Are Chief Delphi users thin-skinned?

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Cody C

In real life... There is no Negative rep, you can't close a person's Ideas like you can a thread, and you DO have to learn to live with Ideals that may be different than your own. That's what a lot of us (me included) on chiefdelphi have to learn to deal with, whether we like it or not.

I beg to differ. There are red and green dots in the world--but the stakes are far higher.

I live in Preston College here at USC. I do a lot of things, from being a member of the Selection Committee to running the web site. All of these things lead to a positive reputation amongst the folks who run the show, which has come in handy when I need something like a job reference. That reputation has paid off for me, as it's led to being able to launch other things in the building.

Now, suppose I go two doors down, bang on the Principal's door, and start cussing him out. Not only will I immediately be unable to do anything of value for the building, but I'm willing to bet that I'll also find myself in the falling-apart Towers as one of the final residents before they get torn down in the summer.

Similarly, suppose that I'm applying for the job at Apple. While in the interview, I start ranting and raving about how the iPod is going downhill and PlaysForSure is going to own everyone and that Steve Jobs needs to quit with the turtlenecks already. (Those aren't my real opinions.) Not only am I going to lose any chance of getting the job (and thus that source of income), but the word also gets around that I have this attitude. Next thing I know, it's a whole lot harder for me to get a job in the town.

Moral of the story? Think before you start saying things. This very post went through two or three revisions to make the points clearer--and if you apply it to anything you say or do, you'll be better for it.*

*Of course, there comes a point where you have to shoot the linguist and say the darn thing.