A Rant to Consider

Don't Criticize What You Don't Know!

We've all seen it. Some cynical cyber-bully who thinks they know everything about everything. Just log onto your favorite message board and chances are it is overloaded with whole threads dedicated to just that. You see comments like "Twilight is gay!", or "Fall Out Boy should be renamed Sell Out Boy. Their music is [crap]!" And more than likely these people, who can't seem to thrive with out lording over the message board with their magical Thread-Nazi power, have never listened to, read, watched, or taken in any of the content they are criticizing. This is my public service announcement to those people: No one cares if you don't like it unless you tell us why! (and no, "because it's stupid" is not an acceptable answer)

"Twilight fans are better than you and we'll kick your [butt]!"



by: -Bi- via Flickr

 So maybe that's not the quote verbatim, but I have seen a comment like that on a post about why a certain reader did not like the finale, Breaking Dawn, to the infamous book series. Personally, I respected the girl who made the post. She was entirely professional about it and did not bash the series as a whole, but logically stated why she was dissatisfied. That post was a great example of how to criticize properly. You have to know the subject at hand and then analyze it critically. Unfortunately everyone is allowed to voice their opinion on the Internet, and the girl with a reasonable opinion was harassed with comments like the quote above.

"At least my music doesn't sound like pigs are dying..."
I am sad to say that while some people are able to express themselves logically and with reason on the Internet, many are not. Many forum "regs" (regulars) can rant for miles about how much they hate something that they've only heard about via word of mouth or through the media. They make their post like they are the king of all things deemed cool or uncool, but they only accomplish making a fool of themselves by babbling out a bunch of irrelevant and ignorant garbage. These bullies make it seem as if they are such opinionated individuals when really they are just repeating what others have said, all the while the cyber-bully feels accomplished and "hip".




by: TheeGoblin via Flickr


Stop Cyber-Nazism in its Tracks!

by: Aldo Risolvo via Flickr

My advice to you, the people who care, the people who have reason behind their opinion, is to challenge the know-it-all in their criticism. Ask them for their specific reasons of distaste and expose the arrogant nuisance for what he or she really is. Don't be afraid to criticize or speak your mind, but remember you can't criticize it if you don't know it.

This has been a public service announcement...