A+
I’ve been struggling with the prevalence of negativity online almost since I first got online (yes, youngsters, I’m older than the web, and had to walk uphill both ways to get to Usenet). I’ve written about it many, many times. Basically, everything I’ve said on the subject to date can likely be summed up in just a few points:
It’s easier to be negative than positive. If I say something sucks, it’s much easier to defend that position than if I say something is good. This is of course, an extension of that ages-old sentiment that it is easier to destroy than to create.
There’s an undercurrent of superiority in negativity. If Person A liked something but Person B saw its flaws, Person B must be smarter than Person A. This is so true that now when people post positive comments about something, it’s often in a defensive way, using phrasing like “guilty pleasure” or “I know it’s not great but…” or such things.
The anonymity of the Internet encourages people to say things they would never say in real life.
Geeks, as much as I love them, seem particularly susceptible. Not just because we want to prove we’re smart (and discerning) but because we are smart. We do see the flaws, and ultimately everything is flawed. (This makes us very difficult to please.)
In the past, I’ve consciously and publicly tried to be more positive online. I used to write reviews, and eventually decided to only write good reviews (saying nothing about the things that I didn’t like). I first started using Twitter primarily as a place only to recommend things.
So now I’m doing something different. Throughout the month of August, I pledge to only say positive things on line. I’m calling this A+, as in, “A positive force,” or just “August positive.” I had the wonderful and talented Manda Collis design a small logo for A+, and I plan on using it as a badge. You can see it, above.
What does it mean to only be positive? Do I have to lie about things that are bad? No. It’s just like the old adage, “if you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all.” I’ll be posting about things I’m working on, as well as games, books, movies, comics, and shows that I love.
And if you’re interested and willing, I invite you to take the A+ pledge too. Take the logo and post it. Cut and paste the code below onto your profile picture on Twitter, Facebook, G+, or elsewhere. Or, visit this link to get a PicBadge for Facebook and Twitter. Share this article. I’m not getting anything out of this, and of course I’m not going to police those who take the pledge or use the badge. I can only police myself. But think for a moment how many negative comments you read every day online. “Haters” who seem to naysay everything. Commenters who seem to have no qualms about tearing down anything anyone has to say. This is an opportunity to say, “I’m not one of them. It’s okay to like things, and lots of things out there are excellent and worthy of positive feedback.”
Here’s to a more positive Internet.
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Here here!
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That’s a nice post.
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Couldn’t agree more, Monte. I’m absolutely exhausted with online communities who care for little more than to hate, claw, and disparage not only each-other but also the creators of that which they purport to love and admire. I’ve deleted bookmarks to several forums and sites over the past few months as a result. It seems that as I get older, I just don’t have the stomach for it.
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Thanks for this post!
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I’m in.
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So very agreed.
Does indignation count?
Bah – we’ll figure it out. Good idea, Monte. -
That is indeed a fair option, be positive against the wave of negativity. I can do that.
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I agree very much with what you say Monte. I certainly have said my share of negative things only to later regret it. It can be tough online because negativity is often a reaction to negativity. I have been making an effort to stay more positive while giving my honest opinion about gaming. It certainly feels like things are more toxic and divided than ever.
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Wait! Didn’t you just use this space to disrespect negativity?!
But, seriously, an excellent idea. The internet is no longer an escape to the margins of society, it’s a world-wide town hall for the 21st century. Time to be the person you’d be proud to be caught as if your friends, mother, and co-workers were all watching.
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Needs a suitable #tag if you are going to spread the idea via twitter.
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Here’s to a more civil August!
http://www.conduit-sf.com/content/lets-create-more-positive-internet-0 -
I try to be very mindful of this and I like to think I only say positive things, at least most of the time!
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This is something I strive for all the time. It takes the same amount of energy to be positive as it does to be negative, and positivity makes you feel so much better. Great post and I am in!
Glass Half full is much better than a glass half empty. Cheers! -
I think we need MORE negativity, but of the good kind: the one inspired by critical thought.
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I prefer balanced reviews over wholly positive or negative ones. A review that calls something utterly worthless usually says more about the reviewer than the product. Conversely, a purely positive review seems more an advertisement to me. A realistic review of a product’s pros and cons is what I want.
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Hi Monte,
My beautiful friend, Shanna Germain, linked a blog post by Colin McComb this morning regarding his participation in A+. His post led me here. I’d like to join you, this effort, and participate. Thank you for the inspiration.
XO
Alana
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I totally get this. I too am a little exhausted from the “hate” online lately. I’ve been more apt to hit the, “Unfriend” button on facebook rather than to try to defend my likes and dislikes. I hope this goes over well, seems to have already and it’s only Aug 2nd!
Monte, you need to make you an A+ shirt for GenCon! ;o)
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Sorry, old Cooky-man, but this idea of yours sucks majorly.
Brown-nosing and kissing each others’ ass is not a way to improve anything, but constructive criticism and scepticism is.To paraphrase for you:
Every ivory tower must be razed, to the dust from which it came.
“There’s an undercurrent of superiority in negativity”
Bullshit. That’s a cultural misconception in anglophonic culture that every criticism or sceptic remark is something bad or destructive.“But think for a moment how many negative comments you read every day online. “Haters” who seem to naysay everything.”
Uhm, what the fuck? Just because someone voices their (negative and or critical) opinion on something is a naysayer, even if it’s more constructive than slamming?
What is wrong with you, dude?Butthurt much over the parting with the Wozzies?
BTW:
Your games aren’t good, your game design is wonky and you even have the balls to have the RPG scene out there to fund(!) the publishing of yet another game of yours (which isn’t even a RPG to begin with) via kickstarter(!), thanks to your drooling fanboys and fangirls.
Oh, ok, admittedly Ptolus and Dark Matter was ok, so you’ll get a pass on those two, but the rest?CoC d20 was an abomination and bombed rightfully, even though the d20 craze was still in full swing at the time.
Oh, and not to mention the DRMed PDF versions of Malhavoc Press…
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That is just about the funniest case in point I’ve ever read. From the swearing over the mixture of inarticulate rage and nitpickingly going into details to the finale of you making DRM’ed pdfs of the things you want to sell, it highlights exactly what you were talking about.
Monte, you did it yourself, didn’t you? As a writing eercise?
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Yes and no.
Saying only nice things can lead to an overestimating our own abilities. Sure, it’s better than ruining somebodies work just because we don’t like it, but it really isn’t the solution. We *must* admit our flaws and the flaws upon others. We must also admit upon the strengths of ourselves and those around us.Let me put it this way: I’ve seen things (can’t give you an example) that are good, but I don’t like them. Because it is not my cup of tea. I admit that it has it’s benefits, that it is a finely crafted piece of whatever, but it just isn’t for me. Say, I’d rather learn to snowboard that skiing, but that doesn’t mean skiing is bad. It is different.
Instead, what I think is happening is that people look too much at the negative side. Yes, it *does not* help that there is rather strong and vocal part of the internet community that happens to be rather negative.
I would point you to: http://www.fsu.edu/indexTOFStory.html?lead.ehrlinger
and read the last few paragraphs. This is an idea of why not saying anything might be bad. I propose to you then, that instead of following “if you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all” you considered instead: “if you can’t say something useful or nice, say nothing at all”. This way, you still include constructive criticism that may not be considered nice (of course, it also comes down to your definition of nice).Just my two cents. The world isn’t going to get any worse for having less people being negative, or more people negative, that’s for sure. We sure could use more constructive criticism, replacing the negative interactions, I suppose.
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