Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…

Ok… who died and left you Queen??

Why in the hell does blogging give SOME people such a sense of power and entitlement?? Any shmo with a PC and an internet connection can have a blog – and most DO. So, it’s really no claim to fame, no special wonder-twin power. So what gives??

I swear, the bad taste in my mouth (and I am sure the designers’ mouths in general) has made me reluctant to call myself a blogger and hesitant to post recently. I’m sorry to all that follow my blog btw for the lack of input lately.

To me, it is much like all journalism… a privilege and moreover a responsibility. It is a privilege to have people want to read what you have to say and thusly, we have a responsibility to use words that help not hurt. Our goal should be to say something that helps our readers – be they consumers or designers. That’s why they call it CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and not destructive.

It just really irks me that so many people who call themselves bloggers (I could only loosely refer to them as same in that they HAVE a blog and they type in it… the fact that it is poorly thought out drivel more akin to word vomit than anything else is where the distinction is drawn) just spew split second opinions without a thought for anyone else but themselves. Even if you don’t care for a design or you think the craftsmanship of said design is sub par – there are WAYS to say this that would benefit both the designer and the consumer.

Using the defense of “protecting buyers from the crap that is sold on the grid” is, quite frankly, a cop-out. Is there “crap” put out for sale on the grid? – sure… are the people who would be savvy enough to check blogs for reviews going to be the same people naive enough to buy it? – hardly.

A legitimate designer deserves no less than a constructive review of their hard work and as bloggers who take on the responsibility of reviewing their hard work, we owe them that.

It should be just as much work for us to put out a review as it is for them to create the item. Not just a bunch of ill selected words slapped together with a picture or two. Our contribution is our skill/ability/talent to communicate to a reader what we see. Our tools are our words and we should craft them skillfully and thoughtfully. Bloggers who don’t follow that basic ethic are no better than the builders who put “crap” out on the grid to sell. Sadly, the people who will be reading the crap you put out will be the more savvy consumer… and even the designers themselves. 

To say that our opinions don’t cost any Lindens so you can say just whatever you want is another cheap scapegoat of a reason to not put any real time or effort into conveying what we have to say in a constructive way.  In not doing such, you hurt people… their hard-earned reputations, their businesses, their livelihoods and worse still – their feelings!

You know if you are that kind of blogger and if you are, your lack of mastery of the language you choose for your medium disgusts me!  Take some classes, learn some tact, get some direction and above all, get an attitude adjustment!

Most designers take pride in their work and to belittle them and their wares is morally incomprehensible to me. Truly, you should be ashamed of yourself! Goodness knows, I am ashamed for you and ashamed that you have dubbed yourself with the same title of blogger that so many of us carry with great dignity and pride in our own work.

You make me literally SICK with the negativity that you spread like a sickness all over the grid. IMVU (or better yet, SIMS – where you have no connection or interaction with other real people) has a great place for you because SL doesn’t need you nor does it want you! Oh, and take all of your little whiney, angst ridden, obnoxious, emo kiddies with you – You have been voted OFF the island!

 The tribe has spoken.