THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD...OR DIDN'T WE JUST PASS THIS PLACE???

I remember taking this photo in Norway. After a while all the cliffs that I felt the car would plunge over started looking the same...


The idea for this blog post is courtesy of THIS

Title:

YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ MY F***ING SCRIPT IF I DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOUR F***ING RANT

I read the comments about this essay and they were evenly divided between agreeing with the ranter and disagreeing saying that everybody needs a hand early in their career.
Let me give my take on the situation.
In my case help was encouragement in workshops not reading a manuscript and getting me an agent. I help other writers because I know what it was like.
Do I read their work? Only in facilitated workshops. Do I get them an agent? No because I don't know what kind of agent they want. Do I send them to my editor? No that's not my job. Will I answer questions about writing or publishing? YES YES YES.
Anyone who asks about my path or has a question gets an answer.
Do I have to insult someone who genuinely thinks I might want to read or edit their unagented work?
No.
Never.
Why?
Because they don't know any better. I tell them about writers groups and organizations and conferences and wish them luck.
Yes I know it's impossible to discourage true writers. But yanno. I don't want to discourage them. I want other writers to succeed. If something I say helps then yeah!
If they get annoyed with me for not easing their path then I can't help that. I'm too busy revising my next manuscript to worry about that.
The thing is...
Why be mean?