It’s OK to say good things about people

I believe in building people up, in encouraging people, in helping people develop to their potential, and to extend that potential.

I believe that social software helps us do that. It’s not the only way, it may not even be an important way, but it is a way.

Recent comments on Esther and her role at PC Forum, and on Kim Cameron and his role in the Microsoft OSP, have  helped me see just how good the blogosphere can be for encouraging people. Yes, in both cases they were helped by wonderful teams of people working hard together. Yes, in both cases the news created snowballs where people did the commenting all over the place, it wasn’t like everyone signed a card or something like that.  It’s just nice to be able to say “Well done”.
Yet people who don’t know much about the blogosphere somehow imagine it to be this nest of vipers where everyone flames everyone else, much bitching is done, people get cut down to size, whatever.

That’s a lie.

We need to understand that it’s OK to say good things about people. That it doesn’t automatically become some sort of mutual admiration society, some cabalistic heresy. It’s OK to say Well Done. Don’t let anyone take away that right.