Behind Enemy Lines

I never would have anticipated the dangers of posting a simple link to my blog, but I would have been wrong.

After doing my post on why Quebec City would be a better choice for the NHL than Hamilton I decided to try to spread the word, posting the link on a Facebook group promoting the idea of bringing the NHL to Hamilton.

Unfortunately, the feedback didn't so much start a discussion, as I had expected, but questioned my reasons for posting on the group, and basically just bashing me. I doubt that many of them even read the story, but  a few of them did and gave actual responses on the post. The rest of them, however, just bashed myself, my intelligence and my morals.

While I'm sure you'd rather read some of the creative insults that people came up with, this actually raises a serious question. When does hyperlinking and self-promotion become immoral? Does it ever?

Clearly, I felt I was in the right for posting on this group. My post was largely on the subject of an NHL team in Hamilton, and I used (or tried to with the best of my abilities) facts and logical reason as to why Quebec is a better city. At the same time, however, I now realize why people might be a little pissed off. While it's not necessarily spamming (one of the most annoying and arguably least moral things to do according to general netiquette), it could be seen as spreading hockey blasphemy. I was going against everything that everyone in the group was promoting. It would be like going to a Conservative rally wearing red and shouting pro-Liberal comments (well, with Kansas City as the front-runner now it may be more like showing NDP support).

So, in my opinion, I say that what I did is completely justifiable. I was trying to relate a story that affected them, and that, while drawing some negative criticism, would offer a realist and different perspective than the simple cheering of the idea. I wasn't spreading spam, nor was I just trying to be an asshole by disagreeing with their ideas. I was using my sports knowledge and expertise to write a legitimate story on an issue that was in the news.

That is, or should be, completely fair and acceptable. And if it's not, I guess I'm going to being breaking a lot of rules of netiquette.