If It's On the Internet...It MUST Be True!
According to an article that I just read on MSN.com, if you wish to increase traffic on your site...simply be a jerk. I am SHOCKED to hear this of course, since all of MY readers are charming people, but I have noticed that other people aren't quite so lucky.
All you have to do is make a brazenly erroneous remark, be testy, be sarcastic, be negative, or even simply misspell words and use poor grammar, and people will flock to your postings, simply panting with desire to Prove You Wrong. People are entitled to their own opinions of course, although I can certainly understand the outrage over poor spelling and punctuation...but that's simply because I am a pedant. And because I don't notice when I actually misspell something, and because I only recently learned how to edit.
So...if I type in that I consider Winick to be a douchebag...am I being provocative or simply factual?
Please discuss.
Violently if possible.
posted by SallyP @ 7:16 AM
7 Comments:
It's factual, and any who disagree are stinky jerks who should pelted with eggs, because they stink! And I would totally do it, if I saw them on the street, 'cause I'm hardcore!
Thought I'd throw a little Internet Tough Guy in there. I suppose what the article said about increasing traffic is true to an extent. The posts of mine that got the most comments were ones where I griped loudly and irrationally about Civil War, back when seemingly everyone on the Internet was angry about Civil War.
Those comment threads aren't much fun, everyone being snide and hurling insults (I didn't get much of that, but I've seen it on other blogs, like Comics Should Be Good if Grant Morrison's name comes up).
I guess it all depends on what you expect out of a blog. Some people want attention -- ANY attention -- at all costs. Some people also seem compelled, sadly -- either by blogging or commenting -- to show off how "smart" they think they are. More power to 'em. I prefer a much more civil environment, and I don't care if one person is "smarter" than another. As James Stewart said in the movie Harvey, "Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world ... you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant. Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."
On another note: Darn it, I missed Whack-a-Lantern week!
Sea! You're back! I hope you had a lovely vacation. And Whack-a-Lantern week was a pleasant diversion.
You know, I've read some of those threads that just seem to go on and on, and keep gaining momentum, with everyone insulting each other, and eventually, you get to the point where the original point of the whole thing has been completely obscured, and people are just yelling at one another.
Which can occasionally be hilarious, but usually it's just weird.
And then there are trolls.
In my experience, this is true. I've fallen into that trap myself, posting on a jerk's blog because whatever statement was made was unfair and inflammatory. When the jerk responds in an attacking manner to your perfectly polite points, it keeps the cycle going, as you need to either defend yourself, retaliate or correct how your statements were just distorted.
I find that attacks on celebrities (even on the level of comics professionals) don't get very many extra comments, but attacks on fans, large groups, etc. do. Because ppl think they themselves are being attacked.
A bit of controversy is a good way to get comments as any Top 10 list's will show ("You didn't put X in your list, that's flame bait!", but some people don't know how to tread the line between controversy and bad taste.
So all I need to do to be famous is misspell things and be a jerk? I never knew it would be so easy! Hollywood, here I come!!
Yeah, well, the people who get bent out of shape over misspellings (and who obviously don't have enough to do) need to get jobs as editors -- and THEN see how easy it is to catch all the boo-boos. :-P
Heh. For some reason it is always easier to catch OTHER people's spelling errors while completely missing your own. At least it is for me.
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