Thus Spake Juggernaut. Review on MouthShut Community Center

I must begin by saying, on a rather disappointed note, that my involvement with MouthShut.com has not been exactly the most pleasurable so far. It is unfortunate that such a thing has to be said?and whether the blame lies on me or on somebody else is not the issue of discussion now and never really was.

There are so many reviews that I wrote but never published, out of whatever reasons?either they weren?t good or I thought they were distasteful, or incompatible with my usual style, or whatever else. This is one of them. I had intended to write this long ago, sometime around when I wrote my review on Coca Cola (the comeback review I had harped so much about). But now, I feel, that I have made concrete decisions regarding my involvement with MouthShut and come to even more concrete conclusions, it is the time to publish this review. And probably to open my bag of opinions a little more.

But in writing this review now, I must confess, I am going against the basic principle that I had tied to myself, not in regard with MouthShut.com. but in regard with life in general?life outside MouthShut, if you will.

That principle is?I am not an entertainer. I am almost certain that this review is more or less entertainment for you, as I know fully well that some among us consider it particularly droll and amusing to see me, or anybody else, speak the things I am about to speak. Nevertheless, these things must be said, and so they shall be. And if you, in any manner, understand the message of this article, you should take it seriously!

Do read on?

Of Mistaken Ideals

To begin with, I must confess that I mistook completely the whole point of MouthShut.com. I always considered that MouthShut was a website made solely for reading and writing. Unfortunately, of late, it seemed I was rather wrong.

The demeanour of a large number of people, typically replies I received to my e-mails advertising my latest reviews, suggested that MouthShut is more or less a ?friends? hangout? site. Or, in other words, it suggested that MouthShut.com is a website where people come in to have a good time and make new friends across the internet, which in my experience, is a complete waste of time?and I have always succumbed to the temptation.

But those are not the mistaken ideals I wish to discuss here, not at all! I always believed this website was a writer?s website and a reader?s website and I will continue to believe so irrespective of whoever?s demeanour and replies. So these ?mistaken ideals? must relate to reading and writing and things associated with it, certainly. What are they?

Firstly, I have come to realize that people on this website value a writer and decide his superiority not so much on the basis of their review qualities but on the volume of feedback they receive?in short, comments. I must confess that I have myself fallen into the trap, played gimmicks to receive more comments in my reviews, degraded the quality of my reviews for the sake? and I also know that this statement sounds like sour grapes. But the truth is simple?just because a writer gets many comments doesn?t make him a good writer. It only means he has mass appeal?or as an MSian said to me once, he is good at ?networking?.

Though some really good writers do receive a huge feedback and quite deservably so! But the truth is that some mediocre writers get huge feedback as well which is fine with me completely! But he is still a mediocre writer! Popularity is not an index to quality.

But only this will make my point clearer:

I believe that popularity is not an index to quality. But on MouthShut, I have found it is considered to be. Almost as if writers believe that the sole objective and greatness lies in getting many comments to their reviews? which is in a way stupid!?

And I don?t claim to be immune to stupidity!

Of Nastiness

Even before I begin writing this, I know that this sounds even more like sour grapes, or like a child complaining. But even if it does sound so, this is something that must be said, and therefore will be!

A friend on MouthShut.com wrote to me once the following words: It is my enthusiasm for MouthShut.com that puts of many people. When I read this line, I laughed at it, joked on it, ridiculed it and didn?t believe it for a second! But, then, on the morning of the 3rd of August, 2004 I realized that he was right. It has something to do with another reply I got to one of my advertisements of my reviews asking me not to take life seriously. The reason? I appealed to people to read my previous review!

The fact is, that yes, I did want the largest number of people to read that review, and yes I was pushing it hard for it. But the reason wasn?t because it was my review or because I wanted more ratings and hits to my review page. The reason was something altogether different?that review was more than just a review. It was a tribute to the souls of the millions of Jews that died in the Second World War, and the tribute to the most creative adolescent minds that ever came to this earth. I wanted people to pay tribute as well? and I did mention that the review was condolence.

But there you are.

The person who replied could have well said that they would not read the review. But there you are! A nasty suggestion asking me not to advertise reviews, meaning simply that I?m a nonentity, or probably, an immature writer not worth reading.

Not that this review suggests something else, but the fact is that I am quite confident that I am far better than most think I am, and I don?t see why I should really want to prove it. Call it ?elephant size ego? or anything else, the fact is a fact.

You guessed correctly? continued in the comments section