Yeah. I've been trying the whole "Just shut the fuck up and work" route, but it's so hard to stick to. People are angry and frustrated and wanna complain, and I'm angry and frustrated and wanna complain, and we're all frustrated by similar stuff, so it just comes so easily. It's like if their was a flood in your city and it's affecting everyone, how can you not talk about the flood, but at the same time, every time someone brings up the flood, it just rains a bit more. I think though, I might start with the whole idea redirection and only willing to talk about someone if it's positive.
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.