This post has been in my draft file ever since I wrote this post on criticism in the context of my research. I guess it led quite naturally into thoughts on the context of criticism and blogging, notably the polar opposite positions of either slamming the 'haterz' and deleting all negative or critical comments, or spending hours slamming bloggers for every thing they do, wear, or look like. I think there are only a small number of people who fit either of these extremes, but they provide useful endpoints in which to discuss the role of criticism in blogging.
What brought this post out of my draft folder was that yesterday I read a blog post that I really disagreed with. It was advertising some jewellery from a sustainable jewellery brand, and the blogger chose to pursue an "it's ok that it's ethical because it's pretty" direction with the blog post. I was shocked that someone would so blatantly say that style is more important than ethics (and I believe she probably wasn't thinking about what she said), but yet I felt unable to say anything as there's no standarized, acceptable way to deliver criticism in the blogging world.
It shocks me that there are large-scale blogs out there where negative or critical comments are deleted (and commenters are even blocked). I can understand blocking and deleting people who are purely insulting or actively abusive. Such people should expect to see their comments deleted, as those kind of comments shouldn't be tolerated. But simply disagreeing with someone's views or actions - can we really not allow anyone to think differently to us?
What brought this post out of my draft folder was that yesterday I read a blog post that I really disagreed with. It was advertising some jewellery from a sustainable jewellery brand, and the blogger chose to pursue an "it's ok that it's ethical because it's pretty" direction with the blog post. I was shocked that someone would so blatantly say that style is more important than ethics (and I believe she probably wasn't thinking about what she said), but yet I felt unable to say anything as there's no standarized, acceptable way to deliver criticism in the blogging world.
It shocks me that there are large-scale blogs out there where negative or critical comments are deleted (and commenters are even blocked). I can understand blocking and deleting people who are purely insulting or actively abusive. Such people should expect to see their comments deleted, as those kind of comments shouldn't be tolerated. But simply disagreeing with someone's views or actions - can we really not allow anyone to think differently to us?
I love that my friends, both online and off, tell it to me like it is. I wrote a post here once which was so badly written that the message I wanted to get across was totally obscured and actually gave the completely different impression. What was meant to be a body-positive post read as a hugely negative post, and I'm ashamed to re-read it and see how badly it sounded. The women who read here responded, telling me that they didn't agree with what I'd written. I'm so grateful for this, as it forced me to review what I'd written, and in the end I deleted the post as I agreed with the commenters rather than the words I'd haphazardly thrown across the screen (I also deleted the post because I didn't want someone to come across it and agree with the content!). If I'd rejected all comments which weren't 100% in agreement, I'd not have learnt the huge lesson I learnt that day - that the words I write here have far more impact than I often think of when I'm typing away in my living room. And that's just little ol' me, with a dozen readers... start multiplying that by a thousand, and throw in the implications which come from sponsorship deals with companies and other bloggers, and the impact of each word you publish is even greater.
That's why having a forum to allow criticism of your work is so key! Surely if you're wanting to make cash out of your blog (which admittedly I'm not) then you want your blog (aka your business) to be as good as it can be? There are few businesses in the world where the customer base is as involved and engaged as in blogging - so why reject the chance to get their honest opinions?
I think there are several ways that responding to criticism can be done - and not all of it has to be public - but I think we need to get past the stage of simply sticking our fingers in our ears and humming until they shut up. Talking directly to critics can be tough, but I've seen it done well: look through the GOMI forums, some of the commenters there are simply rude and abusive, but a large number are committed blog readers making legitimate points about sponsorship and content. Some bloggers have in turn joined in the conversation, recognising that these commenters might well be saying what the rest of their readership think. The idea that a blog should be able to generate income to support your family or supplement it's income and yet never respond to external criticism is, quite frankly, a bit odd.
There are much better posts that mine on this topic, my favourite is this post, written by Hila Shachar and Jane Flanagan regarding the response of bloggers and indie business owners to criticism. Hila also has a brilliant comments policy which allows for critical comments, but states clearly that abusive comments (particularly sexist or racist abuse) will be instantly deleted.
