apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Its not really the negative comments that bother me.
If I am submitted my decor then I am putting myself out there and should accept the possibility of negative comments.
Not every person will like my decor.

The problem is when people act childish and have no tact. I noticed yesterday that some people were just outright NASTY and posted rude comments about a person's decor. It may not have been everyone's style but you could tell the person put effort into it and were sharing the photos with pride. And then these rude, immature people trample all over that.

I am all for criticism...when it CONSTRUCTIVE!
Otherwise keep your traps SHUT!!!

I have to agree with Sweet Pea. So much of the problem is that some people are simply rude or nasty, sometimes perhaps unintentionally, but unfortunately some seem to think it is acceptable online. Others are deliberately being provocative and inflamatory. Not sure what the solution is for that.

i really like how the "sugar" websites (geeksugar...etc) have a little saying above the "post a comment" box saying that they want a happy community and if your post does not contribute to such, its deleted. maybe the AT community, as much as it sucks, should hire someone to specifically troll all the posts for nasty comments? just a thought. or like have an email that one person looks at where if there is an outright rude comment, people can email in and that comment can be taken down and the person warned. or have a "warn" or "report" button to click on and after so many clicks, it automatically gets deleted?

It would be a pity to lose the comments, despite the rude ones, because comments are entertaining and instructive. Often, rude commentators are taken to task for their impoliteness. Out of the rude comments, about half of them are just thoughtless, rather than malicious. And then there is a fine line between rudeness, and expressing a difference of opinion. It does not seem that there are so very many trolls lurking on this site, to warrant turning comments off, although I'd understand if they were clogging the artery of communication.

I like elizabeth's "warn or report" button idea - similar to what's used on craigslist to get rid of inapropriate stuff, with the post only being taken down when a certain number of people warn it (Maybe 10 people, for here at AT?). That would make it some what automatic too, so the editors wouldn't have to be constantly checking for stuff...

Also, I really wish people had the option of deleating their own comments, either for grammer issues or because they realize they've said something dumb/rude, etc.

What I *do* appreciate now is that you can look at someone's profile and, by looking at all their recent comments, you can tell whether they are generally and consistently rude, or whether they are just having a bad day or temporary flare-up.

It helps to put them in context, or allows you to just totally dismiss them for the be-atches they be.

I agree with sweet pea (and of course jimkk), but tact and grace are, unfortunately, highly subjective. So is "constructive criticism."

I think words like "hate" and "ugly" ought to disappear from comments on people's homes.

But bad posting behavior bothers me more on house tours more than it does in the heat of a contest.

i have only encountered one rude person on the forum. and, when this gentleman posted his rude comments, everyone came to my defense... it was sweet.

99.99% of the people on this forum are very diplomatic.

leave the comments. i, personally, will write if i find someone is being especially offensive and i urge others to do the same.

however, i have not found this to be the case and have found the community here to be sweet, encouraging and helpful!!!

I would love to post some pictures of my apt to get help. (I can not pull a room together).
But after yesterday's horrific comments - why?
There are several people here who don't understand we all don't have the same style.
Really, if you wouldn't say it to the person's face - don't say it online.

ditto p2.

I agree with Rosie about allowing people to edit their own comments to fix spelling errors and such.

I have a good friend who has an INCREDIBLE apartment, so I strongly encouraged her to submit photos for the smallest coolest contest. She wouldn't do it because of all the nastiness. It's just not worth it to her. I have to say, I understand completely.

