Question about "Gossip"

[_Gazelam]

I've heard about Jersey and I asumed you left for the same reason Springsteen left:

Baby this town rips the bones from your back
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we're young
'Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run


: )

[_harmony]

The kind of gossip that bothers me is the kind that is generally devoid of factual information, but heavy in innuendo.

This is what I hate the most. In most cases the possibilities we dream up (I know something about Scratch....) is much worse than the actual thing (....he doesn't rewind videos before returning them *shock and awe. Rioting in the streets*)

Obviously people's imaginations will run wild to the worse possible conclusion (I know something about Scratch....he sacrifices virgins?....he pulls the switch at executions?....he's a Yankees fan?) than the actual thing. So why not just give up the juicy tidbit and let people thing about it rather than the 7th grade crap (I know something you don't know about.....)?

Several years ago, we owed some money to a couple in our neighborhood. They went on a mission. We sent them a small check every month, with a letter full of neighborhood news. I told my friend that I'd send her the news every month, but I would never include gossip. She wanted to know how I figured out which was which. I told her that neighborhood news was news a good mother would spread about her child. Gossip was something a good mother would want to keep hidden. Sometimes, the news looked like gossip, so I didn't include the scuttlebutt going around, just the news itself ("Mary S is pregnant again, due in January," rather than "Mary S is pregnant and there is strong speculation that her husband, Jack S, isn't the father.")

What I detest is the "I know something you don't know, and if you knew it too, you'd agree with me" nonsense that some posters pull so often. Maklelan started doing this, with the financials, but had no evidence to support his premise. Daniel does this quite often, and it's just so tacky, especially in a man of his status. Innuendo is a whispering campaign which is only designed to malign and denigrate, which to me, is worse than gossiping.

[_Gazelam]

I told her that neighborhood news was news a good mother would spread about her child. Gossip was something a good mother would want to keep hidden.

I like that. Great example.