Goodreads: State Of Affairs

Ever since Goodreads made their announcement to "clean" up the negative stuff in hopes of making their site more friendly, the bully revolt has been in full force. They have been going around and demonstrating exactly what I and STGRB and now, many others, have been saying for so long, that these people we dubbed "The Goodreads Bullies" are indeed not real reviewers, but bullies. This following screenshot tells the tale.

I know we all like to think that at some point, we stand for a cause. We fight for that cause with everything we have inside and believe in it whole-heartily. But then there comes a time when we have to take a step back and ask ourselves what it is exactly we are becoming. What are we really doing here in the middle of the fight?

Even General Patton eventually became his own worst enemy when he got addicted to war, and forgot about the cause. In the end of his life, General Patton made enemies of friends. Not because he turned mean, but rather, he forgot the cause and became addicted to the fight. To the war. In the end, he didn't care what the cause was, he just wanted to fight somebody, anybody!

I'm now beginning to see this is some people from both sides. For a select few, it's not about a cause anymore, it's about the fear of the war ending.

I myself look forward to the day when I can shut down The Looking Glass. That day will come when I see Goodreads enforcing their ToS fairly to both authors and reviewers. And when I see those authors who were treated unfairly in the past by Goodreads staff, and allowed the opportunity to return to their GR author pages that they were banned from, then I will see the opportunity for me to shut this blog down.

And I long for that day. 

You see, I'm not addicted to the fight. I am sticking to the cause. When the cause is no longer there, neither will I be. 

This post is a message to all on both sides of the battle. (Some of them know who I am talking about) Have you turned into General Patton? Are you still fighting for a cause or have you become addicted to the war? 

Hate destroys and divides. If you are someone who feels that you need to make a list of some kind, or even book shelves to keep track of all those you hate, those you have never met personally, then it is you who needs to look into the mirror and ask, "Why do I hate so much?"

Love, and civility, on the other hand, brings about peace. If you have nothing nice to say about someone, maybe it's best to just be civil and say nothing at all. Not even in book reviews. That is what brings about peace. 

To not practice this could mean, you're not fighting for a cause, but rather, you could be addicted to war. 

Is that how you really want to live your life?

I'm Carroll Bryant ..... and this is The Looking Glass.