I don't think disabling comments will make this a better site, but I do agree that some sort of reporting option might just do the trick (as long as people don't use it to gang up on each other and remove posts unnecessarily, as I have seen done on other websites). It's a very tough call.

alexis - i really am in the same boat as you are. i have a hard time keeping up with the clutter my bf and i create - i have a full time job and go to school at night - and i just can't get to it all at once. i haven't posted pictures (although i did put a couple on flickr, which i wish i hadn't and will probably take down) because i know i will be reprimanded because my laundry basket full of clean clothes has not been put away yet because i have better things to do than please an online community. almost all of the AT community warms my heart on a daily basis and my problem is that i get up in arms when these, excuse my language, @$$holes insult all these wonderful people in such a way. i realize that we have the power to not let it bother us, but for those of us who just want a little help and not a barrage of why we didn't put the toilet seat down and those other mean comments of "how the hell can you mess that up" (although i didn't see it, as i was icing my back...) it can just be so annoying that you don't want to even bother with it. "whatever, i'll just try and figure it out on my own." and that's where we start losing our community here.

and that's why i think that the community itself should be the deciding factor and why we need a (what i saw on the other post) "bury" button. it will save the webmasters the time of looking at every single post, but the community will be able to have a voice and say "hey, these people show a complete and utter lack of manners. take the comment off. it's not helping in any way and it's just making us all angry." i'll stop, i just really get protective of somewhere that has helped me out so very much.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were more rude comments as long as this issue is being discussed. The consistently rude commentators most likely thrive on fanning the fire.

Any time you put yourself in the public arena you may or may not be scrutinized. If you are afraid of the slight chance of some jackass unleashing their alter ego on you then you are missing out because what they say is not important and everybody knows it.

I agree that the negative comments have kept people from showing their homes. A year or so ago I posted a how-to on painting stripes on the walls and I got so many nasty remarks about it. I wasn't even looking for opinions on my design decision and I got slammed. Of course, P2 came to my defense and the tone of the posts changed after that.

I've thought about entering a contest or 2 or putting my place on House Tour but I will never show my home because of the rude remarks posted by some (certainly not all) here.

The voting clearly shows the solution is not a simple yes vs. no, on vs. off one. Almost both sides of the party are weighing in equally, therefore the solution must take both sides into consideration.

I agree, and have said so myself yesterday that I think a flagging solution would be best. As a community it would give us an opportunity to decide what we think is outright rude and offensive to another. Hopefully lead to the removal of those sorts of comments, and in turn the removal of those sorts of people.

Don't get me wrong, snarky and rude comments are funny sometimes, but there is a time and place for them, and a AT contest and house tour is not one of them.

Sort of a can of worms. As p (too) said, the intent is to deal with the Edina Monsoon/DJLucky...'s of the blog, but it can also snare perfectly reasonable posters who are being misunderstood.

Some of the truly scathing posts enrage me, but at the same time I've expressed the odd bout of irritation at questions that show the person hasn't done the simplest websearch/ blogsearch for the abundant answers only to be accused of condescension and meanspirited bitchiness.

Seeing that someone's most recent posts are uniformly awful, or generally quite friendly does loads to put their post in perspective. Maybe people who want to defending should click on the name first and see if their opinion is validated by the poster's other comments. Sometimes the error is on the reader's part.

I hate to see people flamed in entries, but if you spiff up your house and enter a contest why would you take someone's insulting comment seriously? Especially the narcissistic and ridiculous, "It's not my taste, but..." Just look how many of the Color Contest comments have been about style and rearranging accents. It's a COLOR contest. What do you think of the color?

I vote to keep comments and add a report button. The admins can see who is actually trouble and who is just a human being.

Art, I agree with you that once you post a picture you are taking a chance that people won't like it.
But people on AT can really be over the top. Look at yesterday's color entry. Obviously the person with the brown and blue apt put a lot of time into decorating it. It wasn't my style so I chose not to comment on it. However, there were post that were obnoxious - one even said the person was probably foreign and this was their idea of wealth - just how was this constructive?
The problem is not only am I missing out on receiving help but so is the rest of the helpful ATers. Maybe one week when I am feeling a hardshell then I'll post my pathetic little apt.

Ack, just posted on yesterday's thread... To reiterate here, there is a discernable difference between negativity or constructive criticism, and ridicule; you don't have to be a Mensa member to recognize that calling someone's home "disgusting" is crossing the line. Nor is it fair to deem those wary of such vitriol oversensitive people who shouldn't participate in the contest in the first place. Yes, you need to be prepared for negative reactions, and that you may come in at the bottom of the heap, but you should not have to brace yourself for utter derision. If fear of being ridiculed is really preventing people from entering the contests that we all enjoy, are inspired by, and learn from, then, shame though it may be, perhaps some controls are in order.

