiosity has its limits, evidently.) Nothing.

As in much ado about, methinks.

If you put your art or your opinions out there...if you feel like you have something worth sharing...then you can't expect that to be treated in the warm, all-embracing glow of benign positivity and acceptance.

If you're in a band, somebody might think your band sucks. If you tell someone that you liked a movie, somebody might tell you that you're wrong.

If you have any faith in what you're doing, you can either take those comments to heart and consider improvements or you can ignore the negative and keep doing what you're doing.

What value is there in doing something only if you're assured that what you're doing is going to be loved--no matter what?

It all becomes a bit masturbatory, then, doesn't it?

Not Ghost Town. Wank Town.

i think it's unfortunate that you've decided to leave, because your posts were starting to grow on me.

however, i'm not gunna front, your sex and the city opener was not a good one. that's probably what spurred the bouts of animosity; it was just a bit too valley girlish for this crowd.

i liked your cookie monster reference and hopefully you'll keep blogging where the meanies at the slog can't get at you.

no more nasty remarks about mr. poe or anyone else. poe's a good buddy of mine, and i'm quite fond of him. and he's fond of me, even when i don't buy him a PBR. don't you know by now to ignore such obvious provocateurs? poesie's just a bad bad boy, and i love him anyway.

and yes, dear, your writing was inane. i have suspicions that dan and amy hired you knowing your posts would, ahem, inflame certain sloggers. i've no doubt that if they gave me the opportunity to post, i'd make a hash of it with my awful writing style.

i can only hope you've come away from this wiser and with tougher skin. you got off easy here.

Regardless of the accuracy of my prediction, it was pretty clear from the get-go you weren't going to cut the mustard as it were. Really, it didn't require supernatural abilities to recognize that handing over posting to a complete unknown with no previous experience on SLOG was a formula for disaster.

Yes, we're a cutthroat crew, as I described in an earlier comment, and anyone throwing in with such a band of social-malcontents, misfits, and general misanthropes had better be prepared for what's in store. That means either having or very quickly developing a thick skin when it comes to fending off the inevitable flames. That also means learning to not take things personally (as you say, nobody here knows you; we only know the persona you project online), rolling with the punches, giving as good as you take, et al. It's very much like running for political office, as @19 pointed out, and anyone who's done that can tell you it's not something to be pursued by the weak, timid, shy, or thin-skinned.

And I'll reiterate what I said in my original comment back at the beginning of the month: it was foolish and naive on the part of whomever at The Stranger decided to do this in the first place, because they should have known how this was going to play out from the beginning. So, I blame them for making the error in judgement of putting someone like yourself (who is, in all likelihood a quite nice person in real-life) in this position.

Next time guys, if you choose to try this again, take a little more time selecting someone who not only has interesting things to say, but who also exhibits some capacity for being able to cope with the mud-slinging and verbal abuse with sufficient equanimity to survive here for an entire month.

Now, where's my fucking prize?

I'm going to have so much fun trolling your personal blog, Chels! TFE FOREVAZ!!

Now, where's my fucking prize?

But why you were ever given a place here astounds me. Your "blog" is so completely inane it defies credulity. Your great recipe for Tuna Salad? Really?

Look, you whiny, over privilidged, spoiled little whore, take your shit and post it where no one will read it. You stupid fucking blog.

I have no problem giving credit where credit is due, but you should be peeling potatos or giving full release massage at a truck stop. NOT writing, and certainly not writing for money.

Dan should be embarrased he ever brought your miserable and pathetic soul on board.

Have a good day!!

Chelsea's "I'm so happy fucking that I'm leaving!" did get a laugh out of me, though, so her contributions weren't all worthless.

Three point!

http://www.thelowlifeseattle.blogspot.com/

she's written for the stranger before, and her blog is pretty interesting.

Saying it just is the way it is and refusing to even try to raise the level of discourse around here is a failure on the part of the non-bullies, non-bitches, and non-spiteful non-assholes.

