Book Riot Censorship, Hypocrisy, and Unprofessionalism (Amanda Nelson)

Hypocrisy is when you say one thing and then turn around and do the opposite. It's when you believe in something when it works for you, but then you don't believe in it when it doesn't. We see this a lot in politics, perhaps in religion and more recently, I have seen it in internet bullies. This is what we apparently have in one Amanda Nelson, managing editor of Book Riot.

I went on Facebook earlier today and saw an update from a friend of mine. It looked interesting as this particular friend has many interesting things he posts and says. The link he left led me to an article on this Book Riot website. An article written by Brenna Clarke Gray titled, "Dear Authors: Don't Respond To Goodreads Reviews"

I don't know if I have ever been to this place before and I can't recall if I did, if I have ever commented. The site rings no bells at all. So, if I have ever been here before, obviously, it left no impression what-so-ever. But I digress.

I found the topic to my liking. I actually had a little bit to say about this topic in fact. Apparently, an author responded to a negative review on Goodreads and was banned. So I logged in under my Google account and left this comment.

Nothing horrible. Nothing awful. Just my humble thoughts and opinion. 

With that out of the way, I decided to read other comments and get other people's opinion. In this process, I read a few that compelled me to respond. 

At this point, I didn't know who Amanda Nelson was. I figured she might be a staffer, but I didn't bother to check because I didn't / still don't, rightly care. I wasn't disrupting. I wasn't calling anyone names. I wasn't cursing. I wasn't angry or showing any aggression. I was just another dude sharing his thoughts. But then it happened!

THE CENSORSHIP

Yes, you saw correctly, I got censored. And while the moment that it happened I was quite baffled, it didn't take long for me to realize why. You see, Amanda Nelson hates authors. Mostly though, she hates anyone who holds an opposite opinion. She loves books (or so she claims) but brother, she does hate authors who disagrees with her. I think she's also a Goodreads bully supporter / sympathizer.

How many times have we seen this in our lives? Not only that, but she is a first class hypocrite too. Don't believe me? Well, keep reading.

It's obvious that she believes Goodreads is only for the reader. Perhaps at one time, this was true. But it is not true anymore. Goodreads is every bit about the author too. I mean, Goodreads will happily take an authors money, as I stated in one of comments up above, so because of this, it is also an author website now too. And I think STGRB also has a video of Otis Chandler actually saying this. So, sorry Amanda Nelson, but you are wrong. However, I do respect your wrongful opinion.

But this Amanda Nelson really comes off like a bully in almost every way. From her love for books / hate for authors attitude and all the way down to her hypocrisy.

I did take notice to a conversation Amanda Nelson was involved with. A commenter that went by oh7dp was really asking the tough questions. Questions that apparently, Amanda Nelson was uncomfortable answering. Not at first, mind you, but it didn't take long before Amanda turned into a bitch.

Now, I don't know about you all, but I haven't seen oh7dp insulting anyone. I see oh7dp asking questions and challenging Amanda Nelson's "beliefs". What I see from Amanda Nelson is absolute unprofessionalism to the core of its meaning. I see a female reacting frustratingly to questions she unintelligently cannot answer. And her only defense is to threaten oh7dp with censorship just as she censored me. 

But I did not get any warning. She just pulled the trigger. Like she knew who I was.

Amanda though sort of recovers and begins responding some more. 

And again, merely repeated what she has already declared, that she thinks Goodreads is for readers only and not for authors, despite the fact that Goodreads founder, Otis Chandler, has gone on record saying that Goodreads is a site for readers AND authors. But oh7dp continues asking the tough questions.  

I especially like the "I Hate Amanda Nelson.com" reference. 

But oh7dp keeps right on rolling along. 

And so does Amanda Nelson, hypocrisy at large 

As you saw, more threats of censorship from the queen of unprofessionalism herself. But I do want to go on record now to say that it's probably not a good idea to comment on a reviewers review, provided it is legitimate, but if there are any inaccuracies regarding the characters, plot, etc in said review then I have no problem with an author stepping in and making the correction. or if the review targets the author in a personal  manner then yeah, I think an author has every right to say something. You have to remember, it may be YOUR review, but it is not entirely YOUR SPACE. That book still belongs to that author. So technically, it makes the book review space both of your space.

But Amanda Nelson finishes by acknowledging that there are "Hate Sites" with her in them. Well, Miss Nelson, I have two, count them, TWO! hate sites in my honor. Beat that! lol 

What is puzzling is, she says the hate sites that violated the host's ToS were removed: Inferring that these sites were pursued by her and those also victimized by these types of websites. Then in the next sentence, she says, "frankly, I don't care enough to pursue it." - But you just said, "The ones that violated the hosts ToS were removed". 

