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Where should a blogger draw a line between passionate writing and angry drivel? Where does “Be yourself, but be your best self” come into play on a blog? Is there a place for rants on a blog meant to present the author as a creative, thoughtful, and trustworthy professional?
My thoughts:
3 Benefits of rants:
- Readers get a glimpse of what the author’s writing is like in its raw form. (Minimal editing, research, etc. involved.)
- The author gets to vent about an annoyance and take comfort in reading comments that say, “Right on! I feel the same way!” (Confirmation of one’s anger about an issue has a particularly satisfying after-taste.)
- Rants often draw out blog “lurkers” (regular readers who never comment) and serve, depending on the topic, as linkbait for commentary from other blogs and social networks.
3 Drawbacks of rants:
- It’s easy for most people to connect with negativity. Just as a small insult is remembered years after substantial compliments are forgotten, a seemingly insignificant rant can dramatically change the way readers view the author.
- Emotional posts written in haste may require substantial revision once the fury that inspired the post wanes. If the rant includes an error about a product or service, readers are typically more forgiving than if the error concerns a specific person or group.
- By choosing to publish a flagrantly biased perspective, a declaration is made to the world that the author finds little value in exploring productive solutions. That’s not a tag line most would like printed on their business card.
Is there a solution? Some middle ground between bias and progress?
Possibly.
3 Ways to turn rants into productive discussions:
- When discussing a particular person’s behavior in what might be considered disparaging terms, skip the name.
- When taking a product or service “to town” for a failure, offer some suggested ways in which satisfactory improvements might be made. Asking readers to sound in with suggestions can do a lot to cool a discussion as well.
- Leave the subject of your rant with an “out” so that, in the case of sudden reform or new information, the subject can be redeemed. Everybody likes it when they’re given a chance to redeem themselves. Be gracious and the favor will eventually float back to you.
What do you think? I’m curious to read your thoughts.
I'm not sure as to what you'd consider a “professional blog”. Ranting on a company blog? Never. Ranting should be done on personal blogs.
If by “professional” you mean gets money from the blog (ads or whatever), then go right ahead. The people aren't paying to read your blog – so you should be honest with readers and tell them your thoughts.
Just do it in a respectful manner. Remember – if it's a product you're ranting about, someone spent a lot of time and energy into that – so be careful.
I think constructive criticism is best. Say what you dislike about the item, yet consider ways to improve it – as you said.
One of the more popular reasons to blog these days is for “professional enrichment” a.k.a. producing content that confirms authority in an area of special expertise.
As such, I’d say there are many “professional” blogs that neither represent a corporation nor make significant direct income. Those bloggers tread a line between personal and professional that may/may not be crossed when it comes to rants.
Isn’t it possible to share what one dislikes about a kitchen without taking a crowbar to the counter top? I’d think so. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.
Thanks for taking the time to swing by and throw a few thoughts my way, Matt. I’m sorry I’m not more of a WDW fan! =)
Great post Seth. I like the last three points the best – how to make a rant a productive discussion. I enjoy hearing about a problem, but even better is to hear the solution to the problem – or at least how to get there.
Yep, productive discussion would be preferred I think.
A blog is a public forum of sorts, so use the same discretion you might use when dealing with the issue in real life if it involves a particular person.
Staying respectful and helpful and suggesting alternatives are certainly great ways to turn something rant-worthy into something cool.
And at the same time… you might get a new perspective from thinking through it more.
Interesting. One particular rant of mine, which included bitching about and to a certain film festival that snubbed my volunteer application resulted in every one of your 3 benefits and 3 drawbacks.
I named the culprit because it was their policy and process I challenged. As a result of that a few blog “lurkers” came out and I found an ally and current friend 3000 miles away. I gave the culprit a change to retort and rebuke but they punked out and chose only to leave anonymous comments (there I go ranting again).
However, the lesson learned, for me, is that ranting without an actually recourse except blowing off steam is just as infuriating as the treatment I received in the first place. I would have been better served adding an additional tactic to the process, like a letter to the festival director, or sending my letter to the festival director to a local newspaper.
All good points, but I think it depends on the blog – and how seriously you take what's written on it. The way you've discussed it here seems quite sober and reverent, but there are plenty of humorous blogs in which rants serve to make very funny, entertaining reading. But perhaps they're not considered as 'professional'.
