I hate going on rants because I’m not good at ranting. Generally, I take too long to make my point and then I make that same point over and over. I’ll try to keep this short.

Negativity on the web has reached a level that I can no longer bear. Negativity is always somewhere, lurking in the shadows and ready to pounce on the uncontent. I’m not buying that garbage.

There’s a clever scene in the chick-flick Hitch that reminds me of this scenario:

What do you think of the design of the Jets’ new football stadium on the West Side?

Let me guess. Disgusting?

When someone can guess what garbage you’re going to puke up next, and their guess is negativity, it’s time to clue in on your own goals. Negativity sells and it sells well, but there is nothing so degrading as a well-written article about how bad a product is.

There is a large difference between negative and honest. Honest experiences outline real-life scenarios and give some light to difficult questions. An honestly written article usually equates to advice, whereas a negative article generally equates to a rant.[1]

I once read somewhere that 9to5Mac only reviews products that its writers or friends like. They skip negative product reviews because they feel negative reviews don’t add value. If a product doesn’t have the characteristics their writers are looking for, they just don’t review it. Any time a product review comes down 9to5Mac’s pipeline, you can bet it's a good buy.

Positive reviews are not about scratching someone’s back. Time, effort and piles of cash are invested into creating the tools we use on a daily basis. If you are thankful for a great product, say so. If you aren’t, outline the best parts of the product and make those parts shine. Why harp on the smallest negative qualities?

There is nothing more uplifting than a happy customer or client. Someone outlining why they love something is inspirational and keeps the wheel turning.

So, in light of this rant, I will state my goal for reviewing or discussing products, tools and workflows on The Newsprint: If I believe a product is geniunely great, I will write about it and I will spread my love for the product as best I can. On the other hand, if I don’t enjoy said product, I won’t write a scathing article lambasting the product, its creators or its loyal users. I will always be honest with how I feel about a good product and my honesty will shine through my lack of writing.

Simple. Positive. Honest. All without being negative.

Negativity terminated.

  1. Like this one!  ↩