If you can't stand the heat...

We were having a little discussion on Plurk that I thought I'd take over here. Because it's something really HAS been bothering me for quite some time.

When did it get to be such a bad thing to have opinions on products that people create in Second Life? Are designers such delicate baby blossoms that they cannot handle someone saying, "That's not really my style?"

This isn't a case of people saying, "The shoes that person made are ugly, therefore the designer is an idiot and a reject and an inbred halfwit." Although I don't doubt that a minority of people in SL believe that when they see an item they don't care for, it's not really the majority mindset. Most of us think, "Oh, I don't care for that style" and move on with our day.

Unfortunately, what is happening is the delicate designers are not saying, "Well, that's their opinion and they are entitled to it, but others bought this item so it's ok." Nooooo... they're going on plurk or blogs or groups screaming and banning people from stores or threatening to leave SL and never design again.

Really?

Listen to me carefully. If you never read another word I write, read this: You will never - N-E-V-E-R - create something that everyone in SL loves completely. NEVER.

This has nothing to do with you as a person. You could create the most gorgeous skin on the grid. It could be flawlessly highlighted and shadowed, with absolutely no seams, and no weird stretch thing at the crotch. It could be a masterpiece of brilliance, and I bet you any amount of money that someone will say, "It's nice, but I don't like the skin tone."

It happens, ok? And as a creator, you have to be ready for that to happen. You have to open your mind and remember that there's always going to be the chance that someone doesn't like your item, and an even bigger chance that they are going to say outloud that they don't like it. With there being eleventy billion fashion bloggers and 99% of them are on plurk, someone somewhere is going to say they don't like your item. Not that they don't like YOU - they don't like your ITEM.

And here's the thing - You need to listen when someone says what they don't like because you need to decide if it's the quality or the style they don't care for. If it's the style, then don't worry so much! I don't usually wear "goth" style clothing, so it's rare you'd catch me in one of those kinds of stores, but that doesn't mean I'm calling all those designers morons. If it's the quality, ask for honest critiques so that you can figure out how to make your next creation even better! When you throw a diva fit and flounce around and emo yourself all over the place, people remember that. They may not remember what item from your shop they didn't particularly care for, but they will remember your fit and they will tell their friends. And don't give me that whole, "I don't care if people come to my store or not" bullshit. Yes, you do. There are very very few designers in SL who do it just because and honestly don't care if anyone is blogging/buying their items.

If you honestly don't think you can take peoples' opinions on your creations, you're probably in the wrong business.

/me jumps off the soapbox and goes shopping.