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February 27, 2009

Nice Critic – The Anonymous Way to Send a Helpful Message

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If the internet is full of one thing, it’s full of people who spout their opinions. In fact, this can make the internet quite an ugly place sometimes. People use the anonymity of the internet to throw a barrage of negative criticism all across the web. So a site like Nice Critic is an interesting proposition in this hyper-critical environment. Nice Critic is a service that users can employ to send anonymous nudges of criticism to other people. An example of a Nice Critic note is, “Washing your hands after using the restroom is a wonderful way to not spread germs.” There isn’t a great way to convey this message without irking a person to some degree, so Nice Critic aims to let people down easy.

Here’s how it works: you choose a category, such as personal hygiene or office behavior, choose a pre-written thought in that category, and send the message to the person’s email. Given that it’s a generic message, this could soften the blow than if you provide details about a person’s faults. It’s doubtful that a message sent from Nice Critic will be regarded as particularly “nice” but it may get your point across without the awkwardness of direct communication.

Practical Uses:

  • You have a friend who dresses inappropriately and you want to let them know without confronting her in person
  • Nudge a co-worker who is rude with customers
  • Notify a parent who is overly strict with his son
  • Politely inform your roommate that they need to take a shower just a bit more often
  • Praise someone for a job well done using a more unique system than an email or e-card

Insider Tips:

  • Suggest a topic if you don’t one listed, or if it’s not detailed enough for your needs
  • Send messages to your Spanish language friends, as there’s a bi-lingual counterpart
  • Don’t overuse this service, especially in inter-office situations

What we liked:

  • It’s amusing to peruse the different topics, even if you don’t send anything out
  • Absolutely no signup required, sending messages takes just seconds
  • Nice Critic is free and gives even the shyest person the chance to resolve lingering issues

What we didn’t like:

  • Is this really useful? You may be better off sending an email and having a face-to-face discussion with the person
  • We would like to see more topics covered, especially the option of sending compliments
  • There is no way to customize the messages

Alternatives:

Company Info:

Costs:

  • Free

Comments

  1. liz

    Please refrain from picking your teeth at work.

  2. Joe

    You should really be more considerate

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