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Hubbers Criticizing Other Hubbers

Updated on June 15, 2010

If you can't write, be a critic!

"To criticise can be to antagonise"   Diogenes 11      cartoon credit to roadstorome.blogspot.com
"To criticise can be to antagonise" Diogenes 11 cartoon credit to roadstorome.blogspot.com

Criticism: A Sword to be Handled with Care!

Petra Vlah, a hubber from the USA, recently published a hub article telling us of how another hubber had published an article about her in which he or she criticized some of the English used by Petra and some of the mistakes this hubber thought Petra had made. (Petra's Hub:  "A Hubpages Nightmare Experience".).  I must say I wasn’t able to read the critique in question, so my comments are based on what Petra said in her “rebuttal,” if you like.

I think this type of critical article, positive or negative, would seem to expose a loophole in hub pages content wherein another hubber can publish unsolicited commentary about a peer’s ability - or lack of it, in their opinion - which cannot be removed, (as can comments) by the target of the article until a complaint has been addressed by hubpages staff.

I personally enjoy some of Petra’s articles and admire Petra for what she has achieved in written English, which she confesses she has only learned fairly recently. As writers and ESL teachers know, English is a brute of a language in which to become truly proficient and bi-lingual - especially written. Anyhow, I believe readers of people writing in a language not their own - namely, English, should be more concerned with the content of the hub than a few minor mistakes in spelling, punctuation or grammar.

But the point I am struggling to make herein is that there should be an alteration to our vast Hubpages computer which allows any hubber to read any article published about them and to OK or deny publication of it for any reason they choose BEFORE it is put into the public domain.

The said critique has been removed, I see, but the damage has been done and Petra was obviously a bit miffed. She is a good writer and is working hard to turn out meaningful hubs and I am sure she will not be bothered for long by this sort of attack. My wise old grandpa said most forms of criticism stems from insecurity in the criticizor (new word) who is actually saying, “See, I wouldn’t do that therefore I am better than you!” I am sure if Petra wanted her hubs edited any further than her spell-check she would have asked a friend to do it - or even thrown her soul out on this forum and said “Lambaste me, I am such a silly!”

But Petra prefers to soldier-on, studying books on English and learning every day how to correctly spell excruciatingly pronounced and spelled words in a language that has one of the largest vocabularies on the planet. This is why British and probably American teenagers too, have opted out of conventional English and invented their own special language which has the added value of them being able to converse without the “crusties” (anyone over 21) understanding what the heck they are talking about. If you find this hard to believe, see how 12 to 16-year-olds communicate on Facebook. Cockney-Pidgin?

I suppose most prolific hubbers get unfair and nasty comments appearing at the foot of their articles, as well as the heart-warming positive ones. In this case, I am not talking about a reader disagreeing with some of the content and saying so. Or even politely correcting a hubber who has been misinformed or who lacked some facts about his or her subject. I mean having to endure bad or profane language; criticism for the sake of being critical, or the type of criticism Petra received: apparently ill-willed and badly judged in the case of someone valiantly producing very readable articles. In no instance have I found that the small mistakes made by Petra and many others having to express themselves in what is not their mother-tongue, resulted in my not understanding fully what the writer was trying to say. In fact, sometimes these little glitches can be charming and actually add to the enjoyment of the article.

I will publish this. If you disagree, Petra, with anything I have said, please let me know and I will withdraw the article immediately. Bob.

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