"Boo..." or meh

While I was working in the house today, I had the radio on in the background and heard this report from Freakonomics Radio. It is called "Boo...Who?" and it is about publicly registering displeasure by booing. I immediately thought about it being the offline version of posting a bad review to social media. In this podcast, which was recorded in 2011, contributors discussed this function in the realm of sports and artistic performance. What struck me when considering public booing in comparison to the online version is that the online version offers much more protection. While an opera-goer might hesitate to boo Pavarotti in person, surrounded by other opera attendees and facing the legend himself, he might not feel the need to hold back from behind a screen and a name like @NYOperaLover. As in the case of drivers who become incredibly aggressive while inside their cars, scathing attacks online come from a place of safety and anonymity. (Well, some online attacks...and I'm thinking of early morning Twitter rants...are not so anonymous.) Online or offline, I find it hard to write a horrible review...and can't imagine booing someone...even if I've had a bad experience. Who knows what went into that experience and how much I might have contributed to it either knowingly or not. That said, I have found out helpful information from unkind reviews...like the time we read two pages of middle range reviews down that the great hotel we found was next to a jail and in pretty bad shape (confirmed by my sister and her husband who decided to stay there anyway!). So, maybe the lesson is to review negatively...and to boo...in as constructive a manner as possible so the boo-ee is not crushed but can learn and change.



Comments

  1. VanessaJuly 25, 2018 at 3:40 PM

    I think the key is to be factual, whether positive or negative, and avoid name calling or excessive judgment. It's fair to say that a hotel looks run down and is next to a jail. Not so great to call it a "festering fleabag that may as well be a part of the jail next door."

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  2. V DiwanjiJuly 28, 2018 at 8:28 AM

    Great post! I absolutely agree with Dr. Dennen here. At the end of the day, fair and honest commentary — whether it’s positive or negative — serves to inform both consumers and, if taken properly by the business owner, can actually help them to improve their business practices, as well. Very well written post. Thanks for sharing!

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