For those who are weary of confontation, a new Internet service offers them an easy way to express themselves.
NiceCritic.com is a free service that allows users to send anonymous e-mails about sensitive subjects to others.
“I came up with the site after a night out with some colleagues,” said Erik Riesenberg, the Web site’s founder.
The idea came after a co-worker suggested — after a few drinks — that Riesenberg trim his nose hairs.
“I asked her why she hadn’t told me before and she said that she felt uncomfortable saying something of this nature to me,” he said. “I started thinking of a way where people could say uncomfortable things in a safe environment. Hence, NiceCritic.com.”
Internet users can use the site to send pre-written messages, including “Please wash your hands after using the bathroom,” and “A breath mint would be beneficial today.” There are also Spanish messages available for bilingual users.
Riesenberg decided to use pre-written messages to keep the criticism constructive, he said.
“I specifically wrote all the messages with a British butler in mind so that the sentences would be politely worded and not crass or vulgar,” he said.
The site even offers a sports section with messages made specifically for people who lack athletic etiquette.
For example, someone can e-mail a message to an overly enthusiastic Buckeye fan that says, “Yelling can really bring the morale down,” or “Sometimes being over-aggressive is detrimental.”
The site isn’t just for criticism, however. It also allows users to send compliments anonymously.
“I found out about the site when someone used it to send me a message after I did a presentation for an English class,” said Ornella Sanvee, a fourth-year in international studies. “All it said was ‘good job,’ but it was cool to know someone took time out of their day to let me know they recognized all my hard work.”
To prevent cyber bullying, the site only allows users to send one message to a single e-mail address every 96 hours. Also, a message recipient has the option to unsubscribe so they don’t receive e-mails from the site in the future.
