I'm a real smart ass, and my mouth can get me into trouble more often than I need to be.
The one thing I've learned over the past few years is to be careful what I say, in the workplace, at family gatherings, on vacations, etc. A lot of what I think would not translate well into the real world, because of my smart ass mentality.
Case in point: An article a couple of weeks back on Yahoo about this particular Heritage card surfaced.
Daniel was upset because Topps managed to catch him for a photo at the time he hurt his arm in a game last season. Now the smart ass in me a few years ago would have piped up and made a comment about how he felt, and not have given two thoughts to putting it on the internet. But I've learned, you've gotta watch what you say, or how you say it. Because not only are people quick to point out your flaws, they are also quick to judge you as well. That's just how it is in the world we live in.
After a day of thought about the Hudson card, I decided that a smart ass comment wasn't worth it, because I thought "how would I feel if I had a devastating injury like that?". I would feel pretty shitty for sure. People get emotional, and I can understand Hudson's thoughts on how he felt when seeing this.
I'm glad I stayed silent.
I'm sure that wasn't the case when I first started on the blogosphere though. I had no problem spouting off what I felt in comments, and I'm sure it probably upset one or two people along the way. I even know of one long time blogger who stopped following me, no doubt after something I said (which was probably stupid). I've left comments on his blog offering trades, and have never even received a response. I've kind of resigned myself to the fact now that my stupidity back then has affected me now.
Praise in public, criticize in private. That was a credo that one of my former bosses taught me, and it's something that has stuck to this day. Not only does it hold true in the workplace, but in the blogosphere as well.
If I've pissed you off in the past, directly or indirectly, I apologize. I may be 45, but life's lessons will be something I keep on learning until death do I part.
thanks for reading, Robert
Seems I could have written this same post.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly a lesson that many of us can take to heart.
Feel free to be a smartass in the comments on my blog any time you want. I get lonely sometimes being the only one.
ReplyDeleteI agree and disagree with your post mainly on the injury aspect. I think comments regarding injury need extra care to make sure they are more funny than mean. A lot of people go to the old "quit whining, you make millions and have baseball cards made of you" thing, which is just pointless.
I really don't think Hudson was actually angry or overly emotional about the card. I think he was making a semi-sarcastic comment about the card because it is notable to him. I would imagine it serves as more motivation for him to recover.
Honestly, I think "Praise in public, criticize in private" is crap. To draw that line ignores the actual problem. Criticism, thanks in part to the internet and anonymous commenting, has become such a negative idea. It should be "praise and criticize with value". Praise and criticism without value are both dangerous, with the former possibly being worse.
You haven't pissed me off at all at any point...though I could do without the whole Blue Jays blog emphasis. I mean, you know there are like 10-15 real teams out there, right?
I hear ya... I've also got smart-ass tendencies, but I try to keep it in check in a public forum like this. I had one post a year or so ago where I'd said something needlessly snarky and potentially hurtful. Someone left a comment basically implying that I was being a dick, and the worst part is, I couldn't disagree.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing I've learned - thankfully under better circumstances - is that you never know who might read your blog. I've had comments from people who knew players I'd written about, and in one case the player himself left a comment. It's probably not a problem if you're blogging about someone like Derek Jeter, but if you're writing about somebody who was on a 1975 common, it's not inconceivable that he could be Googling himself.
Anyway, I know where you're coming from... it's sometimes hard to keep one's impulses in check, but it's usually worth the effort.
I think the problem is that you can't hear someone's "tone" when you read a comment. It may be in fun, but it looks serious and that can cause a problem. I've found that it's easier to just apologize later. Everyone knows I'm a smartass anyway. Right?
ReplyDeleteHey! Someone besides me did a Daniel Hudson post. Cool.
ReplyDelete