Before You Post That Contrary Comment

Before You Post That Contrary Comment

We'll be blunt, some Rainers have forgotten their Sandbox 101 training.  We firmly believe in free speech rights, but just because you CAN express your opinion, doesn't mean you SHOULD express your opinion. 

Sometimes silence is the appropriate response.

Sometimes a private email is the right response.

Sometimes writing your own blog post is the right response.

But rarely is undercutting the author on their own PUBLIC, CONSUMER ORIENTED post the right response!!

And that's two key phrases:  PUBLIC POST and CONSUMER ORIENTED.

If the author is directing their post TO THE CONSUMER, and NOT to the Active Rain community, do you think they want your opinion that basically states that you think they're full of "it", to use the polite term??  Of course not! 

There is no unalienable right to state your opinion and have it stay on the author's post.  Your right to free speech ends when it interferes with the author's business.  Don't be surprised nor offended if your comment goes POOF.  Their blog, their rules, no whining.  If you feel strongly enough about the topic, GO WRITE YOUR OWN POST!

The premise of the author's post got you stirred up?  First of all, is what you're riled up about what the author ACTUALLY stated, or what YOU read between the lines and inferred?  Way too often we see comments with a disconnect from the subject matter of the actual post.  Don't infer and interpret.  Read the post.  The WHOLE post.  Then read it again.  Does it still say what you think it did?

Is the post rife with misspelling??  That's easy, on the right side bar there's an Email Me link.  Use it.  Yes, the captchas can sometimes be a pain in the butt, but pointing out someone's spelling deficiencies?  Maybe the author is targeting the "Me kan't spull eyethur" niche :)  And I'll by no means claim perfection in spelling, even WITH spell check engaged!  Spell check DOES NOT check the title bar, and those homonym pairs are/our, there/their, etc. regularly get flip flopped first thing in the morning when operating on a caffeine deficit.  And personally we appreciate when one of our AR friends drops us a quick email pointing out an error we need to correkt correct.

We could say a bit more on the topic, but bottom line is:  RESPECT YOUR FELLOW BLOGGERS!  If it's a public, consumer oriented post and they have not EXPRESSLY requested your opinion, it may be time to push the keyboard away.

And don't forget, your comments just may be out there FOREVER, so choose your words wisely Grasshopper (if you're a certain age you'll get it, and if not, search the TV Series Kung Fu on YouTube).

This post is NOT consumer oriented, so feel free to post your comments. And obviously a Members Only post is more wide open for dissent, but still needs to be kept civil.  No questioning the author's heritage or intelligence is needed to make your point. (Unless they start talking about commissions and violating Sherman!!).

For the Active Rain Guidelines, aka Sandbox 101, click the link.

Keep on Blogging!
Liz and Bill aka BLiz