If you have nothing nice to say

I am fed up. I have had it. I was raised with the expression “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything”. That does not mean I am opposed to criticism. Or to suggestions. Or to editing, corrections, opinions, or comments. BUT…….

You don’t like SL? Fine. You can prefer using phone conferencing. You can prefer Facebook. You can prefer face-to-face (and I so hope YOUR company allows travel). Go for it. Do what works for you and makes you happy.

But ENOUGH with the negative remarks. You can prefer Facebook without sneering about bobbing avatar heads. Or whatever. You can state your reasons for disliking SL or Opensim or any virtual 3D world WITHOUT having to be nasty, patronizing and rude. All you do is show YOUR inability to make a reasoned, well thought-out, articulate comment.

I’m blogging here because for the last several days at work I have read nasty, patronizing, derogatory remarks about avatars. You know what? Facebook does not work for me. Yes, I have an account, yes, I check it out daily. I rarely post or use it. BUT – I feel no compulsion to insult everyone who loves it, uses it, lives there. Hey – it works for them. That is a good thing. I love SL, opensim, 3D worlds. THAT works for me. I love the interaction of avatars, voice, creating, music. I find the avatar experience much more immersive and productive than Facebook or video conferencing. I find that using an avatar feels to me as if I have a physical presence at the meeting. For me, I find that avatar placement and movement conveys meaning and intent.

See? I didn’t need to insult anyone at all. Just stated my opinion and preference. I could go on, stating calmly the interfaces that work and do not work for me. No insults. No sneering. No foaming at the mouth.

This goes for group chat in SL too, by the way. Screaming mindlessly at a lone Linden for ALL of LL’s policies for the last 3 years is neither productive nor civil. If you wish to point out all the ways LL’s policies have disappointed or harmed you, you can do that without calling the individual a liar, close-minded, an enemy, willfully destructive and more. Allow the person a chance to actually speak. Remember that undoubtedly the terms of employment force an employee to temper responses. Sheesh. You were like a bunch of rabid dogs. Disgusting.

You think you are professional? You think you are smart? You think you know so much? Act it. Demonstrate some veneer of civility.