What's a "protroversy", you might ask? I have the knack for making up words, so you think of it as this: if "pro" is the opposite of "con", what's the opposite of "progress"? I keed somewhat, but I'm not joking around at all when I encourage you to start a protroversy today!

"Controversy" is often laced with poisonous negative overtones and much argument which leads to no better change, just the futile flapping of gums in a stale, stanky wind and a depressing sense of wussy indecision. But protroversy involves clear & specific differences:

• Overall positive vibes that you celebrate, not bickering for the sake of discussion, because you've already thought about and said enough on the matter, and now's the time to move forward.
   
• Not being here to argue/debate, but here to make positive action with like minds. Some people who disagree may try to slow you down with words (it always happens), but really, they're being lazy-asses and should start a protroversy of their own. The world's a big enough place for a diverse ecology of successes.
   
• Passion that focuses on the advancement of ideas, as opposed to attacking ideas. Bad ideas have already been weeded out to a reasonable degree, and you aren't here to knock down others.
   
• Protroversy means you take charge of what you believe in, and charge ahead. This isn't doing so blindly; quite the opposite. You've done your research, listened attentively to other perspectives on the issues at hand, and now have the conviction, the strength, and the agility to make and use a decision.

Thus, at the heart of protroversy is the possibility that people who aren't in agreement will react the same way they would if it was a controversy, but you won't be wasting time & energy arguing back. You may've already answered good questions in a FAQ, and yes, a protroversy can follow a controversy — it could be the sensible evolution of one.

What are some examples of protroversy and how do you look for it?

A key signal is a sense of humor mixed with substantial messages: a lot of culture jamming with playful grace counts. So does incidentally iconoclastic creativity with no pre-conceived pretentions or intentions to offend, like the electro-DnB of John B (who continues to be an odd duck in "the scene") and the Aeron chair (which didn't deliberately antagonize other office furniture). Protroversy also takes the form of enthusiasm around consumer goods; while Apple's "Mac vs. PC" ads are not protroversy, someone like Dennis Liu doing a remarkable commercial of his own is.

Notice how it doesn't slam anyone/anything else but definitely generates a lot of reactions. Tetris is protroversy, Thrill Kill isn't. Art that seeks to offend does not count as protroversy, and in some of those cases, you'd have to look inside the artists' heart or take them at their word as to whether what they're doing is protroversy.

Protroversy is really about not worrying so much about the means or the end as having meaningful endings — delicious results which are fun, lively, and healthy.

Have you started a protroversy today?