Today's the day my manifesto, "To Criticize Is To Publicize: Make The Best Of Bad Words!", is published on ChangeThis. It's all about dealing with criticism — something you can almost certainly relate to. Within, I'll take you for a journey through social media, the naming of the Nintendo Wii, and my own adversities. Here's a teaser:

…if you’re the target of vicious attacks, you’re going to feel it. Contrary to a popular, mistaken approach, I’m not going to tritely admonish you by saying 'don’t take it personally.'

Instead, here’s a fresh path I’d like to take you on, and by the end of our journey, you’ll have a revitalized outlook on how to make the best of bad words."

ChangeThis is a magnificent library of fresh ideas which are often both startling and applicable in today's world. For instance, one of my faves, "I Am The Walrus: Lessons In Personal Branding from The Beatles". These manifestos, calls to action, buck the old guard, spark inspiration, and have lots of fun doing so. And that's something I can totally agree with.

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It's fascinating how little actions can be chained and add up to so much: it isn't just a HCI issue, it's a broader to use or not to use issue. After all, if a few clicks are too much trouble for someone, their un-use of the product is ultimately what matters. We don't want to feel like rats trapped in a maze, even if there's tasty cheese.

by Mike_fj40

To extend the analogy, we certainly don't want to repetitively feel like lab rats ("tested on then trashed") as we use a product or service over and over again. The rewards feel thinner as the pain grows — and most of us would rather take our chances somewhere else, maybe next door where it's not so much a labyrinth as a curved pipe. I know I would. Damage by attrition wears on your patience until you give up. And by then, you've been hurled from a slippery slope into a deep chasm, and trust has probably been broken. Your mindset has likely been bashed in, biased towards not wanting to expend any more time and effort on this thing.

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