I recently made a comment on a blog in which I disagreed with the author's point of view. It was my humble opinion, humbly put. However I was disappointed to see it had later had been removed. It was the only different one amongst the raft of other glowing reader comments, which kind of illustrated my point – that the article was a very glowing, one-sided viewpoint.
My point is, I think rants and playing devil's advocate have a place if executed well – especially if it helps crystallize your point. Then again, maybe I prefer my blogs to have a few more teeth!
The internet never forgets. What's “must say” today can quickly become “what did I say”. If you've already established an online presence, readers can see your rant as a blip. You might want to classify your message as a rant in the title (ideal) or through a tag/label. You might want to take a breather before publishing the post.
Rants can be useful in moderation. Recently Seth Godin expressed his outrage at the high cost of university books (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/06...). To his credit he called the post “Textbook Rant” to help readers instantly know this wasn't a normal post.
Good post and good “rules of thumb.” Of course, I've never been one to follow rules
. Rants rooted in frustration are one thing. Those anchored in anger, rage, and other deep, darker emotions are yet another. A little “sleep on it” often goes a long way, huh?
I like the invites for others to contribute ideas as well. There are MANY avid blog readers with brilliant insights just waiting to be asked to share. It's always great to read their thoughts. Thanks for sharing yours!
“you might get a new perspective from thinking through it more.”
So, writing the post then letting it sit overnight and coming back to it when you're not all fired up might be just the thing? Self-editing anger, frustration, etc. out of a post is one of the most difficult tasks out there for a blogger. Might be a good idea to pass questionable posts along to a trusted friend for review & suggestions. I think that might work.
Thanks!
I've only ever seriously ranted once (I think) on my personal blog. Even then, I was pretty nice about it. I didn't even swear; if I recall correctly, I ended it with 'Gah!' instead of a swear word. Heh. I generally prefer to keep most of what I say online at least PG.
Also, I believe in fair fighting and I'm always happy to be corrected, so I try not to be too inflammatory, especially if I don't know the full story. When it comes down to it, who can know the full story about anything at all?
I suppose I should add that I would be very wary of ranting on my professional blog. It's certainly a place where rants would be warranted, but if I ever choose to do so, I'd make sure I either have my facts straight, or make sure it's clear that I'm expressing my opinion only.
Isn't it amazing how many things we miss when we're pissed off about something? Writing a letter to the festival director or even tracking down the number and placing a call seems so obvious a solution *except* when one is in the heat of a moment. I've totally been there and gone through the same cycle of regret when I looked back on my actions. It's no fun.
I hope you've experienced better handling since the festival. I know I was very, very impressed with your movie. I can come up with a few reasons why you're able to write for such distinct characters…they all involve you being a bit crazy. =)
Rants posted on blogs that don't ask to be taken seriously can make for amazingly good fun. I'm not a huge fan of comment trolls but I'm among those laughing at websites dedicated to getting a rise out of bloggers and craigslist advertisers. Helps keep things in perspective when the teeth are facing in my direction. (Doesn't happen often. Just enough that I never fully forget about it.)
I'm not entirely surprised that your comment was removed. I continue to come across bloggers with distinct views on what qualifies as satisfactory reader engagement. Some even go so far as to complain about the length of the comments and not just the content!
Toothy blogs can be a lot of fun. I get tired of the snark (my own included) after awhile though. Good to have a mix written by people who obviously enjoy putting together the content they publish. Always keep your sense of humor, I say.
[...] Warning: This is a rant. [...]
Taking a breather is hard to do! There's that urge to hit the “publish” button and watch for the reaction.
Seth's post is a great example of a rant that stays on point, doesn't get personal, and offers a thoughtful solution to the perceived problem. That sort of rant can bring about some truly positive results. I'd like to see more like it.
Thanks for sharing the link!
Not even rules, Ray. Just some suggestions I came up with so my post didn't look like a blog post ranting about bloggers that rant about other bloggers posts. =)
Sleep on it or have a friend proofread it to catch all the overly angry bits. Either one counts for a lot and shows thoughtful care on the author's part. I'm a fan!
Hi! I didn't recognize you at first without the bright socks avatar! =)
I haven't seen many cases where writing just to be inflammatory worked out well in the long run. You set an amazing example with your willingness to entertain new information and alternate perspectives. Well done!
I haven't sworn on this blog…yet. I'm saving it for something special. We'll see when that happens, if at all.
