I don't usually write addendums to old 'meanwhile' articles, even when my opinions later change. However, it would appear that in the case of an article I wrote titled Whether it's true or not, an exception is required, not for my sake, but for those who may read that article and identify in some way with the situation or people involved.
The first and most obvious point is this; Whether it's true or not was written back in 1998. I point this out because it would seem that some people assume that the article was written recently.
At the time of writing the original article it's fair to say that I was annoyed at unfounded allegations and outright gossip about me, and as such the original article reflected that annoyance. As you might expect though, the annoyance later faded but the nature of 'Meanwhile' means that the article has remained online since it first appeared .
With this in mind, I will concede that I did perhaps fail to consider the impression that this single article on its own might leave upon someone. But with a fairly extensive selection of other articles to choose from, would it not then be unwise to simply conclude things about me based upon a lone article written in 1998?
You simply cannot expect to have even the smallest understanding of who I am today if you only take the time to read Whether it's true or not. That article was written at a time when my writing style, my website, and indeed the entire world wide web itself, had a much different flavor. It sits in close company with articles about news events and computers, subjects that interested me at the time but are of little consequence to me today.
'Meanwhile' was written much as any online journal or early 'blog,' and as such you should be aware of the fact that while the articles may remain unchanged, the opinions and feelings surrounding them could be entirely different today.
Some have suggested that I should simply remove Whether it's true or not, therefore disarming anyone who might wish to criticize me about what I wrote. I considered this carefully but concluded that all of my articles have earned their place on my site and should remain there in the context of the time in which they were written.
If I were to remove that article then perhaps I should also then remove The iMac, which in my opinion is quite possibly the most boring thing I have ever written. While I'm at it in the net is also pretty bad so maybe that should also be culled from the site? After all, the person I am today has no interest in football, and an iMac from 1998 might be considered an antique today.
But when and where should I start and stop hacking away at the articles I have written? Isn't this akin to discarding old photographs because fashion has moved on and we no longer have the clothes we once wore? As a writer, I don't mind a little retro-active 'tidying-up' here and there, but to delete an old article because it doesn't reflect who I am today seems to go against the spirit of what 'Meanwhile' is, not to mention the fact that all of us change over time.
I've written so much more than just Whether it's true or not and, like everyone else, you have the opportunity to read as many of those articles as you wish. In doing so you would be better equipped to form a somewhat more balanced opinion of who I am. Though you should note that I stopped writing 'Meanwhile' articles back in 2007, and a great deal has changed for us all since that time.
Of course, in the end, it's entirely up to you whether you choose to read more or not. Either way, I don't suppose it will affect me much. But for what it's worth I'd like to thank you for at least taking the time to read and consider this little addendum. If you would like to reach out to me to discuss anything, (something the 'Rev. Epsom' or anyone related to him never did) I am open to engaging in a respectful conversation.