When I talk about basketball players or politicians on the web, I try to remember they are real people, but only up to a point. Because they are brands, and are marketed that way, it makes sense to objectify them.#

George W Bush, as President, was an amalgamation of the ideas of the Republican Party of the 1990s and 2000s. LeBron James only says things publicly that are consistent with the brands he represents. When they say he's an astute business person, this is what that means. If I said something negative that objectified them, I try to be careful not to address it to them personally. #

This didn't used to be a problem before social media. There was no way to address a message to the President of the United States or a famous sports star, or actor, in such a way that there was a possibility that they'd see it. Or certainly not on a level playing field like Twitter, where people can converse as equals. #

I have attained enough celebrity on the net that people objectify me, and make personal statements about me, ones they would never make directly to a real person. But that's the problem. They do make them directly. Which makes it difficult for me to be personally present on the net. This is a way in which common decency has not yet caught up with the use of the net.#

I'm sure that's why Twitter implemented the new Mute command. And that's why people use it.#

It's necessary to say this once publicly, so I can point to it later. If you want to make a personal comment about me, publicly, especially a negative one, leave out the at-sign. It really is that simple. Otherwise, you'll get muted. I don't even think about it. A personal comment is followed by a Mute. It's an unfortunate result of not understanding that there is a real person at the end of the handle. And no I don't want to "toughen up" that way. I like being a person. #

PS: I wrote about this in 2011, before there was a Mute command. #