07-02-2011, 01:23 AM
So apparently singer/actress Zooey Deschanel (She & Him; Elf; FOX's upcoming comedy The New Girl) is a co-founder of a web site as well. She wrote this piece that I stumbled upon today, and of which I'm only posting part, about keeping comments on the web site more on the positive/friendly side. I think it can apply to all sites though and especially having seen a couple negative comments lately, thought it was worth posting here as a reminder to us all
Quote:This is an Internet rant about Internet rants. This is a rant about anonymous, unconstructive, Internet meanness. Itâs not because I think everyone should be happy and cheerful all the time. Itâs just that I think people should be decent and respectful to each other.Full posting: http://hellogiggles.com/if-you-dont-have...ice-to-say
Everyone has a right to individual opinions, but just because you donât like something does not mean that no one else does. So, unless you have some really thoughtful and constructive criticism, why say anything at all? Or rather, why say it publicly? With the advent of the world wide web was born this conundrum; while the Internet has the fantastic ability to bring people of common interests together, it simultaneously gives people the ability to say all the nasty things they want, completely anonymously.
I have the utmost respect for true critics and writers who devote themselves to analyzing and appreciating art; this is NOT who I am talking about. Often the content of comments sections goes something like this (in Mad Libs form):
SouPerP1mp69: I hate (name of an artist/celebrity not in room)! He/she is (unflattering adjective) and (unflattering adjective) and someone should tell her/him that he/she should stop (verb/name of profession)-ing.
Well SouPerP1mp69, you lost me there! If I didnât like sushi, would I say, âAll sushi restaurants should stop making it for other people because I donât like itâ? No, I would not because that makes NO SENSE. If you donât like a writer, donât read their books; if you donât like an actor, donât watch their movies and so on and so forth. The people who are making art, successfully or unsuccessfully, have a right to do so and I can guarantee you that none of them are spending time making the things that they make for people who hate them.
So, why would someone go on a message board like a weird little sneak and write a bunch of mean stuff about someone? There are certainly artists that I donât particularly care for, but do I publicly go and say mean things about them? No, I do not, because they shouldnât care what I think, because theyâre not doing it for me and if I donât like it, then I am simply not their crowd. If people are supporting their efforts then I deduce that they have an audience of people who enjoy what they do.
Itâs wonderful that people have different tastes. The word âopinionâ, intrinsically, has no âright or wrongâ, only âyours and mineâ. People can buy into, surround themselves with and immerse themselves in whatever suits their fancy! So why rain on other peoplesâ parades?