b3tLet them feel youtAlivetfpf2s2c02 LET THEM FEEL YOU f1c04 by Alive/Digital c03Collins describes feeling as a:- f4c02 "conviction or opinion not solely based on reason." f1c04RokDaZone c03demonstrates feeling perfectly when describing how he thinks I look: f4c02 "Let me describe how I imagine you (Alive of Digital) to look like: 12 years old, 1.60m, 85 kilos, short brown hair of no particular hairdo, bottom-of-a-coke-bottle glasses, youthacne, wearing oldfashioned sweaters, semi-italian original leatherfake shoes and cord trousers or whatever it needs to make the perfect nerd." f1c03Opinions are what diskmags are built on. Without opinions there would be no diskmags, just neutral unoffending newsmags like c04Ethic & Nuance's X-Filesc03. Opinions are what make diskmags so interesting to me. I like to read what people's opinions are on various Scene issues, but, I like it even more when I can read what people actually c04"feel"c03. To me there is a difference between a person's opinion and what they mentally feel about something. It's a very fine line between the two, but I truly think there's a distinction to be made. I see an opinion as a designed, well thoughtout explanation of an instinctive raw feeling. Opinions are quite "safe" and boring in comparison to feelings. f2c02 IRONY, ETHICALLY SOUND AND TAME f1c03Most diskmag readers would agree that an article written with passion and conviction is far more exciting to read than a dull Politically Correct one that says next to nothing about what you truly feel. You can only get a real sense of what someone feels on an issue when they dare to throw caution to the wind and truly say what's on their mind, without filtering it through any ethical codes of conduct. Irony, sarcasm and metaphorics can all be considered c04ethical filtration c03of a writer's true feelings; used in a majority of cases, as shrouds to cover their true intentions of malice. The tone of articles written in these styles is subtle so the blow to the victim is dampened and that makes the attack somehow acceptable. Nobody really pays any attention to your opinions and you're free to live the rest of your Scene-life without any real repercussions. Nobody will accuse you of being an arrogant editor and you'll maintain many friends on the Scene. Not only do these styles of writing suit the attacker, but also the victim because it means he doesn't have to fight back with any great conviction - except perhaps with another subdued sarcastic reply. There, one big happy waring family and everybody is content. c04Except, of course, the reader. f2c02 BE RAW - FUCK ETHICS! f1c03Articles written in an aggressive tone are far more interesting. Readers enjoy reading aggressive articles because they have passion and above all feeling. This is probably why editors like: c04Lord Helmetc03, c04RokDaZonec03, c04Mop c03and c04Wolfman c03are and were so popular. Many of their articles cut the bullshit of irony, sarcasm and the like, and go straight for the jugular! Out of the many articles I read it's rare for me to actually remember many of them to any large extent, but an article I will always remember is one by c04RokDaZone c03called: f4c02"BLOB - Flop!" f1c03published way back in issue seven of c04RAWc03. It questioned whether c04Pixie c03deserved to be such a respected artist on the Scene, and - although I didn't agree with a single word of it; it is a superb example of a bullshit-free article. No irony, no sarcasm just pure raw feeling. f2c02 THEY TRIED, AND THEY FAILED f1c03The leagendary diskmag c04RAW c03consisted mainly of "bullshit-free" articles. Undoubtably that's why it took so many years before any mag ever came close to knocking it from its number one position in the charts. Even long after it was dead people still remembered the feelings they felt when reading c04Lord Helmet's c03"aggressive" style and continued to vote for it as their favourite mag. Many mags and editors today try to copy the Helmet-RAW style, but sadly for nearly all of them it doesn't work! The problem is they "try" too hard. They try to find people and issues to be aggressive towards. They try to find as many derogatory words as possible. They try to sound as if their articles have a real purpose, other than to just be aggressive and shocking. They try, try, try, and it's all too embarrassingly transparent! Nobody could feel so strongly about so many little, unimportant issues, and this is proven by the lack of any real substance in their articles. f2c02 THE GENUINE ARTICLE? f1c03Most diskmag readers aren't stupid. They know too well whether your article was written with genuine feeling or whether it was just a vain attempt to boost your own little ego. They know if you truly feel strongly about your particular chosen topic. They know if you are just a "trier". Maybe all those triers like c04Puh/Agony c03should bare this in mind next time they feel the urge to write another meaningless, unimportant ego-booster for their wonnabe c04RAWsc03. f2c02 ALIVE, A HYPOCRITE? f1c03Some may refer back to my f4c02"Swappers Leave - NOW!" f1c03article in issue 24 of Generation and consider me to be a hypocrite. They may say I was using c04Puh c03tactics myself - wrong! That article was written with arrogance and feeling because I genuinely can't see the need for swappers in our Scene. That is my - genuine - opinion, and an article written with feeling was the best way for me to deliver that message. To ensure people sat-up and took notice of what I had to say. There is absolutely nothing wrong in writing articles with feeling; as long as you are sure you actually feel for the issue you are writing about. In fact, articles that have feeling should be positively encouraged. Next time you write an article - please - be genuinely unreasonable, let us feel you like I felt that quote from c04RokDeec03!