Everyone's a Critic

Or "What IT2M Would Call Another Dry And Boring Post"

It started when my pal Deni's blog was reviewed a couple of months ago. They simply left a comment saying "you've been reviewed at I Talk 2 Much" and a link for the site. They did not like his blog; while calling it well written, the critic felt it was boring. The critic's main complaint was that she (I believe) didn't like PolBlogs, felt they were a waste of time.

I thought, "well, this is a lark. What the fuck?" and submitted Missives to be critiqued.

So, I started waiting, and with that time, I became a regular reader of the site, just to see what I was going to put my writing through.

The kids at IT2M are volunteers (not exactly sure how or why they were selected), who read through the submissions of some hypersensitive people. To willingly go to blog after blog to attempt to give honest feedback, while not earning a paycheck...There's something kinda Quixotic about that, so hats off.

That said, I think it's fair to say that they wear their attitude pretty loudly. "We're Rude - Deal With It" is what their window label (or whatever the fuck that thing is called) reads; yes, they do back that up in spades. They have their preferences, though it does vary from critic to critic. They prefer quick and snarky (Joe, you're just about a shoo-in; Rob, you'd be a hit, but you'd have to work on the length of some of your entries); they prefer more attitude and less exploration of topic; they hate Blogger templates, and would prefer it if you bought your own, or find something else out there; they hate MommyBlogs, ReligioBlogs and PolBlogs, but allow room for exceptions if you blow them away. Their aesthetic requirements border on the psychopathic, in my opinion. They can be blown away, though, and I've found a number of entertaining blogs through them.

If you sense an ambivalence here, well, it's because I'm ambivalent. In a way, they kind of remind me of a gaggle of Adrian Ryans with their own web site. On the other hand, who can blame them for creating their own rules and regulations for what makes a good blog? No one's forcing anybody to adhere to what they have to say. And I can't argue with the traffic they've sent my way...we'll see if that remains steady.

Obviously, I was reviewed today. I knew they'd find me boring, and I wasn't wrong. I found it funny that, due to my preference for cash instead of plastic, I was labeled a "tin-foil hat wearer" (though someone in the comments field noted "this one isn’t even interestingly delusional", which just cracks me up). I wish they had read the Peppermint Patty entry; but I can't say that what they read wasn't representative of what I do as a whole.

le shrug