Having said that, I learn a lot from the community's input, so I'd hate to see comments disabled entirely for certain entries. Thus, I still think a flagging system is a less restrictive way to address the issue. But perhaps from a systems administration perspective, diabling comments if an entrant so desires is easier?

I think the people who post BECAUSE they want help generally get off better, for some reason... so if someone WANTS help, I'd say do not hesitate to submit to the site.

Just be prepared to have the comments stray from what *you* think the issue is...

There have been times when it's like a bride asking for an opinion on her dress, and people posting "The problem is the groom." ;)

One message board I go to has an "Ignore User" button, so you can turn off the comments of one user...possible???

I think the report button is a great idea. I suffered through the "wrath" of Edina Monsoon a while back, and although I consider myself to have a relatively thick skin, I found it really excessive when the comments moved into the realm of animal cruelty. Sheesh. That's not helping anyone.

I love the commenting aspect of AT, and a 'bury" button would be great. I have intended for the longest time to post my living room for you all to improve/admire/ridicule. The thing thats holding me up is not a fear of the comments, but a desire to post it in its best light, with all the 'projects' finished (art rehung where it should be, curtains redone, the list goes on and on.but I doubt it'll evey happen!

It always amuses me is when someone posts a very specific question about 1 element in a room, and some idiot then goes on to deconstruct the entire room, and not even mention the thing that was asked about!!

The problem is, Angie, is that we all have different hot buttons, so it can be a slippery slope.

But Edina is a classic example of an "all negative, all the time" poster, easily revealed when looking at their profile and amASSed recent comments.

I will say that there have been a few interview subjects where I had to talk the PR people down from a ledge after pre-interview comments got too sticky for the PR people's liking (even though, by anonymous web standards, fairly tame).

AMP - I had that idea, too. I'm itching to put a few useless twits on my Ignore list. But I think a better solution is for AT to be more proactive in banning truly useless people - or at least warning them privately that they need to shape up or ship out.

But has anyone considered the notion that, quite possibly, if a person is THAT hesitant to post pictures of their decor for fear of receiving negative comments, that it probably wasn't all that great to begin with? I don't think people should be posting their stuff on here looking for some kind of gratuitous pat on the back. Phony-baloney! You either post your stuff here to ask for suggestions, or you post here because you think your space is the shizz, and it's uber-fabulosity will tromp any hate from the naysayers.

And what do people consider "offensive?" In my opinion, a comment is offensive only when a) it is threatening in tone, b) it is a personal attack, or c) it is racist or bigoted. Everything else should be considered acceptable. And from what I've seen, I have never seen a comment on AT that could be considered "offensive." For example, the statement "that is the ugliest rug I've ever seen," is fine. However, "that rug is almost as ugly as your wife," is not fine.

Can we all just grow up?

I second the desire to have some control over your own comments... People mentioned in the comments on my entry that they'd like to see some less tightly-cropped photos, so I posted a link to a flickr album without realizing that that was against the rules, which was dumb of me, but I couldn't really do anything about it afterwards.

And despite my demonstrated inability to ignore troll bait when coming home kinda drunk on a Friday night and finding someone's left something nasty, I think comments should be left open. Whatever. The "see all comments" feature is pretty helpful in ignoring people who are obviously looking for a fight.

It does make it much easier to deal with nasty comments if unconnected readers respond and acknowledge that the comment was not constructive; I guess just don't be afraid to call meanness out, even if it doesn't affect you?

Comments are one of the reasons I come to the site and to the contest pages. The responses to the contest posts contain all sorts of useful advice, links, elaborations by the contestants, etc. I am not opposed to critical responses, either - those can be very enlightening, BUT ONLY when they are done in a courteous, mature and polite manner.

