Saturday, August 14, 2010

I wish opinion was not for free!

My current facebook status message says:
The ability to speak does not make you intelligent!
And this got me thinking. This is not the first time I have updated a normal status message that people have made controversial, an ego issue or taken personally. Well, I am quite used to it by now; bu don't you think I am entitled to my opinion?

The status message point is a small one. In fact I quite enjoy the comments I get on those - they are witty, provoking, irritating, aggressive as well as interesting. Each one expresses one's own opinion. That's democracy right? Then why are we questioned for updating what we want to?

We all express our opinion different ways. sometimes through status messages, sometimes through a post and sometimes through comments. But these days we mistake opinion with bashing. I am merely a year and a half old on blogger, but it is a well known fact around blogsphere that if you write a post about your opinion, people will take it personally and bash you left-right-center.

The irony is that many people do not even bother to read what you have written! They will read the first few lines, last few lines and couple of comments; that's all. and they fight with you for the point you have not even mentioned indirectly or minutely!

I can link ten such posts here - mine as well as others' - whereby the author has been given free advice he/she never even asked for. But this place is purely for the purpose of expressing my opinions and thoughts, rather than giving free publicity to anybody.

Most of the times, people give their opinion on about something which is not their genre or field. I blog because I want your feedback; I blog because I am ready to take appreciation as well as criticism; but I do not blog to take your frustration. If you do not like my post; either you should not leave a comment there or unleash your anger on your blog rather than provoking my regular readers or shooing them away! And yes, unleash it in style, rather than misquoting me just to get publicity or make your own blog famous at the cost of my name! (It has happened with me!)

There are times when people comment negative on others' post and blast them in the case where either their ego is hurt due to the brutal honesty published by the author; or they are guilty of the crime. If you fit into none of these categories; then simply comment why you agree or disagree. You have no right to comment on one's credibility at all.

And those personal comments! People do not like personal questions being asked to them; but some will always try to know what are your vacation plans, how many kids you have, when did you have a break up etc. all. Give us a break guys. If I want the whole world to know that I am going to Switzerland for my honeymoon, then I will specifically mention it. When I am keeping mum about it, it simply means that I do not want you to know that!

Now after reading this post; they will say why do I blog if I cannot tolerate their comments? Well, this post is not about me at all. It is my general observation. By grace of God, I have been blessed with wonderful readers who read my blog and leave a "normal" comment. But I know a few people who write normal stuff, but they get s#!t comments on their simple posts.

I wish bloggers would at least read the post first rather than reading first or last line only. What do you think about those?

PS: Hope you guys do read this post entirely rather than reading this post script first and then the last paragraph. I would like to know your views about the entire topic and not merely on the last paragraph.

24 comments:

  1. u back with ur sarcasm again !!!! good one.. this post kinda speaks for a lotta bloggers. arre i put comment moderation on coz i couldn tolerate the stupid comments i was gettin on my blog. there was this one anonymous commenter who would always talk about lust. and i had no idea why she/he was so regular on my blog!! and then, once i had written about memories of my college life. the title even said 'down the memory lane'. there was one comment which said 'all the best for ur college life'.. wonder how that person got that on his mind. but yeah, the comment was followed by "this is the link to my blog, do visit."

    during those initial days when my blog started, a year and a half ago, i used to leave the link at the forums for blogging at orkut. i was new to this world then. one guy,(i wouldnt mention the name coz he does follow some of the blogs i read and a quite a few of those authors do follow neha di's blog), used to comment on my blog regularly for some 5 posts and after each comment, he would ask me to read his blog. for reasons i myself dono, i never happened to read his blog. and he started pesterin me to do so!! even messages on gtalk and scraps on orkut. there was one message which said 'read now and comment, im waitin'. heights!!

    well anyways, sure every blogger has gone thru somethin or the other similar to this..

    good post di. let those bugger-nonsene-commenters read this post. all of us should leave a link to this post on our blogs i guess :)

    take care..

    Chandanan Shekar

    ReplyDelete
  2. Neha,

    Feedback:- I agree with you most but not all. People are not really interested in reading these days. Fast paced life, TV, Internet and other entertainment sources have created an environment where concentration is hard commodity to find.

    Ignoring the people who frustrate you is the best strategy - my opinion and you are welcome to ignore it.

    By the way you have one wrong spelling. In the paragraph following FB quote. Add 't' to 'bu' to make it 'but'.

