Giving a voice to the crazies?
I don’t know Brian Cubbison, an assistant news editor for the Syracuse Post-Standard. But he did something I’ve been wanting to do for a while: he staged a very nice, thoughtful Q&A with Robert Knilands.
This is what a responsible journalist does. He puts aside his personal feelings and his biases and prejudices and he does his job. He asks questions and he records the answers.
For years, I pondered interviewing Knilands for VizEds or for SND’s Design magazine. I’ve even tried, a time or two, to write him a note to open just such a dialogue.
But every time I do, I’m reminded of the venom this guy has spewed, of the way he’s picked on and bullied and victimized young people — young women, in particular — and the brutal ad hominem attacks he’s performed on me, Bonita Burton and others. And my stomach turns. So I’ve never gone through with it.
I’m glad Cubbison did. Knilands actually sounds less like a frothing ass than ever before. I’m impressed.
Read it here. If you dare.
—
KNILANDS RESPONDS:
Via e-mail…
Chuck, Chuck, Chuck:
It’s your good buddy, Rob K., here.
Um, your comment about the “young women” is not something I’m going to let stand without a battle. As I’m sure you’ll simply ignore this until I force you to do otherwise, I think I’ll just cut to the chase on this one. I’ve already talked with some legal professionals about how to handle just this sort of thing, so we should be able to move forward quickly with a response.
Have a nice day.
If you’re a young woman and you feel you have been bullied or victimized by Robert, feel free to comment on this post. I’ll even allow anonymous comments. This time.
August 7th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Very good interview. I didn’t see any PFD’s mentioned. The banner add on that website was AP plumbing, with a logo almost identicale to Associated Press! The AP plumbing tagline was about “going down the drain…” kinda ironic!
August 8th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
RK left a comment after one of mine on someone else’s NPD portfolio (Emmett Smith’s, maybe?) a couple of years ago making some comment about how I should go back to pumping out kids. (I have one child, for the record.) Nothing to get all legal about — I didn’t find it that upsetting, I just commented back that I wanted to keep the news of his and my love child a secret.
So I am a young woman (I was perhaps 25 or 26 at the time) that he has “bullied,” though I use that in quoted because I do not allow myself to be bullied by anyone, especially not strangers on the Internet. I’m just posting this to add to the record that he has not always been the picture of chivalry when dealing with others.
August 8th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
He turned me into a NEWT!!!
Uhh, I got better.
August 9th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Charles, you can have anything you need from me in any “BATTLE” with this misguided, ill-informed, venal, vile and just plan wrong idiot (and I use the term as a matter of personal belief and freedom of speech).
August 9th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
This guy is …a number of things.
August 9th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
We’re only giving him what he wants by talking about him. Feuds are childish.
While I don’t approve of the abrasive way he goes about things, and speaking as someone who’s had his comments on my NPD, he makes some fair points.
August 9th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Nobody says he doesn’t have a point, it’s just his attack dog mode. Fair, critical discourse is fine, painting an entire segment of a profession as losers, whiners, and no-talents isn’t anything but the workings of a dysfunctional thought-process.
August 9th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Then why reward him with attention? That’s all I’m saying.
August 9th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Mike and Brandon, you’re both right. Painting an entire segment of a profession as losers, whiners, and no-talents isn’t anything but the workings of a dysfunctional thought-process, and we’re only giving him what he wants by talking about him. Indeed, why reward him with attention?
August 9th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
He’s not an idiot. He’s angry over some things that, if he’s being truthful, well, there just wasn’t any call for in the first place. Maybe that still fuels his bitterness.
But his bitterness over design? And a “design-based approach”? And “PFADs”? Who knows where that really comes from. I’ve occasionally wondered if he wasn’t a closet designer. (”Come to the Design Side, Robert… we have cookies.”)
But then I’ve seen his Web site. I don’t know Web design, but I’m sure I could’ve done better….
August 10th, 2008 at 7:59 am
Well, it’s just my opinion, and I haven’t baited with him in years, but to me, he’s like that little yipping dog that you’d just LOVE to dropkick across the street but you don’t because you really like dogs and you’d hate to hurt one just because it irritates you (In the case for full disclosure, I HAVE a teacup Yorkie that i have NEVER booted across the street. I also have a standard poodle, three cats, and two snakes, NONE of which have I ever booted across the street…or anywhere else for that matter). Talking, “DISCUSSING”, baiting, posting or anything else with Rnil is (or was, since I have basically stopped), for me, done more out of needing to not let a rampaging anti-design dolt get the last word. So, stopped, won’t hear from me again on the Rnil topic. But, don’t expect him to go away.
August 11th, 2008 at 12:23 am
Gee, even when he’s being nice, everyone attacks him… Every story needs a villain. I say we all take the high road here and embrace the other point of view.
August 11th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Make lemonade from lemons. See:
http://treehouse-media.net/about_me.php
August 11th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
For some reason my comment on topic didn’t show, so I resubmitted it, but it still doesn’t show. So, can you please delete the multiple submissions, if you decide to post it.