Hatin’ on the Critics
Allow me say this as plainly as I can: all “haters” are critics1, but not all critics are “haters.”
During a recent (mostly-online) discussion, one of the responses to the issue at hand that I (indirectly) ran across was “don’t be a hater yo.”
It’s a common response in tech circles these days, especially among open source projects and startups in pursuit of high visibility and using 3rd party developer-engagement to do so.
The statement is many things, but it is not, I repeat, not a substantive response to a reasoned question.
In fact, it’s even worse than a substance-lacking response: it frosts the non-response response with a thin, sugary layer of ad hominem frosting.
Every time you say it, you might as well be saying “I don’t want to be burdened by having to explain my position; I want to continue thinking what I think and I don’t want anyone or any thing2 to challenge my opinion. So shut the fuck up before that happens3.”
Which is a totally fine response to give to someone who’s challenging you.
But don’t delude yourself that muttering something about “haters” is the same as making a cogent point or somehow adding substance to the conversation.
When you Godwin-ily decry “the haters,” it’s an indication that you’ve failed to do either, and you’re hoping no one else noticed.
But it turns out: we do.
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1 Mmmm… probably
2 “Data!”
3 And people—”geeks,” actually—are confused/surprised/angry at the suggestion that there’s a new new geek anti-intellectualism growing?
“The statement is many things, but it is not, I repeat, not a substantive response to a reasoned question.”
And if I disagree that it’s “a reasoned question” then what?
I may well think that everything I say is well reasoned but if others don’t validate that over time with consistently well reasoned responses, then maybe my questions aren’t as well reasoned as I think they are.
@Asa:
We’ve had this conversation. Numerous times. (Though I admit: doing so in 140 character chunks, it’s difficult to make a thematic, easily understandable point.)
If you really don’t think it’s a reasoned (or, perhaps “reasonable”) question, then state that. Present your own rational argument for why you think they’re not being reasonable or reasoned.
Then be quiet and allow them to respond to what you’ve said.
And if your analysis relies on others’ validating that the person you’re talking to are “trolls” or “haters,” I refer you to something I retweeted the other day which I really liked: The plural of “opinion” is not “rationality.”