When posting to blogs and forums you do need to be somewhat thick-skinned. But that doesn't mean you can or should make yourself totally immune to hurtful, hateful things your peers lob at you day after day. We all have weak spots and no matter how strong you are, someone will find it.

I believe that while we (you and me, him and her, them, and those guys too.) may have our differences and may disagree about anything and/or everything, we are ALL of equal worth and we ALL ought to, at the very least, strive to be decent to one another. This means no bullying for sport, no mob hazing, and no lashing out just to see each other bleed. At least, that’s what it should mean.

The Slog especially seems to engender a rush to see who can say the meanest, most awful, most hurtful thing and I have to wonder why? Isn't life mean, awful, and hurtful enough? Why create a space where the negativity, bile, antagonism, and mean-spiritedness are more concentrated and more omnipresent than in real life? What's the point exactly? I made someone feel worthless! I made someone cry! I illustrated exactly how stupid someone is! I am awesome because I shit on someone! I contribute to the nastiness and brutality in the world! Hooray for me! Go Team Total Assholes!

I really don't get it. Why not at least try to do something positive with all the energy that goes into this place? Why not try and be a little more gentle with each other? We don't have to agree on everything or even anything. But we do need to try and rise above our baser, crueler selves - otherwise that's all we're going to have left.

The Slog comments are a lot like an Internet frat (Alpha Sigma Slog). If you don't fit in (you're not a macho whiteboy asshole), you'll get bullied until you stop saying anything or you leave. Especially if you're a woman. It's horrible and ironic that so many commenters here have the same attitude as most homophobes and gay bashers.

I think CAB's posting got off to a rough start because it felt like she hadn't spent a lot of time reading Slog to understand what types of things to post about. I also wonder if a lot of the spewing comments would've stopped if she had stepped into the fray right away and issued a few well placed rebukes.

But, I think her post from yesterday about the Atlantic Monthly article was spot on the type of thing that we read about on Slog and not only that her post was short and funny, a good balance to achieve. So, I had expected that by now she's gotten the hang of it and would be posting more stuff like that.

That being said, yes some of the commenters here are cruel. But I've found them also to be smart, thoughtful, and willing to call bullshit. I've been to 2 Slog happy hours now and every single person I've met has been wonderful.

Having read the forums on a lot of other websites it seems like Slog lucks out that the level of discourse is usually intelligent and often funny. Sure, there are the epic battles that rage between commenters here, but after a while they just seem like background noise.

It's a choice we make as readers of Slog whether to read the comments or not. And it's a choice whether to post a comment ourselves. But, if you post a comment here you have to be willing to engage and take the good shit with the bad shit. I learned that lesson firsthand and while my first reaction was to storm off, I just couldn't quit ya Slog.

This Poe guy is really coming off more and more like a complete waste of skin. The Cornball guy seems smart but increasingly clouded by the hard on for him.

The lady is leaving, leave her alone and let Amy bring somebody else. End of story.

I think there's some validity to this theory, but on the other hand, it's The Stranger's blog, and they don't NEED any sort of justification or rationalization for setting up registration accounts; they can do that any time they want, and our approval/disapproval is essentially meaningless.

So, IF it was a set-up, it begs the question: WHY would they feel the need to do so in the first place?

SLOG posting requires a tough skin - and the ability not to take it too seriously.

Chelsea: As mentioned above, you really need to get a thicker skin. The people who read your other blog were friends or coworkers, I doubt many total strangers read it until now. So they aren't going to be mean to you.

And, if you could have gotten past the hazing period of 2 weeks or so (when most trolls get bored) you'd have been just fine. On top of that, the spelling and grammar police have always been here, and many writers appreciate it. Maybe it's because they are professionals?

And honestly, people have been much worse on here to ECB, Charles, and some of the freaky friday sloggers and yet we all manage to meet up each month and hang out. No fights, just great times together.

So, I guess.... toodles darlin!

