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When Keeping It Real On Twitter Goes Wrong ...

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Uncle.Ruckus, Aug 29, 2012.

  1. Iron_chet

    Iron_chet Well-Known Member

    It seems to me that if you don't like what you are reading on Twitter, don't follow it. I don't have problem with over-praise even if it is circle jerkish because the end result of me getting to read something that I would not have found is worth it.

    Most of my Twiiter feed is stuff that I followed from here that led me to other writers. As a non journo with no ties to any type of this business I am pretty thankful that I can read recommendations from writers whose work I like.
     
  2. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    In the spectrum of criticism - even some good, spot-on criticism - not all of it is useful. Craggs can be right about something, but deliver his POV in such a way - or with such mind-numbing, repetition - that it has no utility. Then you factor in that he may not actually believe his position - that he's just an elastic, quick-footed thinker looking for a scrape - and it really loses its sting.
     
  3. typefitter

    typefitter Well-Known Member

    I know what you're saying, Alma. I guess my standard for criticism is, Will it make its subject—a story, a building, the political process, whatever—better in some tangible way? Or at least will it help improve the next one? For it to accomplish that, 1) the message has to be useful and 2) it has to be delivered in a way that's constructive. I think if criticism meets both of those standards, then it's almost always good to hear.

    This leads us down the road to defining "better," however. I know what I think "better" means, but a guy like Tommy Craggs will probably have a different definition. That's where it gets tricky.
     
  4. old_tony

    old_tony Well-Known Member

    If only Twitter had moderators to delete posts and lock threads.
     
  5. pseudo

    pseudo Well-Known Member

    Pretty funny. But last time I saw Jones, he was drinking concession-stand beer out of a plastic cup.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 1, 2015
  6. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Oh, so he's a hipster. A fucking Canadian hipster!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 1, 2015
  7. Norrin Radd

    Norrin Radd New Member

    On the first: sure. But it reminds me of the 16-year-old athletes getting together to harass some goth kid at lunchtime because he dared to talk to one of their girlfriends in math class. Bullies getting together to swing their members around and pat each other on the back for how cool they are. Goes from Zero to "I've got a better career than YOU!!!!!" rather quickly. But it does lead to some good entertainment from all involved, so hey, neat.

    On the second: That limit is often based on the mood of the person taking the "criticism," as well as the mood of those who would act as their "second". The source of the "criticism" matters as well. That's human nature. Too many people think they can tell journalists how to do the job. If I'm a longform sports writer, I wouldn't give a crap what some businessman or coffee guy or someone who toils in obscurity in a dying newspaper industry says about my work. I would also try to avoid SAYING that every time anyone dares to criticize me.

    I'm guilty of it; think we all are, to an extent. There are plenty of people here who could attempt to tell me what I should be doing with my own career stuff, and I would dismiss their views out of hand, mostly because I have real-life sources for advice and counsel that are superior to what I can receive here.

    So yeah, the limits of "criticism" are the limits of what the person being criticized is willing to take, and from whom they are willing to take it.
     
  8. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    How much "useful criticism" can be shoehorned into a tweet? Or even a series of tweets?

    Was it Mr. Scocca's intention to deliver "useful criticism?"
     
  9. Norrin Radd

    Norrin Radd New Member

    Who ever said it was?
     
  10. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    I'm not sure anyone has.

    But we seem to be spending time and energy parsing the nature of useful criticism given and received when I'm pretty sure "useful criticism" played no part in last night's drive-by.
     
  11. BDC99

    BDC99 Well-Known Member

    Who exactly are they harassing/bullying? Praising a friend's work on Twitter is grounds for a flame war? So ridiculous.
     
  12. typefitter

    typefitter Well-Known Member

    To be honest, I didn't even get what Scocca was going for last night. It was like he thought he was telling me something I didn't know—after he quoted my own reference to it. I'm actually starting to think it's all some weird performance art that I don't understand.
     
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