Max Weismann is a jerk.

My post On... received an obvious spambot comment from a Max Weismann. In fact, it received two identical comments separated by about twenty minutes. I only published one of them.

I sent the following email to Mr. Weismann:

Max, you recently left a spam comment on my blog advertising your Adler/Van Doren "how to read a book" videos. Honestly, the videos sound great, but I wouldn't buy a thing from you at this point. I'd be more interested if you didn't sound like a spam-bot. I don't claim to have any "Great Ideas" on my blog, but I can claim to have a few friends that interact with what I actually write instead of sending me junk advertisement. Why don't you interact with anything in my post besides my brief mention of How to Read a Book? Then, maybe I'll check out and respect what you're doing. From what I've seen of what you're doing, it doesn't look like you're trying to further any great conversation at all. It looks like you're trying to make a quick buck.

John Owen
http://chasingpictures.blogspot.com

Weismann wrote back:

"From what I've seen of what you're doing, it doesn't look like you're trying to further any great conversation at all."

It seems you haven't visited our website.

--
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Justice and freedom; discussion and criticism;
intelligence and character--these are the indispensable
ingredients of the democratic state.
We can be rich and powerful without them.
But not for long. --Robert M. Hutchins
----------------------------------------------------
Center for the Study of The Great Ideas
Founded in 1990 by Mortimer J. Adler and Max Weismann
E-mail: TGIdeas@speedsite.com
Home Page: http://www.thegreatideas.org/
A not-for-profit 501(c)3 educational organization
Donations are tax deductible as the law allows

I wrote back:

I did visit your website. In my email, I was speaking specifically about your spambot comment. You are not interested in conversing with me about anything in my blog post besides my brief aside about How to Read a Book. I don't like your shady advertisement tactics. They are rude and disrespectful attempts at furthering your own agenda, not beginning a conversation with others. Please be honest and admit that you have no interest in me or my film club blog except that I exist as a potential customer to you.

To which Weismann very kindly responded within 4 minutes of my having sent the above email:

Your ignorance, is exceeded only by your arrogance!

My grammar here on the blog is often loose and often disregards basic rules of English language usage, but I couldn't resist writing back with the following:

Your comma splice, is exceeded only by your rudeness!

He hasn't written back yet.

Ignorant and arrogant,
-John