"Ed Anger" and "Libby Gelman-Waxner" were their favorite teachers...

Furthermore, a long, angsty post about your feelings is a very poor way to peace out. It was overly dramatic and only confirmed everyone's suspicions about you. Learn how the blogging/commenting game is played and then try again some other time.

What exactly is the difference? Do you really think people like Mr. Poe are going to get banned?

The answer is almost certainly no.

SLOG posting requires a tough skin - and the ability not to take it too seriously.

But, we've been hearing this now for several months - setting up registration accounts isn't exactly rocket science, so why the long delay?

And @109 is correct: registering accounts only means that, if someone eventually goes over some sort of arbitrarily imposed line of good taste, their account can be banned. But, that won't prevent anyone from setting up a dummy hotmail account and re-registering under a different name; they just won't be able to use their preferred handle, is all.

Yes, this is melodramatic.

Some Slog commentators are ruthlessly cruel. With your posts, it seems that sometimes that cruelty reached cartoonish proportions, to the point where it was obvious the insults had become a merely academic exercise.

I really find it hard to believe anyone could take those kind of insults so seriously, particularly a (semi?)professional writer. Telling you to die is, at face value, a horrible, horrible thing to say, and even on the Slog it's not business as usual, but it's not outside the realm of online discussion forums.

Now, if you were a critically depressed teenage girl pouring your heart out to an internet boyfriend who then told you to die, then I might become outraged (as I recall Sloggers here doing).

Hell of a way to leave. Wouldn't you agree? My tirade here is justified. She asked for it by specifically calling me out.

And I'm having fuuuuuuun!

I'm against banning comments from anyone, though, and that goes double for banning comments from someone just because they're an arsehole. If you're serious about wanting to write for the web, you should know not to take that crap seriously. You can't escape it (certainly not by forcing people to register before commenting -- what decade is this? You guys haven't figured out the futility of that yet?) -- you have to learn to let it roll off and keep on truckin'.

Good luck with your other blog, Chelsea. I'm sure at the very least you got a couple of new readers over there, which isn't worth nuthin', after all.

AND, WHO are all these people crawling out of the woodwork to whine about how awful the comments are? I'll take Trollism over petulant Lurkers, any day of the week...

AND, once again, if you don't like it, then don't read it! If you're reading SLOG purely for the brilliant reportage from The Stranger Staff, then ignore the comments section. No one is forcing Mr Poe down your throat! (i will NOT make smutty joke; i will NOT make smutty joke)

And I agree with PopTart. "CAB" should have stood up to the bullies from the very start, instead of waiting to vent her fury at the end. And if ECB had done the same thing years ago, I think she'd get a lot less hate, but I think she prefers to be a martyr. Charles doesn't give a shit and Savage will lower the boom occassionally, (but he doesn't really get that much grief anyway because everyone is either scared of him or suffers from a sycophantic case of Savage Worship.)

Oh, bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. Annie and Ari don't inspire much venom. Charles does, but he's fully capable of brushing it off. A fair amount of it has to do with the poster in question's skin thickness and willingness to honestly engage the commenters.

She is winning, she is getting more famous by each post. She is still a little cry baby.

Also, a dedicated Mudede-only blog.

I love seeing this merry little band of shit-slinging Sloggers unravel and go for each others' throats.

It was bound to happen. They're even doing it on our little neighborhood forum right now. Anonymity breeds hatred. It's easy to be all big man when you're posting from behind the shield of your shitty little Dell.

@114 - thanks: that was an intelligent post. Agreed.

I'm going to cry.

I know next to nothing about Gawker except that it's famous.  Will we end up with a Slashdot effect, I wonder?  Might be time to abandon this thread.

I don't believe I ever commented on a single post of yours. That's only because I was somewhat busy during your short stint here. I had to reserve my comments for criticism of ECB, of course.

While your post is contradictory in several places ("I can totally handle the name calling," "I could care less," "FUCK YOU I HATE YOU ALL DIE MOTHER FUCKERS," etc. etc."), I understand your point.