I definitely want to and hesitate to post my own submissions on this site. It's fair to say that if you open your home to a public forum, you open yourself to criticism. But consider: if you come to an open house, you are free to like or not like what you see. But there are certain social rules you are expected to abide by while you visit. This is very similar. I would find some of the comments I saw in the contests incredibly hurtful and unpleasant if I were the contestant, not because they disliked something, but because of HOW they disliked it.

I really think what AT needs is a comments moderator, stat. There is nothing in the community that a judicious rebuke and/or banning couldn't fix, when necessary.

I totally know what you're talking about P2 (where do we draw the line, etc). I think that saying someone is unfit to take care of their animal due to their room decor is a little ridiculous though, as opposed to saying you hate someones drapes. Hate on the room if you feel the need, but don't hate on the owner.

But I guess that still doesn't solve the "problem". As someone above mentioned, the report button would be based on multiple reports from various community members. Sounds like the best option I've heard, other that just letting it be and dealing with the nasty comments in the old-fashioned way. Ignore them.

A few months back on design*sponge, some people left rude comments regarding a person's interior including a lot of IKEA items. One person responding to this rudeness guessed it was someone from AT, recalling how catty and mean our commenters can be. Not what I'd call a glowing reputation, which is sad because this site has a lot of really great qualities.

The only heated comment debates I've personally been involved in have been when I've voiced my moral objection to animal cruelty. I don't really understand how people get soooo mean over interior design, something that as a whole has no deep-rooted ethical meaning. It's just different tastes and styles. To paraphrase Michael Kors:

"Lighten up!!! It's just DECORATING!!!!!!"

I agree with the majority of people - institute a flagging system and ban the repeat offenders.

What bothers me more than the one off truly nasty comments that you see here and there (I would say rarely) is when that comment sparks a whole argument.

I think the best solution to the really nasty comments would be if everyone (EVERYONE) just ignored them utterly. No "that was mean, you shouldn't say things like that" or "that was rude, I bet your house is no taj mahal either". No nothing, none of it is helpful in any way and the original commenter usually gets exactly what they're looking for, which is a big involved argument where the focus is on them and not the house/product/article originally posted.

Also, it's pointless to have an argument about how thick people's skins should/shouldn't be. People are offended and hurt but all sorts of different things, some of which seem mild to others. It doesn't mean people shouldn't be allowed to say those things, it just means that if enough people are offended, the comment should go away.

That's why I think the best solution would be a bury the comment option, or a rating system. Something where if enough people flagged a comment it would come down, or be hidden, or something. That way if it was truly offensive, surely you know, ten people would flag it pretty quickly and get it pulled.

I agree that people have different standards of propriety, but I think the flag feature (assuming you have to have a certain number of flags to delete a comment) gets around that. It usually takes a fair amount of initiative for an outside party to critique another comment, and if a few people feel compelled to do so, that's a fairly conservative standard.

Most studies show that they communities are most productive when members trust that others won't attack their points of view. Otherwise, the more timid among the group won't contribute -- which benefits no one. Even if some people think that the more hesitant among us should grow a thicker skin, they aren't going to, so we miss out on their unique perspectives.

I suspect that if the site had a self-policing feature, we might see more activity in the comments as well as the posts.

I agree with several comments on this post, but especially with bluestar talking about when everyone ends up commenting about the negative comment. That basically ends up hijacking the entire post and it begins having nothing to do with the topic, which is the original entry or house tour or whatever. The other thing, though, is when people pile on. While some people feel compelled to correct the negative tone, others feel free to just pile on with more negative things.

But I disagree with hejiranyc's about the OK-ness of saying things like "that's the ugliest rug I've seen in my life", why? Not just because it's nasty, but because it doesn't contribute anything except meanness.

If you don't like that rug, then come up with a better idea and be kind of polite, like... "with the color of those walls, I'd rather see a rug that was a little more neutral in color, and yet had some bolder kind of motif that acknowledged the curve of the sofa, kind of like one these..." and then maybe even put in a link to some things that you've searched the web for. Some people do that, and people really seem to appreciate it.

