Stand Together, or Die Alone

I've mostly been out of Eve this week dealing with RL crap, fighting Dragons and cleaning up messes. But, as always, I do try to keep up with my Blog reading and Tweetfleet activities as much as I can. I've been reading with interest the recent posts from my good friend Mord Fiddle over at Fiddler's Edge regarding the Goons and their leader Mittens. Jesters Trek also did a nice overall post about the cost of total war that you should read. And then this morning I saw this post over on Ardent Defender's blog. And while that post was more of a mention than anything else, it reveal something I thought I'd take up here, in one of the comments.


Mord had mentioned something to the effect of, "as I wrote in ‘Logoi’, whether or not I agree with, or even like a the bloggers Mittens is trying to silence doesn’t matter. 
If Mittens is allowed to silence or drive out the Yukis, Jades and Mabricks of New Eden, who will stand up for Jester, Rixx, Marc Scarus and Mord Fiddle when he comes after us.
We bloggers stand together, or we’ll fall separately."
To this post Evehermit asked, "Interesting reading those comments. How do EVE bloggers actually stand together though?"

How do Eve bloggers stand together? It is a good question and one that involves the community in more ways than you might think. But it also pre-supposes some conditions that are not in fact part of the reality of our community. We are all, after all is said and done, simply individuals brought together out of a mutual desire to share our interest in a game beyond the confines of that game. In a virtual community, generally made up of people that may never meet or interact in real life.
It isn't like I can jump in and punch Mittens if he decides to 'go after' someone.  (Although I would enjoy nothing better. And believe me, at 6' 6" and nearly 300 pounds, Mittens would not enjoy the experience of me hitting him one bit. I've seen pictures of the guy.) But this isn't possible and in real life I'd more likely buy the guy a drink and argue about in-game politics than punch him. As much as I dislike the Goons in-game, I rarely think about such things in the context of real life.
I was just outside watching some workers taking down a tree and the metaphor didn't escape me. They can't just cut the tree down because of the surrounding buildings, and this is easily a 40' maple. So they are starting from the top, cutting out the new growth first, and then slowly working their way down the trunk. Cutting away the outer limbs and exposing the main trunk, tossing the debris down to be shredded.
This is how a community dies. One branch at a time, slowly and methodically. Until all that is left is the thing you started with, the thing itself, exposed and defenseless, easily disposed of without harming any of the surrounding structures.
How do we defend each other? I could promise to come to someone's aid in-game, should things go that way. I could do that. I could also say the obvious, that should anyone target my fellow bloggers I will write about it, expose it, and rant against the injustice of it all. I will certainly do that. I always have. One doesn't have to look far into my own history to see how much I've given to this community and will continue to do so as long as I am able.
Beyond that however, beyond encouragement, beyond words, beyond interesting pictures, beyond hats, is there anything there?
Only one thing. Conviction.
When the rubber meets the road, or when the tree doctors start hacking at your branches, the only thing you have is your own conviction. Each of us is different. Each of us writes for our own reasons, our own goals, our own convictions. Sometimes, some of us do stop. Sometimes a branch withers on its own, or is cut down in its prime. But the tree survives because it is stronger than the forces allied against it.
The ONLY thing that can stop this blog is me. There is no scenario in which the Goons, Mittens, or anyone else can bring this blog down. Not one. Not in-game or out of game, either way I am untouchable. I've been threatened before. It doesn't work. And why is that? Because of my convictions, because I don't take Eve seriously, but I play it and write about it seriously.
Stand by your own convictions and you will weather the storm.
And if you need help, if the winds are strong and you fear you may snap, ask for help. I've witnessed amazing and incredible things from this community of ours, I believe we may be able to help. But only if we know.