Ok, enough already. a message from your instructor

Dear all:

As you are no doubt aware, a recent post by Jeremy Jeresky on this site regarding the complicity of VC students vis-a-vis the spectacle has prompted a good deal of commentary. It should be said that not all of this commentary has been against his initial opinion, and some of it (both for and against) has been genuinely reflective (thanks Connor and Jen, among others), often to a greater degree than the original post. It should also be said that Jeremy has posted a kind of apology/retraction in a comment on his original post, something which seems to have escaped the attention of some later post-ers.

It's true that Jeremy's initial post was inflammatory and unjustified in its sweeping characterizations about Visual Communications. But much of the best - and worst - writing on art and design seeks to provoke or challenge, and while aspects of the original post are, indeed, regrettable, it has generated some interesting discussion, and thoughtful response by some students in this class. What does bother me, is the extent to which other posts have devolved into personal insult and attack, often posted by students who fail to sign their posts.

So, please, stop with the personal attacks, jibes and insults. If you want to address this post, or the thread and later entries that take it up, I want you to do so in a substantive way that engages with the concepts, and not with the individual who posted it.

Thanks,
Keith