I think it would be a shame to get rid of comments altogether, but I recognize a big difference between submitting something for a contest (not looking for suggestions) and submitting something when you're looking for help and advice from the crowd.
AT started with the advice end of things in mind and so people have carried that over in all the threads. But the contests really are a different thing - I think people should be able to show their homes and not hear how ugly their rug is.

If you can't say something sucks somewhat anonymously via a comment thread then what good is a public forum? It becomes one person's thought and ideas with no debate. Compared to other blogs the comments on this forum are extremely stale, sugary, and boring so I don't know why anyone is really complaining. If you put your stuff out there you have to learn to accept criticism. The world is not rainbows and unicorns.

Honestly if this site gets rid of comments I have no reason to be here. Not that I live for them or even read them, but to me it shows that you have sold out in the name of neutrality.

And frankly some of the entries into competitions deserve and need to hear what other people think about their submissions.

I guess that I'd like to be able to be a little more anonymous. I don't comment as much since the profiles turned up where people can see every past comment I've made. I haven't thought it through rationally, I just feel a bit more exposed. I think that might run totally contrary to where a lot of folks are going here, and I respect that. I just comment less.

When it comes to real trolls, there seems to be some value to being able to track comments and identify jerks.

I think some way of weighting comments or something might be nice, but even then you get sort of slashdotty and I don't find slashdot that useful.

Meanwhile, EmilyGee, I continue to think that your RCCC thread was the funniest shit ever.

If there were threaded comments, that would be helpful, especially if you rocked some javascript to hide and show threads. If I want to skim the insights I can do that. If I want to skip over the back and forth about Edina's scarred childhood or the role of vegetarian ethics in interior decorating, I can.

All of that said, I think I'd share more if the comments were more civil. On and off won't help with that.

Craiglist allows you to "flag" posts, and at a certain point flagged posts are reviewed and deleted. I think a flaf feature would be welcomed.

This is a contest. There are judges, whom I presume are experienced in this area who ultimately choose their favorites down to the winner.
If a person decides to post a question and invites A.T. readers for their advice then post your opinions/comments.
When I see a new entry I check out their pictures and if I like what I see I vote accordingly.
A.T. readers have some great ideas and tips but unless a contestant is asking you what you think, I don't think you should offer your could've, should've, would'ves when they've already submitted.
A simple great job! Or nice colors! Or where did you purchase a certain something is really all that's needed.
Nasty and rude comments should be removed.

"There have been times when it's like a bride asking for an opinion on her dress, and people posting "The problem is the groom." ;)"

Thanks Ptoo, that suddenly put everything in perspective.

hejira--

When it is YOUR rug, and someone calls it the ugliest thing they've ever seen, get back to us on how YOU feel.

Bustado--
In these contests, when 99% of the voting goes to "No Way", why kick 'em when they're down by saying "yeah, and your drapes suck, too"?

Why is constructive criticism so hard to understand, let alone master? Do you not see the difference between "Your taste blows" and "If it were me, I would have..."?

Put yourself in the shoes of the entrants, and get some empathy, tact and diplomacy. None of those are EVER wasted energy or bad personal traits, whether on an anonymous blog, in your workplace, at a Starbuck's or private party.

To put forth something out of PRIDE, *especially* in areas of personal creativity, and then have it peed on by anonymous posters (who may be living in questionable interiors themselves) REALLY sucks.

I missed an entire Edina drama by lurking over at Chicago AT?

I think much would be lost if comments were gone and I agree that answers to questions asked or suggestions solicited should not veer off into other galaxies. Contest votes for Instant Finalist or In the Running accompanied by comments/questions are fine, but if you vote No Way, skip the comments. If a flagging system would help rid the site of inappropriate commentors, go for it. I try to ignore them, but when their comments start to generate the attention they're after, it's not the AT I know and love.

I have for the most part, stopped reading the comments. Some people have posted such nasty, hateful, mean and generally un-helpful comments that it just makes me feel ill reading them. It's not fun, and it doesn't help anyone. I will not share things or enter contests due to these comments and posters. There has got to be a way that the community can take care of these posters so that it doesn't affect the way others view this site. A majority of us aren't mean, but we may get that reputation if something isn't done.
I try to live by the saying- if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all . I don't have to comment on every room or item I see. No one does. Not everything is my taste or style, but I don't feel the need to inform anyone else of that fact.

