When I log on to a site, whether it be Reddit or WordPress, I notice that people will often post something they want to get feedback on but they rarely know that is the intention of posting online. If I see a post on a discussion board for class, that is an opinion. If I see an article by the NYT, that is more likely to be proven and researched hard fact. Scrolling through Facebook (which I rarely do anymore) will rarely yield anything more than a useless repost of a video or a couple of updates from my family that relies too heavily on social media to keep us in the loop. The thing either of those two different kinds of posts have in common is that they want feedback and virtual validation. I am not going to hold back on giving my two cents on a topic or a post just because it might hurt someone’s feelings. If I have something to say, I am going to say it in the nicest, but most honest way possible.

My professor actually emailed me today from my media class because I commented on someone’s WordPress blog post that it needs better formatting and content, but he (my prof) revoked my comment because he “wasn’t sure it would be received well by the student”. In a place I thought mandated by truth and honesty turns out it is being gatekept by a moderator who is afraid of someone else’s backlash. Now, I can’t really blame my professor in this case because he is just doing his job, but if someone can actually be that hurt by me offering help formatting assistance online, then they should be more careful what they post on a public blog. The moral here is that if you can’t take constructive criticism online, then you should most certainly format and edit your posts correctly before posting them.