In which I sing a song for JonMon

[harrock.livejournal.com]

My creative energy has been just about zero lately, thanks to a very busy schedule at work. But I'll say this for JonMon: His Lawsuit of Mass Destruction has inspired me. My wife, firstfrost, has received a threat letter, but she is not yet named in the LMD. I'm proud of everything she has said about JonMon. I didn't need JonMon's validation to be proud of her, but data is data.

I haven't been named or threatened in the LMD (yet), and I don't mean to make light of the anxiety that it has caused in our community. In particular, if you have taken something down or remained silent thanks to JonMon's toolbox of intimidation, I want you to know that I think no less of you for it. Every situation is unique, and we all have our limits of what we can deal with right this minute. My limit is high right now, so I'm standing up.

Likewise, I respect the opinions of those who have counseled caution or outright silence. I disagree with some of your key points, and I feel that some of your arguments apply better to people who are more concerned with anonymity than I am, or who cannot afford to risk an extended legal fight. The bottom line for me is this: One of the basic functions of any community is to sound a warning when a predator is around. If we're not sure the law can handle that, then it's time to get out and push.

This song is about JonMon's Lawsuit of Mass Destruction, and it is sung to the tune of "Charlie on the M.T.A." Permission is hereby granted to $verb this song, for all values of $verb, for every human being on planet Earth with the exception of Jonathan Graves Monsarrat. No permission of any kind is willingly granted to Mr. Monsarrat. In case he hadn't noticed, that's what happens when you are in the habit of excreting on your community.

---

Let me tell you the story
Of a man named JonMon
Who would really like to have his way...
He's the internet icon
Who you can't use your Psych on
He's the man who never will learn!

  Oh, his bridges are burned
  Please don't let him return...
  'cause his lesson's still unlearn'd!
  He may scam forever
  In the Square of Davis
  He's the man who never will learn!

He used to go by JonMon
But his rep has gone creepy
What's a smooth operator to do?
When you need to sound wholesome
Though your act is still loathesome
Then I guess that "Johnny" will do.

  Oh, his bridges are burned
  Please don't let him return...
  'cause his lesson's still unlearn'd!
  He may lurk forever
  On the blogs of Davis
  He's the man who never will learn!

Johnny says he's a victim
Because people keep on talking
Of some things no court has ruled
He says "come on and prove it
Or I'll make you remove it"
He's amazed when nobody's fooled

  Oh, his bridges are burned
  Please don't let him return...
  'cause his lesson's still unlearn'd!
  First he's looking your pants off
  Then he's suing your ass off
  He's the man who never will learn!

In Johnny's world the only law
Is what he gets away with
'less it's something he can use
To club his detractors
And intimidate their backers
And escape from paying his dues

  Oh, his bridges are burned
  Please don't let him return...
  'cause his lesson's still unlearn'd!
  He will leave you disgusted
  His ways won't be adjusted
  He's the man who never will learn!

Now the citizens of Davis Square
Are standing up to Johnny
And we all know what to do
When he says that you've been served...
And whines "I'm not a perv"
Just smile, and answer "fuck you!"

  Oh, his bridges are burned
  Please don't let him return...
  'cause his lesson's still unlearn'd!
  He'll play his games forever
  In the Square of Davis
  He's the man who never will learn!
  He's the man...who never will learn!

Comments

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

Like harrock, I admire those of you who are over on the more forgiving side. I do think that society must have both forgivers and non-forgivers to function; if you have a society of people who always cooperate in Prisoner's Dilemma, then a defector will eat them alive, but a society of all defectors is miserable for everyone. Tit for tat works pretty well, but a Prisoner's Dilemma society is also better off when everyone is a little more forgiving than straight tit for tat. Of course, we aren't all running the same algorithms, and everyone must draw their own lines on what is forgivable and what isn't (and everyone has had their own different sets of interactions.)

Anyway, speaking only for myself, I am pretty sure that if he drops the suit, he will be a lot less the topic of my conversation than he is right now. This isn't kicking someone when he's down - it's kicking someone who is suing Ron and threatening to sue the rest of our community for five million dollars and hasn't stopped trying to do so yet.

[moechus.livejournal.com]

I don't see them as mutually exclusive. Forgiving does not mean forgetting and treating him with decency doesn't mean letting down ones guard. Everyone is on notice as to what he is capable of and everyone is communicating with everyone else so I don't see it as resembling Prisoner's Dilemma.

I think the suit is likely to die fairly quickly given his recent actions. I have tried to put myself in the shoes of his lawyers and of ways they might keep it going and I haven't thought of one that I would be confident trying. The best try is probably to shut down his extrajudicial activities, apologize profusely to the court and then try to get the court's leave to amend the complaint again. That's a hard sell to any judge so I do think that he is down.

[harrock.livejournal.com]

I think you're overemphasizing the importance of the lawsuit itself in all of this. I agree that prospects appear good for defense against the lawsuit, but if it does implode, I'll count that as a very limited victory. People have endured a lot of anxiety, and spent a lot of time and resources on this. Nobody wants to go through it again, which makes it an effective threat.

I don't foresee that being dressed down by a judge will make an impression on JonMon. He'll turn on the sad face and promise to mend his ways, and then he'll refine his methods. I doubt he's done with lawsuits; anything that can lever the power of the state against his targets has too much potential to ignore.

Most people here are thinking past his next threat to the community, and ahead to his next isolated victim. Quietly keeping up our own guard will help that person not at all. By definition, that person is not reading DSLJ yet, so everyone is not talking to everyone.

[moechus.livejournal.com]

Who said anything about "quietly" keeping up our own guard? Vigilance does not exclude decency and I just don't believe in gratuitously inflicting pain on anyone, regardless of whether they deserve it. We all deserve something and should count ourselves fortunate in not getting what we deserve.

I doubt he will promise to mend his ways (whether sincerely or insincerely). After all, it seems clear that it will make no difference to the way he is treated. More likely, he will be forced to cling to his self-image as victim with increasing desperation. Probably with increasing obnoxiousness (but I doubt he will find a lawyer to represent him in any future litigation and frivolous pro se suits get shut down pretty quickly). In short, I think this treatment of him is not only inhumane but possibly counter-productive. Quite aside from what one thinks of this from a philosophic or ethical viewpoint, there may be a pragmatic argument for showing him some decency.

[harrock.livejournal.com]

(I deleted my own comment here, because it was more confrontational than was justified or useful.)