Finally, I wanted to make a promise to anyone who stops by here to read, no matter how frequently: I will never delete a constructively critical comment, nor will I ignore an email in the same vein. I will happily delete spam (no-one needs to see that), and any insulting comments/emails (as we're all adults, and if you can't criticise without insulting, I'm not going to bother getting into the debate with you). I promise to welcome criticism on the blog, be it public or private.
What's your view on criticism in the blogging world?
Blogs are very much a reflection of other aspects in life, in that you will 'meet' bloggers who have varying degrees of self-awareness and ability to absorb and reflect on constructive criticism. Too much necessary criticism is simply shut down on big blogs as 'trolling'. This is either a way to deflect any critical thought, or a rather naive inability to distinguish between constructive criticism and abuse. I have noticed that generally, those big bloggers whose primary motive is to make money through advertising and sponsorship, are unwilling to accept criticism or to think about ethical concerns that don't directly affect their profit. To me, this is so strange, because were I to actually make money off my blog I would most certainly expect my readers to hold me to certain ethical guidelines (like paid journalists) and to hold me accountable. I already hold myself to a basic code of ethics regardless, but when you introduce money into the mix, it's even more necessary. The lack of transparency and the completely unethical stuff I see on some blogs (which most professional journalists could never get away with) leads me to believe many people really don't care about ethics, however.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to feel anymore about the blogging world and criticism, because although I see great posts such as this one which want to discuss the issue openly, the dominant blogging culture is very much built on ass-kissing, uncritical praise and popularity. It's not my game; never has been, never will be.
The only thing I disagree with here is that you've tagged it "posts that should probably stay in my head"! Nah, this is the sort of thing we should be discussing more - bloggers are not immune to criticism and, as much as I hate to receive it, I think it's important to discuss how it should be delivered and how to deal with it when it is.
ReplyDelete" I have noticed that generally, those big bloggers whose primary motive is to make money through advertising and sponsorship, are unwilling to accept criticism or to think about ethical concerns that don't directly affect their profit."
ReplyDeleteYour comment there is completely spot on. Particularly when they're very quick to call out unethical behaviour in so many other companies (for example, Pinterest and Instagram). I think there is (as you pointed out in your article with Jane) a belief that somehow bloggers should be treated with lenience because they're small businesses/independents, rather than stepping up to the plate and agreeing to play by the same rules as other people who write for a living.
I can't see much changing in the mainstream blogging world with regards ethics and criticism, and as a result, I'm increasingly distancing myself from the big offenders.
Thanks Sarah! I do hope people will be more open in discussing this sort of thing. Admittedly, most of the people I truly follow come across as the kind of people who would welcome constructive discussion even if it's critical, but I don't think that's true of the blogging industry as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI think you are being a very brave blogger, as you are wearing your heart on your sleeve and are being very honest when you write these kinds of posts. I remember the body-image post and the way I felt about it, and I was not sure if I should leave a comment at the time, because I am a timid person and like to avoid conflict at any time (bad, I know). I also remember thinking how good it would be if the post and comments had actually been a real-life conversation, where you would have been able to explain your points of view to each other and to get into more of an exchange, hearing nuances in speech and seeing smiles and being able to say "yes, I understand your point, but...". I'm finding it really hard to be concise and not sound harsh, and I do not really know how I would deal with any kind of online criticism myself, as I am easily hurt (bad, I know). So I feel like a hypocrite whenever I say something that could be taken negatively. But I would want my friends to point out if I'm being an ass, or unreasonable or if I'm overreacting, so I should really appreciate any criticism and try and think about the point that is being made and come out better on the other side. I think that, even though blogging makes your life available to pretty much the whole world, it stills feels like you're moving in a very private, safe environment, and criticism probably bursts that bubble in most cases and makes things 'real' all of a sudden, which makes it somewhat hard to deal with.
ReplyDeleteThanks for not being concise! I love hearing your point of view on things!
ReplyDeleteI was so pleased that you (and others) spoke up on that body image post. What I had intended to be a response to some body-snarking against skinny women (that I'd overheard in several places online) ended up being overly defensive and headed into body-snarking in the opposite direction!! Those aren't my views, but I wrote it badly, and if (as you say) we'd been in the pub, or at dinner, your response would have enabled me to adjust my original statement etc.
I hope that makes some degree of sense!! In summary: keep telling me what you think Annika!! I need to hear it! x