Back when I still had cable, before cutting the cord and moving to Netflix, one of the shows I watched every week was Family Guy.
Before moving to Canada in 2006, I’d never heard of it. But my wife-to-be (who was in Canada) kept raving about this show.
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While social media is a fantastic medium for working smarter for businesses, it?s also softened us a little as people.
There?s almost a kumbaya feeling of not being able to speak your mind, because when you question a ?name? out in social media, or disagree with them, you?re labeled a hater.
Never mind the fact you have a valid opinion ? you must be a hater because your opinion isn?t the same as The Chosen One(s).
This leads to blog posts being praised to the rooftops, despite being rehashed content from two months previously (sometimes even less ? I?m looking at you, certain A-lister).
Comments rain in ? ?Great post!?, ?So true and only you could say that!? and so on.
Now, I?m the first to really praise a blog and share it on my networks when there?s great content, as well as comment and show my appreciation.
Yet more and more I?m feeling less inclined to comment, because I land on a post with the same safe viewpoint, or a circle of self-adoring comments.
And this is a shame, because blogs (and their community of commenters) can really offer fresh takes on tired subjects.
Instead, we see the warm fuzziness of adoration ? and there?s no real need for that.
We?re all individuals. We all have opinions ? sometimes right, sometimes wrong. We all have unique personalities and thought processes.
This is what makes us such an interesting animal. So why are we softening this up?
[clickToTweet tweet=”People aren’t commenting on blogs because it’s the same safe viewpoints on display #pureblogging” quote=”People aren’t commenting on blogs because it’s the same safe viewpoints on display #pureblogging”]
If something isn?t right and you feel it isn?t, say so.
If you land on a post of the biggest blogger on the planet and it?s dire, tell him or her.
Show why it?s wrong, and challenge them to live up to their reputation.
And if you?re the blogger yourself, don?t go with the flow just because it?s easier than swimming against it. Instead, have the proverbial balls to speak out.
Simply put, show your readers respect and why they put their faith in you in the first place.
After all, it?s the very least they deserve, no?
One of the advantages that blogging holds over other forms of media is the often unfiltered voice it allows. From bloggers themselves, to those that comment afterward, the best blog posts – much like the best interviews – allow for some stimulating and thought-provoking discourse around a topic.
It’s always been one of the key reasons that blogs have enjoyed the kind of popularity that they do, since authors – at least the good ones – will allow all sides of an “argument” to be heard, while maintaining a level of respect between the debaters.
Or at least, it used to be.
Sadly, many discussions now seem to dissolve into he said, she said kindergarten posturing, as opposed to reasoned discussion. Add to that the “the person you’re talking about is above reproach” (as shown by the image below), and it makes you wonder what happened to agreeing to disagree.
(FYI, Mark – in answer to your question, I took 6 days to reply as I was doing what I get paid to do for my clients, and spending time with my wife and son. I put that first over everything).
There’s nothing wrong with disagreeing. There’s nothing wrong with defending your friends. I’d say both are qualities that should/need to be encouraged more, to ensure healthy debate is allowed and everyone’s voice is heard.
When you start saying someone should apologize for stating their viewpoint, though, or that someone is above reproach, there’s something messed up (as long as the original viewpoint isn’t inciting hate or similar). It takes away the very thing most Internet users celebrate – freedom of opinion and the ability to see all points of view respectfully, whether you agree with them or not.
Instead of questions being asked or viewpoints being shared, you’d be left with people afraid to speak because, clearly, only the opinions of the few and those above reproach are valuable.
Sorry, but I don’t buy that.
Do that, and you might as well start letting the infographics win (hat tip to Marc Girolimetti?for that quip). And just ask Jon Aston what he thinks of infographics to see whether that’s a good thing or not.
Mind you, a lot of this could probably be avoided if bloggers did a better job of looking after all of their blog’s community, and not just the adoring ones…
Note: For the context of the conversation the image represents, click here.?