"If you can't say something sucks somewhat anonymously via a comment thread then what good is a public forum? It becomes one person's thought and ideas with no debate."

What does derision have to do with debate? It *is* possible to express differences of opinion in a constructive manner. I'd bet that the nastiest commenters don't give a damn about debate. Rather their comments appear designed to make others feel like crap, which is not necessary for achieving a meaningful exchange within the community. I understand that there are people who derive pleasure from putting others down, and no amount of talk about diplomacy and tact will change that unfortunate reality. But please don't try to confuse the issue with notions of debate.

I have seen some remarkably hateful comments on this site. People are rather fond of telling the attackees they need to grow thicker skins, but it's hard to grow them fast enough to keep up with the decline in the level of public discourse! Besides, when you are asking people to put their creative efforts on display it's silly to think they can automatically dissociate themselves from work that's coming so much from their hearts. I'm no civilian in this sense, so I can only imagine what it's like for people who've never experienced it before.

There is never an excuse for malicious comments in general and personal attacks in particular. Grow up, and don't say anything in an email or posting you wouldn't say in person.

I think the flagging idea, like on Craigslist, sounds good, provided that those who are consistently nasty get banned completely & permanently after a few warnings. "Three strikes and you're out" sounds like a good policy for this issue.

How about, when we register, we have to file a couple of pictures of our own homes with comments... a link to which can be added to threads where we indulge in particularly venomous attacks

(A not entirely serious suggestion, but a serious issue - I'm with flagging/banning really)

Kind of like the ability to hang up on an annoyance call...

Sorry if this is a repeat, but I just skimmed the comments- I think Bluestar said something along these lines. Commenters should just ignore immature remarks and move on with whatever they want to post. It is irritating when the thread turns into a moral discussion about how you should treat people. The idea that a forum like this is an emotional support group is kind of silly.

People who post images of their homes shoudl also be able to distinguish between constructive criticism and people who are just plain mean and immature. If you are super sensitive why would you post something so personal in public?

The internet is a public place where all kinds of weird and crazy people exist, just like life. You can't just delete them, but you can choose not to associate with them.

I was telling my boyfriend the other day about AT and how I saw it turning into what Craigslist has become. I remember when CL started, "general community" was the section that everyone posted on, and it was a community. Helpful, positive and mindful of other's as if they were all hanging out at coffee shop together.

Unfortuately, with all the popularity and press for craigslist a lot of "trolls" (people with only negative intentions) literally infilitrace the site and have taken over. I will never go to a forum or visit Craigslist again except for furniture sales.

I have seen the same thing happen to AT. A few years ago this wasn't happening. With all the press and publicity and slinks from other sites, we now have the resident trolls: whose mission is to stalk the site. It's really driving people away.

There has to be a solution, because I don't want to leave AT, so many helpful and creative people have been longer residents to let the trolls take over.

AT,
Since you know you're not getting enough entries for ATSF because of the comments, and since you always get more than enough entries for the ATNY region, then why not experiment with comments regionally?

I personally like the flagging suggestion. But if that's not an option, and you want to seriously consider a comments ON/OFF choice, maybe you should introduce that choice just to one or two regions. See what happens. It might help to define the regional brands ('Gee, SF is so much more considerate than NY') in a way that makes each of their respective communities overall feel more comfortable.

(And I for one want comments to stay on in NY; I learn so much for them. All I would ask - and this is impossible to enforce - is that all people would give fuller explanations to defend their opinions. Even a mere 'I love it, beautiful!' is as unhelpful as an 'I hate that, Yuck!'. Say WHY, people.
So I wish people in general would focus on contributing something, be it on the side of support or constructive criticism.)

My vote: keep the comments (I LOVE them!); let us delete our own comments; let us flag/report trolls; add some sort of "community standard" statement in the comment area (mentioned by elizabeth in AL).

Constructive criticism and encouraging advice are good things, along with appreciation and accolades.

