I love Twitter. But sometimes the viral nature of it tends to shape opinions that may be based more on popular belief than actual personal experience.

I’m talking about instant criticism. There seems to be a growing trend that when something brand new hits the scene, the masses instantly criticize it and reject it. This criticism resonates between Twitter and the blogosphere at an extremely rapid pace. It happens so fast that it makes me question it’s legitamacy. What are these critiques based on? Actual user experience or just an amplification of someone else’s opinion?

Take the example of Google Buzz.

It’s a brand spanking new thing from Google. It kind of came along without much prior notice (that I’m aware of). On Day 1, the widespread rejection of Google Buzz was pretty overwhelming. Everyone was like, “What is Google Buzz? I didn’t ask for this, so I don’t like it.”  Really?  In less than a few hours you already made up your mind about Google Buzz?  Sure, there were some very real privacy concerns (and it’s a good thing those were made known by the masses), but is it really that bad?  It might actually be a cool new way to expand your use of Gmail and share links and pics with your contacts.  If it’s not for you, it’s not for you.  But why not give it whirl for a week or two before passing (and publishing) judgement?  See how it might fit into your social network.  How do you and your friends use it?  Wait to see the unforeseen positive or negative effects.

How about the Apple iPad…

Now this one was extremely hyped before it was actually revealed.  While some reactions seemed positive, the vast majority were clearly negative.  The iPad apparently did not deliver what the masses hoped that it would.

Really?  The fact that it’s missing a web cam (which may or may not be true) makes this thing a flop?  The fact that it’s just like an iPhone makes it useless?  Take a step back and see what this thing really is.  It’s a mobile device for consuming online content.  And based on what we’ve seen, it seems to do that pretty well, and likely a lot better than the clunky Windows netbooks currently on the market.  I mean, nobody has even held one yet, but everyone’s passing judgement.  Wait until the thing ships and you buy it (because I know all you Apple Fan boys, including myself, probably will), then pass judgement.  Only then are you able to publish a truly informed blog post or tweet.

What do I think of the iPad?  Looks pretty cool, but I don’t know much without holding it.  I do think the $499 starting price tag is a pleasant surprise.

We shall see…