In this ether that is the Internetoblogosphere words are weapons of the rough and tumble toughs that likely would never say any of this to your face. Mr. Poe especially.

But you've got to take the good with the bad. I know from first-hand experience how difficult it can be to deal with anony-trolls. But at some point you have to turn your blinders on if you want to retain some semblance of sanity.

Mr. Poe has teased me before. I dealt with it. That's just Mr. Poe. That's how he is. I assume at some point I might even meet Poe at a Slog Happy Hour and we can get drunk and screw (and I'm straight! Oh what world we live in here on the West Side .... no?).

Maybe you should consider the same.

At the risk of exposing my softy nerd underbelly, Chelsea hun if you think this is bad, never dare post on a WoW forum or reveal yourself as a female unless you are 1) unanimously hot or 2)a well established persona.

It should speak volumes that I consider Slog tame, comparably.

PS: I concur with @Kiru Banzai. That way I could whiz right past it and onto Jonah and his Hulk-fantasmum.

If you're looking to lay blame for the roughhousing, go bitch to the people who built the playroom.

Hulk Smash!

Wait, what?

"When you're a Slogger, you're a Slogger all the way, from your first outraged post to your last dying flame."

Gawk! *snap* *snap* *snap*

This is the land of men and women reverting to their primal child-like stupidity. What else did you expect?

Don't let the door hit you on the way out!

This is now officially boring.

Please bring out the replacement guest blogger. We're ready.

My point is there are a few bullies here who think it's sporting to go after anyone who doesn't have 1,000 posts or a cute little nickname established here.

BFD. That's your gig, people, not mine. I'll keep using a different name every time I post and you'll keep rising to the bait. Step right up, folks.

Fuck you, New York.

AND,

If Leno does us in the monologue tonite, then we've really made it!! Or the ladies at The View!!

That, and the Gawker comments all mention WALNUTS! and whore diamonds. All of them.

That is the understatement.

Look, the point has been made over and over. Grow the fuck up! Seriously. Doesn't it bother you at all that you're totally validating your detractors?

I have always admired Howard Stern's approach to criticism or attack. He reads his hate mail almost everyday on the air, and laughs. And if you think the little boys on The Slog are cruel, you ain't seen nothin like a Howard Stern listener. Mr. Poe at his meanest couldn't hold the average HS listener's jockstrap.

Oh, speaking of Mr. Poe...nice one on 35...

Besides making my drive to seattle quick and dangerous, it was a pretty boring read. Until 31 and 35. Fucking hilarious. And dare I say, even keshmeshi made a funny @92. Must have been sock puppetry.

Thanks all, for getting Mr. Poe so pumped up, should make for some extra good lovin' tonight.

@161 -- Ride him like the bitch-kitty he is, Monsieur Le Juif!!! Are we ever going to meet???

OK, everyone can leave the room now.

God. TGIF.

And like Bellevue Ave seems like he's actually a really decent guy. I remember he once told Poptart straight away that he would email her the next time everyone was getting drinks.

And Poe makes me laugh. I don't really think I'm a Slog insider, hell, I don't even live in Seattle, but even from their online personas, they seem like good people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4qCF-Nl1Wc

First of all, sir, may I say thank you for your deployment of "wankers." It is a solid and good word, used by good people; such people, as a matter of fact, who are currently sitting out Euro 2008 and that makes me melancholy...

At any rate! Yes, Cornball, snap to, old man.

What gives me wonder about your post is the topic of people expressing boredom with the mileu in which they continually enmesh themselves.

Is the profession of ennui more prevalent online? It's worth a study. Anecdotally, it seems to me that people post, "I'm bored with" this or that.

It's particularly strange in the realm of personal ads. People say, "Bored and looking" or "I'm bored. Entertain me!" Why do people feel that is a means to attract a sex date? Why do they not.

I'm going to ruminate on this for a bit.

Carry on. And thanks for stoking a thought.