    I do read start to end...(if I read).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Blogging for me a platform of communication and that is exactly how iI look at it even after almost two yrs of blogging.
    To me it seems, a lot of non serious bloggers have walked in without understanding the basics.One reason, I think people don't read the entire post is if it is too long.My experience has it that whenever my post has been abnormally long, I have either received stupid and irrelevant comments or the post has been
    avoided.
    But, as bloggers we must also accept the fact that such readers do exist and will continue to add up.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Blogging for me a platform of communication and that is exactly how iI look at it even after almost two yrs of blogging.
    To me it seems, a lot of non serious bloggers have walked in without understanding the basics.One reason, I think people don't read the entire post is if it is too long.My experience has it that whenever my post has been abnormally long, I have either received stupid and irrelevant comments or the post has been
    avoided.
    But, as bloggers we must also accept the fact that such readers do exist and will continue to add up.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yeah, tell me about it. I know the kind. Most of them comment based on other comments. As you know, my latest story was a simple one about friendship, and one reader liked the "suspense" in the story! How cool is that! :P

    And advices! That's again a different story altogether. You're sure to get a loooooot of advices, unwanted mostly. Should you ever consider them, your blogging career is oooovver. :D

    Super cool post, Neha. A sorta kick in the gut post (not for me though). ;)

    ReplyDelete
  6. u are absolutely right......keep blogging. nice to see that you have become a prolific blogger. way to go young lady !TC:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I know what you mean. Have experienced it so many times, when it is very very clear that the readers have not read the post. :(
    As for bashing in the comments...its a weird phenomenon, I mean if you disagree, the same can be said differently too.
    Ignore these kinds and keep blogging!
    Cheers :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Some things are best ignored. I generally never update my status on facebook but i have a friend who frequently updates her status with witty quotes, most of which are her own. And more than half of the people dont get the joke and leave irresponsible, irritating comments! And btw, i really like your status message. So true! We must say that to all the people who say all the wrong stuff at the wrong time!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Why even bother reading first and last paragraph? I didn't know that people actually did that. I read a post completely or I don't read it at all. And yeah, even I get free advices.
    PS: By the way, I read this post completely. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. There was this popular blog which had thousands of readers and very informative. One fine day, the author posted that she wont be able to continue writing and would like to sell her blog to anyone who is worthy enough to continue it and this being her last post. The funniest part is,one had the nerve of saying, he found the post awesome and informative. Enough said. I can give you the link also. Sigh!

    ReplyDelete
  11. very hard hitting post..:)

    I read your post from top to bottom and not just the first and last paras.

    I agree with your thoughts and sometimes such comments do look disgusting.. After all its my blog and my personal space for my opinion..

    ReplyDelete
  12. I don't know.. but somehow I never received bashing comments in my blog..

    also one can surely criticize the thought what an author of the post saying... but bashing him personally is too much for a post..

    ReplyDelete
  13. Well well ! I have been around in this for a while now !

    At one point in time, it used to matter ! Every comment used to. These days, if at all there is this odd spam or not normal comment, i thank God for the delete button !

    Life goes on. Sprightly and well !

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Happy independence day! !
    About feedback i have read only the first few lines and the last para and could not find anything to fight with u. . So i'll read some comments now. . ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Opinion is like a belly button. Everybody's got one! And here's mine....

    The comments that sound superficial, irrelevant, irritating, dirty, da, da, da...ignore it. That is "their" problem.

    ReplyDelete
  16. After reading the article i was ready to tell you more about stuff that happened to me ( there is a post serious comedy on my blog..u might want to read it )...and i too was angry but the comment by savvy...had me in splits....

    neha we must learn to ignore...i have been on the receiving end for being a muslim for a long time...but cant help it..

    ReplyDelete
  17. buddy, u r goo ya..keep moving forward and give no credence to barking ...or that's what was the advice given to me by a wonderful Marathi journalist..Boss u walk like an elephant, let these d..s bark, he said..that really changed my perception and it worked..the thing is v cant stop these cynics..they r born like that..haha like default error..hey neha, woh sub chodo yaar,.Happy Independence Day buddy:)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hmm.. That's something seems somewhat true from you..

    Delete or ignore is the best way!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hmmm.....Dont bother!! And just ignore. Not worth it!! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh wow,now that is called hitting the nail on the head. Kickass blog post

    ReplyDelete
  21. ithappens...i know...ignore it.They are not worth ur reaction too..:P

    i wrote a lil about what i knew of u on my page.Check it if u please!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hey, Neha... paaani piii. Gussa nahin karte, paaani piii:D
    or Let me try to make you think otherwise

    You in the posting, comment reading and commenting, is problem with no solution because time is in the less and greed of follower more

    Feeling better???

    ReplyDelete
  23. Neha, I am lucky I do not experience such things yet. Atleast not on blogsphere. I had one person commenting very strongly to a post but that is another issue. You are right about some people taking posts and status updates very personally. You know what, Neha, if they do that it is their problem, not yours. But I can understand that it can get annoying to have such people leave remarks that are off the mark anyway and have the sole purpose of hitting you where it hurts.

    Just ignore them.

    I always laugh at your Facebook status', they are ususallu funny:-)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi!Neha,
    Hmm news..its news.is this all happening.

    ReplyDelete