I love the line "If you can't say anything good, talk about the weather." This idea is so relevant for today's "brief" discussion.
One of the things I really dislike about many of the social media sites are those individuals who decide to use it as a forum for "selling" their own ideas or "trashing on someone or something." Let me stop here and say the issue does not come from people stating their own mind, I am referring to those people who seem to think it is appropriate to use other individuals forums to do this. Those people on Twitter who simply link your name to their products selling who knows what. The people who "Post a comment" on a Facebook page simply to advertise their product. Or those people who get on blogs and comment, not to provide content to a dialogue but to simply sell their own products.
There are a lot of agents and editors out there that have blogs designed to provide "one" approach, or "tips" for writers to learn something about the business or their craft. Recently, however, I have seen one published author, jumping around to blogs not contributing to the conversation but finding a way to slam the traditional approach only to lead to advertising to their own workshop and book, as if it is only approach to the success. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Maybe, instead of making those comments, you should have discussed the weather outside your own window. Had you done that, you might have maintained your "professional" image. And honestly, if you are the agent of this person, I would strongly encourage a serious conversation with the writer. Not only did they ruin their professional image, but may have tarnished a bit the agencies reputation.
Matthew Lippman describes a great learning environment as a "community of inquiry." In other words, this is a place where everyone can learn and also has something to add to that over-all learning. Contributions such as these individuals I speak of do nothing to add to that learning.
In my humble opinion,
Scott
You humble opinion is not alone.
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