It’s all in the delivery
People Of Earth
Wouldn’t it be great if there was an Outlander-themed blog on Tumblr, with a positive spirit, heavy on shipping, full of humour, focussed on investigating shenanigans, equipped to analyze photographs and create videos, open to taking requests, and operated by a group of wild-and-crazy women who know how to have a good time?
There was. Until Wednesday.
People are questioning SISbrazil’s decision to leave Tumblr. I don’t know why they’re asking. SIS told us why they’re leaving. And it’s our loss.
Someone asked @sherrigamblin to comment on “when it became a bad thing to want to make sure information was factual.” The answer is: Never. Asking questions is a good thing.
Truth is, I question everything. Quietly, thoughtfully, patiently… usually… Sometimes I jump into DM mode to shout, “Whuck?!” and toss around theories with some ol’ pals. Sometimes I talk to an ol’ pal on the phone. Zen as I am, I consider every theory, every photograph, every sighting, every rumour. Every Stinkin’ One. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about inconsequential — yet seemingly omnipresent — Outlander-adjacent people and about some ridiculous incidents (and about more than one gold ring). And although I still enjoy the show and happily ship SC, I do recognize their shortcomings. You could call me a sheep, but I do not baa.
So, it’s a good “thing to want to make sure information (is) factual.” Where some people are getting tripped up is how they express themselves.
Words matter. Tone matters. Kindness matters.
I’m all for sharing opinions — I’m even up for expressing what we don’t like about something 😃 — it’s HOW we say it that matters. It’s easy to talk about what we don’t like or don’t endorse without insulting people or excessively cursing or declaring it’s our way or the highway. Maybe it’s easy for me because I earn my living using words and need to do it effectively in order to remain successful, but I think there would be less discord in the fandom if we expressed ourselves differently. I could tell you how much I dislike something without condemning you for liking it. Or I could tell you how much I dislike someone’s behaviour without condemning the person.
Well, if Jurassic Park taught us nothing else, it taught us just because you could, doesn’t mean you should.
I never kid about dinosaurs. Just because you could say anything you want any way you want, without filtering your thoughts and/or considering the impact of your words, doesn’t mean you should say anything you want any way you want. A human being is waiting on the receiving end of your message.
Electronic communication — social media in particular — allows us to type whatever we’re thinking and “hit Send” before we take time to hear what we’re saying. Let’s forget about Pollyanna-speak or Snowflake-defensiveness. If you don’t express yourself clearly and respectfully, chances are your message could be misinterpreted at best and disregarded at worst. (You should see the pfft-not-gonna-answer pile in my Inbox.)
Still wondering why SIS, for example, might not like your comments or questions?
Think about your comments or questions. Were you clear? Were you thoughtful? Were you respectful? It might not be them. It could be you.
And sometimes it’s simply a language issue.
During some recent brouhahas, I’ve imagined how information might have been received more effectively had the sender trusted someone else to proofread their material before posting it. The higher the stakes, the higher the need for clear language. Clear language = less confusion… less frustration… less descension. If you’re working on a hot-button issue, I’m open to proofreading information you think might affect the fandom’s sensibilities. I write and edit in Canadian, eh?, so naturally, I apologize in advance. Not for anything specific; I just apologize.
Thank you for reading my drivel. If you like what you read, thank you! If you didn’t like it, take the time to tell me respectfully. Thank ye kindly.
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June 21, 2019
Gifs: 1& 2 giphy.com, 3 kissatmidnight.com, 4 @manders1984, 5 giphy.com, 6 tenor.com, 7 @nordic-sassenach, 8 @caitbalfes
#Personal #Editorial #Asking questions #Expressing opinions #Communicating clearly #Blah blah blah #I am not a sheep #🐑 #But I do play one on TV #🇨🇦 #Sorry #In the end only kindness matters #☺️ #105 #062119