I am grieved and chagrined that people would use this forum to slander and besmirch my good name. A simple search of AT would reveal that I say both good and bad things about contestants. What you saps resent is that I am TRUTHFUL. I call it like I see it. We have all been victimized by hideous design on AT and I for one am going to call it out when I see it. There are people who simply should not have entered their hideous homes into consideration and the argument that because they did, I am honor bound to be gracious is just bunk. These people are opening their homes because they want swag. They want hundreds of dollars in prize money and if you ask me their entries damn well better be worth it.

As for hurt feelings, I am shocked by how thin skinned the people in this community are. There are certain posters who shall remain nameless (colormyworld and EmilyG) whose vicioius responses betray their insecurity. I feel sorry for both of them. Not only do they have ugly homes but they are in utter denial about it.

Moreover, I think my comments are much kinder to the participants than the overly positive and and downright condescending ones that are often offered. What good does it do to tell someone that you love that fantastic vase in the upper right hand corner of picture 5 when you know the rest of the house is a disaster.

Get a clue, get a backbone, get some thick skin and get over yourselves.

Edina, I so apologize for besmirching your good name with my 'vicioius' comments and victimizing you with my hideous home. It must be because of my latent insecurity over my ugly apartment and 'dingly' carpet. I guess I've always had a problem coming to terms with the realities of my situation. But this... your comments on this internet message board have changed my whole life. I've seen the light. My whole outlook has changed. Thank you so much!

Leave comments open!

Emily Gee,

I accept your apology and am glad that you have come around to my way of thinking. Things should be much better for you now and you might be inspired to get your apartment together.

Have a good day Em!

Edina is to AT as Simon Cowell is to AI.

I have basically bailed on AT because of the frightful comments. This place is worse than YouTube. I've never seen such a large community of snippy and unhelpful people. I realize that if one submits their work/room/paint job/decor for some insight and ideas they're opening themselves up for criticism, but man: it get's NASTY in here! Really nasty. Like scare me away I don't want to have anything to do with AT-type nasty.

Comments on/off would be awesome.

Edina, I love you. You make me crack up, you are witty and nasty and cruel and that is fantastic. And the best is when you manage to épater le bourgeois...
And people, learn to laugh at yourselves.

To Edina and the rest of the so-called interior design experts:
Interior design, like fashion design, like graphic design, like automotive design, like architectural design, is all based on one thing; personal taste.
I have read pretty much everyone's comments; both the good, the bad and the ugly and have come to this conclusion: You people are mean. There is enough hatred; enough cold-hearted comments, enough blatant, hurtful words to fill a book here.
I entered this "contest" because I felt my home was "colorful." I'm not an expert. I don't brag about being an expert. And most contestants I'm thinking, aren't interior designer by trade. Again, interior design isn't something that is learned. Their is no right or wrong when it just feels right...to that particular person. Period. So I'm just amazed at the comments from Edina (check out her profile/negative vs positive comments) who comes off as "God of Interior Design." It's one thing to "hate" someone else's tastes, but do you really need to add the little "extra jabs and stabs"?
You verbally beat people up. And after you beat them up, you verbally spit on them. And after you spit on them, you tell them how low they are and you verbally kick their lifeless (insecure) bodies into the gutter. Yes, you can be constructively negative. But do you really need to be so harsh that you come off as the Interior Design Nazi? Is that what you want the design community to remember you for?
Edina (and we don't if you are the Lesbo from Hell or just a woman who was abused as a child), where did all of this anger come from? Have you ever thought to seek counseling to help you; anger management? I'm not "picking" on just you, Edina Monsoon. There are other just like you, who also make this website/forum what it has become today. Like DuckDJLuckie or whatever your screen name is. You're a bad seed too. Got hit by daddy's belt once too often, I'm thinking. My point is; there is hatred in our world. There are people killing people for nothing. Lets not make this website a place for more hatred. Lets try to be a little more kinder and tactful with our words. Think and reread what you write before pushhing that Submit Comment button. Why can't we all.....just get along!!