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Originally Posted by thales
I understand what you're saying, but let me try to help out a bit. This is an Entertainment thread, not a news thread. When someone writes "Makalah was voted off last week," that is a declarative statement of fact than can be true or false. In this case is true. When someone writes "Bo was voted off last week," that too is a declarative statement...a false declarative statement.
However, the vast majority of comments on this board are opinion. They may not be written as such, but they are. But that's OK. It is easy to figure out which ones are merely opinion. When someone writes "Carrie Underwood is the worst singer in the history of American Idol," that is a declarative statement, but it is neither true nor false. It is opinion. In order for it to be able to have a truth value ascribed to it, it must be recast as you suggest ("I think Carrie Underwood is the worst singer in the history of American Idol" -- I don't, this is just an example).
Embrace the opinions. Don't let the the fact that they are presented as fact get in the way of enjoying the debate. It's great fun. I've met several people who recoil at the kind of construction you refer to. It gets in the way of the fun that discourse can provide. Don't let it.
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I gotta say though that if someone here says "So and so was flat tonight, she messed up the notes, she did not do a good job on the song, etc." that should not be dismissed as an opinion. Someone like warrrreagl who knows music or anyone who's been singing their whole life can easily spot when something just isn't right. Even if they don't know music and can't read it they can tell when a note isn't right or something. Plus if you've heard the original song by it's original performer anyone who has the slightest knowledge of pitch, tone, and key can tell that it doesn't sound as good as the original performance.
For example you didn't have to be a music major to know that Mikalah did a pretty bad job on Taylor Dayne's - Love Will Lead You Back.
Now those that don't know much about it hear a performance that to the average person would sound good, great even..they can't tell a difference. They don't notice something slightly flat or anything like that that is basically just lacking. Not saying Paula is one of those people but what she said last night after Anwar's performance of "I Believe I can Fly" is what I'd expect to hear from someone who doesn't know what they're talking about. That gets blinded by the vocal theatrics and over the topness of a performance and completely misses the fact that the first half of the song was flat in several spots.
If someone knows what they're talking about. It's not an opinion. It's a fact. I don't really know what I'm talking about much because I've had no real musical teaching but I have been singing all my life and I can just tell when something isn't right even if I don't exactly know what that thing is ya know?
Asta!!