About Ranting

I don’t really identify as a “blogger”. This is more of a platform for ranting: my impassioned bluster.

Publishing a rant is risky. It has the potential to burn bridges; past, current and future. Rants can make you look like a bully, jerk or troll while coming across as pretentious. And they can also agitate competitors, the marketplace, and customers.

I love a good rant. I love it when people have guts enough to say how they feel. When rants are well-written and received, they can lead to questioning of groupthink and common belief systems. And where an individual, industry or practice is stale, outdated, backward, or where the status quo is bad, agitation might be what is needed. It can stir people, it can spur action. And I hope I do.

In my rants I will endeavour to:

• Understand the perspective of my “target rantee” (industry, system, belief, whatever).

• Do my research and know what I’m talking about.

• Give plenty of context and/or provide a backstory.

• Avoid the use of absolutes. (I’m regularly guilty of this one.)

• Try to remain positive. (N.B. I think getting angry is okay.)

• Avoid pointing the rant at an individual.

• Not just complain, but offer a solution.

If my rantings inspire someone to respond, I hope that they (you?) follow these same guidelines.

(Hat tip to Chad Pollitt for his thoughts on ranting.)