The importance of dismissing volunteers

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At Lulu.com, the online publisher, there is a forum for volunteers to share their tips - page formatting, uploading steps, marketing, etc - with other users. But this has gone to the heads of some users. You know how full-time firemen tend to get annoyed by die-hard volunteer firemen?

Those who can't, teach; and those who can't do that, diss & moan 

About a handful of these volunteer 'experts' presume themselves bona fide literary critiques because all they do is live online giving their two cents here and there to aspiring writers; and they do it online because real live people don't trouble themselves with them. It matters a great deal who compliments/criticizes you. And, so, when they started at me with toxic messages about my latest book (A Travelleer Other) I had to wonder who these people thought they were? 

Because I know they are not 

• bestselling authors or
• 'make-or-break' publishing houses or
• sought after editors or
• renown critics or
• even filthy rich writers

They are merely virtual somebodies which is a backhanded way of saying they are nobodies or, as I like to use my little Latin, personis non grata. Those who can't, teach; and those who can't do that, diss & moan. One opined I wouldn't succeed because the majority of book buyers are white (and then proceeded to impersonate Ebonics). Another griped about my misleading, boring book cover. Still another questioned my motives for travelling altogether. To these self-important volunteers I replied, "Sorry I gave you the impression your two cents matter to me. They don't." Exeunt Stage Right. 

Anywho, I don't principally write my travel stories (Don't Go To Canuckistan) for Romney's 47% anyway. Hello!