I think you make a fair point in saying that you'd clearly denote that a rant post was simply expressing your opinion on something. However, wouldn't it be possible for such a post to also include some solution-minded parts that turn the rant from an attack into an exploration? I always find those types of rants interesting to read.
Thanks!
Yes, indeed. It was a tough decision to change from the stripey socks. Heh.
I'm the same with swearing on my blog/s. I tend to save it for special occasions. Makes it more effective that way, too.
As for rants, well, I usually find that if I wait until I've calmed down enough to include possible solutions, then I don't feel like ranting anymore. If I don't have a rant about it, then I have to find my catharsis elsewhere.
I haven’t followed your writings long, Seth, but I often find that your comments motivate me to rant.
I think troublemakers were put on Earth for a reason. Like bottom-feeders, we help keep the waters clean.
D. Kellus Pruitt
Personally, I love READING rants on blogs (a rant here defined as an impassioned, opinionated and more personal piece) but don't think it would be particularly appropriate for a business that was composed of a team to pull off something like that- since in such a case they would be representing more than just the views of the individual. Though perhaps you are speaking mainly to the professional blogs of consultants, professional bloggers, etc who are representing only themselves…? Haha, though I’d still be interested to see what a McDonald blog rant looked like…
It is my opinion that fear of rejection can be so strong in some dysfunctional families that members learn to bottle-up their frustrations rather than risk causing someone pain and upsetting the calm – no matter what the cost.
In the competitive business community in the land of the free, there exists even less family love. That is why it’s risky to float a “Why can’t we all just get along” attitude into our marketplace. I have come across far too many instances where those who offer peace are planning manipulation, inviting manipulation or hiding something they ethically should reveal to their customers.
Seth, I think my opinion on your latest thought-provoking topic is more parallel with NatMich’s than yours. Aggressive actors are already everywhere and it will only get worse for soft, vulnerable peace-makers. We can no longer allow our businesses to become easy targets for ranting hotheads.
As businesspeople, we must simply accept transparency and prepare for troublemakers in the only practical way we can. We must do the right thing even when nobody is watching.
Troublemakers can no longer be ignored so one must be prepared to accept accountability for the product one sells. I feel sorry for public relations teams who work for bosses with unethical business practices.
I think Jeff Jarvis had the right idea when he held Dell Computer accountable for lousy customer service using “Dell Hell.” Jarvis caused Dell to improve their product. So would Dell Hell be called a rant?
D. Kellus Pruitt
On my work blog? No
On my own blog? Yes of course!
Actually that's one reason why I started another blog just for me – I was feeling there were things I wanted to write but were not appropriate for the company blog.
There are not really any big rants so far anyway – my post on over hyping of social media is probably the closest. If I wanted to really rant, I'm more likely to do it on Twitter. While I think of it, yesterday at the bloody supermarket !@#$%^&!!!
Not quite the same, as this is about an open forum not a blog, but interesting nonetheless… http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-new...
Rant away…I can't remember what those fish are called. Lady that the pet store I went to as a kid always called them “cleaner fish.” =)
Dysfunctional families–>capitalism–>peace=lies–>protect businesses–>honest behavior–>pity PR teams–>Jeff Jarvis
Your comment reflects responses to 3-4 of my most recent posts. I'm glad I wrote the posts or I'd have missed the references! =)
I don't have a problem with rants. However, I think there's a line between professionalism and sensationalism that some bloggers cross (perhaps) unintentionally. Say whatever you like about a product, just follow it up with suggestions for improvement and I think you've landed upon something constructive.
Thanks D!
haha! I hear you on the Twitter rants. Offer a suggestion for improvement at the end and you're golden in my book. Lots of people rant in order to get a company's attention but when the company shows up there's nothing constructive to chew on. I think it's possible to let of steam AND make a few things better along the way.
Hopefully.
Thanks David!
Seth:
Agree with last three points for sure. It's too easy to be critical without being constructive. Yet it's being constructive that proves your criticism is valid and worthwhile. It also sets an example and gives your followers and readers a reason to read you. Finally, I've found that rather than piss someone off, if you simply manage to get their attention, make a valid point and, as you suggest, leave them an out, they might be far more likely to respond, rectify the situation and subsequently provide better service. Recently had this happen in my own case with Comcast.
If bloggers continue to make solid strides away from digital cow tipping and toward constructive commentary, I think we'll continue to see more businesses respond in positive ways.
Glad things worked out between you and Comcast!