I like Reddit – or at least I used to – and even though it seems pretty hard to get anything upvoted these days, it can be a source of great links and a good place to share. But even I can’t help but wonder if it’s becoming a downvoter’s paradise and if it’s time to ditch that up/down scheme in favour of a more positive ‘like it or move on’ approach. Why? Because any down vote option seems to bring out the very worst in people.
Yesterday I posted a link to the Blog Tour de Troops blog hop that is ongoing at the moment. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s an amazing incentive aiming to bring books to serving forces personnel, just as Operation eBook Drop also does. In addition to books, Indie Book Collective have been raising money for Kindles. All in all, a great scheme. David takes part in Operation eBook Drop and is currently taking part in Blog Tour de Troops. The emails he’s had from people who have received and enjoyed his book are enough to show that this small thing can make a big difference when you’re far from home.
So, naturally when I started my blog surfi
ng yesterday, I posted a link to Blog Tour de Troops on Reddit. After all, what’s not to like? You either like it and visit and support the troops or you decide it’s not for you and move on. On this, of all weekends, surely this was a link to share so people could get in on the act?
But when I logged into Reddit this morning it had – of course – been downvoted. DOWNVOTED. Let me clarify: this is not a scheme that makes authors money (in fact authors pay a fee to sign up and give away around 200 books). This isn’t a scheme to pull on the heart strings so someone in a nice ivory tower gets a big fat cheque. This is a scheme manned by people who are frantically busy and volunteering their own time to give something back. This is a scheme to show our thanks. This is a scheme to make sure that men and women serving abroad have a little bit of something to take them out of their daily hell each and every day: a book. So, it’s beyond me why 75% of people would downvote that other than this simple reason: because they can.
It seems that the old adage is true… power corrupts.
About the Author:
By day a publicity assistant, by night an avid blogger and reader. I'm happiest when I'm surrounded by books and cats, with my husband by my side. Luckily, that's a pretty apt description of most days!
Donna Brown – who has written 623 posts on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave.
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Nov 12, 2011 @ 19:18:15
Sad (but not entirely surprised) to read this.
Seems some people have nothing better to do than be deliberately snarky. As someone who is taking part in Blog Tour de Troops I'd like to say that I think it's an amazing idea and will make a massive difference.
David M. Brown recently posted..Film Review #102: Coraline
Nov 12, 2011 @ 23:03:01
Yea, I've gotten in more trouble there… I started my own thread just to say I'm on there. I don't get the place and find it hard to navigate and talk to people even when I do want to do something like that.
Nov 12, 2011 @ 23:51:28
Unfortunately Anonymity brings out the worst in people
Pavarti K Tyler recently posted..Blog Tour Update, Shout Outs and Giveaway!