Power ranking responses to NBA Power Rankings

9. Insult the writer directly

This is next in the “don’t do this” tier.

As we covered earlier, we can take perceived slights about things important to us to heart. It can be the first feeling we have, and we may feel the need to let that hurt out. What I’m postulating here is that we don’t need to push that energy out into the world.

I’ve seen attempted reasonings for this. “You signed up for this when you became a writer.” Or “if you’re going to be on the internet, you need to have thick skin.” This puts the responsibility for the insult on the person making the NBA Power Rankings, and that’s pretty much bullshit.

Limiting public spaces to people with hardened attitudes does a lot of damage. And it’s unfair.

At its best, writing is a place for introspection and exploration. People can put themselves into a piece, and that’s a good thing. How much of oneself one feels comfortable sharing can be severely limited when one takes that invitation to one’s thoughts as an invitation to disparage that person.

And at a less sensitive level, it’s also unnecessary. You don’t win an argument by being an ass. Your disagreement doesn’t go to another next level if you’re also spiteful while expressing it. If anything, it’s distracting. Just say the thing you want to say.

This is an even uglier move if you tag the writer’s editor somehow as if that person is unaware of the content they approved. That makes you mean and stupid. Which is worse.