Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
September 26, 2023

An Accounting Troll Gets Trolled

I think the guy who asked me what a troll was just trolled me.

Freaking CPA can celebrate all over again as he is yet again appearing in Going Concern. Two things: 1) I'm not a "he" (I could see how one might think that but thought my obviously feminine first name gave that away when spelled out) and 2) What's wrong with humiliating accounting firms that provide "services" (which translates into "a bunch of bullshit") and what about us doing that means we don't have this vision to make the accounting discussion all that much more interesting?

We try to keep an open mind. People like to talk about how much money they'll make. They like to insult each other. They like to insult other firms. What's wrong with doing that? There are enough detail wonks working on private company accounting standards and tax laws, no one needs another one of those.

What if some of the most important questions are "how much will I make?" and "why do I hate what I do?"

Accounting is more than plugging numbers (oops was I not supposed to say that out loud?), and that's not because we here at Going Concern slap some fucks on it and call it a day. I don't see why I have to convince a person who pursued a PhD in accounting why accounting is interesting. I'm an outsider and I still find it interesting even though I still ask CPAs why on Earth they chose this profession.

Anyway, this comment was left on Freaking CPA's post:

I think the [Going Concern] blog is great for a number of reasons. At first thought, an accounting blog wouldn't be very interesting for most. However, when actually reading the posts and the different opinions on real world accounting issues today, one becomes very compelled to continue participating. This blog is extremely important for undergraduate students especially. As a recent college graduate, I now understand the importance of staying up to date with accounting issues. Undergarduate students should definitely take advantage of this site. It is a huge topic of discussion on interviews or informal meetings with professionals in the field.

That's the point; it isn't Caleb's awful attempts at humor that draw people here, it's the fact that actual professionals bill real hours commiserating amongst themselves. You can't get that sense of community wonking your brains out on trends in non-profit accounting and the latest ASCs. Like I said, someone already has that part handled and well I'm sure.

Personally, I think it's time to retire the jaded, masochist accountant shtick. "Why would anyone care…?" If you don't care that much about what you write, then stop doing it. But if you're genuinely passionate about whatever you're writing about – even ASCs – that will come across. And I guarantee you there are ASC nerds out there who flock to content like that. Same as there are assholes who only care about money who flock to content like this site's. It's not complicated.

We don't strive to have the definitive say in the perception of events; Freaking CPA writes about how we frequently seek out bizarre crimes involving CPAs, accountants and financial professionals as if all we care about are the gory details. No, we want to open the conversation. Why is that happening? Why is no one noticing? Who is in charge of stopping it and how?

The conversation continues, whether or not Freaking CPA wants to accept that much of the conversation is happening over here. U mad?

Latest Accounting Jobs--Apply Now:

Have something to add to this story? Give us a shout by email, Twitter, or text/call the tipline at 202-505-8885. As always, all tips are anonymous.

Comments are closed.

Related articles

illustration of a group of people leaving their jobs

Now the Profession Is Losing Experienced Accountants Too

Here we are again talking about the accountant shortage. Don’t blame me, blame WSJ. Mark Maurer at Wall Street Journal wrote today about a young man named Omer Khokhar who realized after six years in accounting that he was done. The article title: “Job Security Isn’t Enough to Keep Many Accountants From Quitting.” Ruh-oh. The […]

Happy and sad funny face ball character in crowd 3d render

EY Survey: Gen Z Is Broke, Anxious, and Extremely Worried About Everything. We Can’t Blame Them

EY put out a press release on the results of its 2023 Gen Z Segmentation study yesterday and it’s not good. Less than a third (31%) of those born between 1997 and 2007 surveyed feel financially secure, more than half (52%) said they are very or extremely worried about not having enough money. Mind you […]