Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

I wanted to bring something up with you guys that I'd like some opinion on.
Basically, when I come across threads that ask opinions about a certain band or artist, I don't have any reservations about stating an opinion, regardless of whether it's positive or negative.
However, in threads that are basically ABOUT a band or artist, I usually just don't say anything if I have a problem with them, regardless of whether my input may be well thought out or not.

The issue I have is there are often far less opportunities to provide a real opinion about bands or artists if one follows this strategy. I don't mean that I feel as though I don't have the opportunity to complain as much as I'd like to, but I'm very often filled with reasonable perspectives about bands that happen to run counter to the general consensus in those threads, but I feel like it wouldn't be taken well to voice them.

In a way, I feel like the only place people really don't mind it is if it's in a band that everyone collectively dislikes, in which case I wouldn't really be inclined to post in it, because what could I say that hasn't already been said?
So then I end up feeling like rather than stirring people up and causing conniptions in the more sacred-cow threads of common opinion and circle-jerking (where applicable), I'll usually just say nothing.

While most may think it's probably just easier to do that, I always walk away from a thread feeling like I'm basically not allowed to post there if I don't like it. I mean, I understand the point of not saying anything if it's not contributing, but I'm not talking about posting things like "I don't like them". I'm talking about offering up a thought-out, reasonable post that explains an opposing opinion and the reasoning behind it.

However, I get the feeling that even that would be basically perceived as an all-out assault on the unquestionably superior tastes of those by which such opinions did chafe.

Should I be censoring myself, and if so, to what degree?
I like expressing an opinion, but it gets too cumbersome if the cost of such a thing is defending it against an entire collection of people that cannot deal with someone not thinking like them, and or feeling as though opposing opinions are the equivalent of a challenge to their personal taste.

What are your thoughts on this?