Or even - if it's negative, but it's something that it helps others to know - I think that is fine too. There is helping other people out and giving them a heads' up (he's in a bad mood today, or she's very picky about proofreading, or whatever). I also think it can be good just to vent...but I try to keep my venting either short, or directed at people I don't work immediately with. If there is so much negative talk going on at your work that it makes you feel bad afterwards - that it bothers you enough to want to ask, hey, like, do we have to keep doing this? should we? can we cut this out?, except to a bunch of people and phrased more like "what are your thoughts?"... it's not just regular gossip lol. I love gossip, but not when it makes you feel grimy.