How dumb are U?
In one of my more recent videos on YouTube, I took a stance on how I disliked the new Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" operating system in regards to a Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone I was reviewing. Based on the ratio of dislikes to likes I received on the video, I'm guessing a lot of people don't agree with my opinion. And that's ok.
But the comment I received from one viewer isn't ok. It said simply:
I welcome negative feedback
Let me set the record straight. I welcome negative feedback. And when I receive it, my goal isn't to try to turn the opinion of the negative commenter. Rather, I think it's healthy to debate both sides of the story. I also believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and that at times it's best to agree to disagree.
But personally insulting someone while hiding behind the somewhat-anonymity of the Internet disgusts me. When I first decided to write this blog post my intention was to call out the person who left the comment and share all of the other lovely and insightful comments he has written on other people's videos (yes, it's that easy to find this).
R-E-S-P-E-C-T (Sing it Aretha!)
But this wouldn't have made me any better than the rude commenter so I decided to take the high road and instead focus on the real problem here.
Would people who leave these comments say the same words straight to my face? Sure, a few would but I'm guessing the majority wouldn't. And that's what bugs me more than anything. The disrespect. The absence of common courtesy.
I could rant on and on about this but I choose to live a positive life and not dwell on the negative.
By the way, don't go looking for his comment. I deleted it. And I blocked him from my YouTube channel. This isn't my usual policy on dealing with negative feedback but between the time of his initial comment and the writing of this blog post, a foul-mouth feud has erupted between the original commenter and a new commenter which no longer pertains to the subject of my video. And nobody watching my videos deserves to have to see this.
P.S. To prove I walk the walk and talk the talk, check out another negative comment I received on the video, how I took the time to respond (because it deserved a response) and how we both came to a mutual agreement in the end.
2 comments for this blog post so far...
February 21, 2012 at 12:01 pm
Ajay Appaden
Wow, I honestly did not expect to be brought up in an article by you, but I guess it does go a long way to show us why we frequent your blog in the first place and that a difference of opinion isnt the end of the world. I would most certainly like to see what ensued in the comments though, (kinda missed it) I generally am not interested in other people’s negative comments(mind you I said comments and not feedback or opinions) coz its usually a waste of time, but the way youve portrayed it has gotten me a tad bit curious.
Anyhow, as I said before, waiting for more quality content from you Patrick. Cheers.
February 24, 2012 at 9:34 am
Patric Welch
Ajay, the timing of our conversation on YouTube was perfect because it really drove home how two people can have an intelligent conversation on social media sites like YouTube, even if they disagree with each other.
I know you are curious about the “other” comments but they contained too many four-letter words and derogatory comments to share. That’s why I deleted them.
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