See the contradiction? I pursued but I frankly don't care enough to pursue .... eh, typical. 

oh7dp keeps at it. 

I think what Amanda Nelson means when she says, "We don't get into comment sections of hate sites" is, "We don't get into comment sections of hate sites because we don't want to be censored. We would rather people who disagreed with us come here so we can censor them."

But she finishes up saying this, (and see if you can spot the hypocrisy), "And you seem to be conflating the commenting policy here with the comment policy on Goodreads. Authors, with the exceptions of those who have been banned here for NAME CALLING or SPAMMING, are welcome to and frequently do participate in comments sections here." 

Really Amanda Nelson? Really? I think what you meant to say was, "Authors are welcome to comment here just as long as their opinion is the same as mine and Book Riot." 

Oh, but it gets better everyone. It gets a lot better. She mentioned the 'magic shield'. Censorship is her magic shield. 

But before we get to the "better" part, let's see a few more comments. 

WRONG AMANDA NELSON!!!!! Goodreads does not ban ALL who violate their ToS.

Would you like me to prove you a liar?

Here you go.

  And this is just one of many I could show you as proof. 

It is you, Amanda Nelson, who does not know anything about how Goodreads operates or functions. In fact, you don't come off as very intelligent about anything at all. I mean, oh7dp is asking you the tough questions and you are quivering to the task of supplying answers, and in your frustrations of realizing you're in way over your head, you resort to the very basic solution that resides in your vocabulary. CENSORSHIP. 

If you can't out debate them, then ban them. 

oh7dp wraps it up with this parting shot.

As for who is oh7dp? I haven't a clue, but he or she is my new hero. Not because he or she clustered and flustered Amanda Nelson, it's clear my 16 month old nephew could do that, the lady ain't very bright, but because of the intelligent questions and argument he or she placed before the table of truth. It's not often someone can impress me, but oh7dp did! 

But it does appear that in all of this chaos coming from Amanda Nelson, she seems to think that people have a right to their opinion and no one should have the right to censor them. But then she goes around and censors like it's some kind of contest and the one who censors the most wins a prize. (Probably that shield she mentioned earlier. Censorship is her shield.) 

But then she pulls off a classic hypocritical and bully move of all-time. (This is the better I was talking about earlier.) And you will have to see it in order to believe it. Amanda Nelson responds to one of my comments. Take a look. 

She says, "Then why ... are you on one now?"

And to what was she responding to? 

And boy, oh boy, did I want to answer that question. 

But I couldn't. 

She censored me, remember?

Yes! This unprofessional, unintelligent, hypocritical bully-sympathizer actually asked me a question that she knew I could not answer because she censored me. She blocked me from replying. Now what kind of coward does that? .... Oh yeah, Amanda Nelson does. 

But I did try to answer anyway. 

So you see, people like Amanda Nelson really do exist. Hypocrites and bullies to their very core. People who cannot stand and take the debate head on unless they can tip the scales to their favor by bully means. Amanda Nelson could not even handle the intellect of oh7dp, and clearly Amanda Nelson already knew who Carroll Bryant is and just flat-out caved to my intelligence without a shot fired. (Until I could no longer respond because she put up her 'shield') 

My reputation precedes me. My knowledge, my sheer presence in the midst of my fame was just too much for the unprofessional hypocrite Amanda Nelson to face. She doesn't want to debate anyone to defend her position because she has no defense and she knows it. And when someone smarter than her comes along to challenge her stupidity, she blocks them with her shield and finds a corner to shake her fears off. But the strangest thing about it was, I didn't know who she was and I was just looking to kill a few minutes. I guess when you're as famous as I am, and intelligent to boot, unintelligent people like Amanda Nelson will always find a way, and a reason, to run and hide. 

You can't claim to be all about people being able to express their opinions, Amanda Nelson, then shut them up when they are proving you to be an idiot. But then again, you are the type of stupid that is a cliche' these days. You only believe in free speech if it agrees with you. And you only try to debate those who are dumber than you. Unfortunately for you, there are not very many of those people with the exception of your bully friends. You are a horrible person Amanda Nelson because you believe in censorship, and censorship is communism at its best. I guess that makes you a communist too. But either way, you are the one who has to live with the knowledge that this world would be a much better, and nicer place, without you in it. 

Say hello to your bully friends for me. *Wave*