Blogger Questions Answered: How to deal with rude comments

Photo Credit: TheTruthAbout... (flickr)

This question was submitted by Glenn Waldron.

Q.

How do you contend with negative bloggers (I’m talking about mean bloggers who post negative comments)?

A.

Hey Glenn, thanks for your submission, and sorry to hear that you took down your blog. Hopefully you find another edge in the CAD industry, and produce a successful blog for that viewpoint/take/niche. It can be done. Don’t give up!
I do want to note that there is a difference between negative comments and rude comments. Negative comments are not necessarily rude. Sometimes, it’s an opportunity to provide clarity or set the record straight. Rude comments, on the other hand, don’t add anything to the conversation and make people upset for no real reason.

Since there’s nothing you can really do to prevent negative or rude comments, here are some suggestions on how to contend with them in the future:

Ignore rude, flagrant comments. There are certain cases where you really just should ignore the comment. If it raises no real issues, is incoherent, or contains personal attacks, hit the Delete button and don’t look back. On a different note, StumbleUpon is one of those places you might get some rude or flagrant comments (on a URL that you or someone has submitted). Ignore them, too. My own personal (this is purely personal) strategy is to ignore anyone who swears at me. If you can’t use a better word from the English lexicon, you don’t get my attention. Sorry.
Set the record straight. Again, negative comments are not necessarily rude, even though our ego might get a little bruised. This is a good opportunity to say au contraire, or maybe, to look back at your post and address the issue if you were unclear. Give your readers the right to express negative reactions, so long as they are not rude. Saying, “I think you’re wrong,” is not rude. Saying, “I think you’re wrong you mindless twit,” on the other hand, is definitely rude.
Don’t respond to Anonymous comments. First of all, have you noticed a new SPAM technique is to raise some obscure negative issue (e.g., “I like your site, but it’s pretty messed up. I can’t read anything.” or “This is interesting but I don’t agree with any of it.”)? Those are SPAM comments designed to get approved because they initiate conversation. Joke’s on you, sparky. Don’t engage. I’m not saying all comments in your SPAM folder are SPAM, but use some common sense. An obscure comment from a random set of keywords with an email address like [email protected] is almost certainly SPAM, and they are NOT going to answer you back, so don’t sweat it.
Turn lemons into lemonade. Bloggers are always looking for new inspiration or something different to write about. Take the negative comment and turn it into a full-fledged response as a new post. Use an interesting title (tip: turn it into a how to or what to do question), and respond to the comment. The blogging world is one of clout – so, show that you have some. This isn’t your opportunity to be a jerk, but rather, it’s an opportunity to show that you understand the issues at hand and are serious about writing about them.

Lesson from Chris Brogan

Whether Chris’ reaction to negative feedback here was just knee-jerk, or whether it was carefully constructed, his post called Chris Brogan Has Jumped the Shark is an interesting way to deal with mounting negative feedback. It sometimes helps us to remember why we are doing what we’re doing, especially in the face of feedback that is wrong or really unhelpful.

Readers Weigh In

What did I miss? Does anyone have better or different suggestions for Glenn? I wouldn’t know about negative or rude comments since I just delete them on the spot (just kidding).

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Shakira @ joker halloween costume

Dealing with the rude comment is relative. It always depends to the admin. However comments must be nondestructive.Too negative comments are often times provoking challenging. It creates unhealthy conversation. That is why deleting them is important.

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seospidy@Internet marketing

I delete it and move on and not only this i use some special filters to track spammers and not giving access to post comment to infect my blog. :)

Kathy@ Kathy Blogger

A lot of times, the person making the attack actually looks like a fool due to the nature of the comment. If that is the case, you can very eloquently point out the fact that they are actually making a fool of themselves. Then delete all future comments by that person.

The other option is to just delete, especially if leaving that comment is going to diminish the value of that post. It is your post after all. Don't let the trolls win.

Udegbunam Chukwudi@Make Money Online

Being one who was bullied in high school, I don't take nicely to rude comments and my first reaction is to strike back. Maybe after the first few exchanges/strikes, I back off and quit replying to the rude guy's comments cos by then my being feels comfortable knowing I didn't let the internet bully get the best of me.

You know what? I'm this close to needing anger management both for my offline and online existence ;-)

bobin

Nice point, though i would prefer taking out too negative comments from my posts

Larry @ski boot bags

I like the way you are looking at this. I can not believe that they would take out those bad thoughts on any public blogs. I guess, some people have nothing better to do.

Tammy

I agree. If a comment is mean an unappropriate, I delete and move on. If it is uninformed, but written respectfully, I'll approve and then write a comment in response to it. I enjoy a good debate, different opinions, as long as they are respectful.

ashok

It takes a special kind of rude comment to get under my skin, but I think this, too: it doesn't hurt to feel like one is getting more successful.

If you feel like you're doing your job, your site is getting the attention it deserves, and you're well on your way to success, then use that to keep the comment from bugging you.

In terms of leaving it on your site? It actually makes a lot of sense to censor rudeness. More prominent bloggers will get nothing but hate by the hundreds, and if you've got conversation going on your blog, you can see the obvious that contributes nothing, and that should be eliminated. Also - while there are exceptions - letting people insult each other is prelude to disaster. There's a bunch of trolls waiting for a site like that.

Febap Liew | Making Money Online Today

hey tia,
i don't know but you make it sound so interesting, funny and informational to be read.
i especially love the part where you wrote "I think you’re wrong you mindless twit" and "email address like [email protected].."
well the fact because I apparently haven't had yet the chance to come across such 'rude' comments and I was thinking how on earth would i react if i saw someone commented as such or someone with an email of "[email protected]" were to appear.
it does tickle my funny bones to even think of anyone that would ever do such an 'act' ( i know they do thou =P )..lol

anyway, thanks for the heads up.
keep up the good work girl.
cheers

Tia Peterson

hahaha it's awesome that you find it funny. lol I would be happy to be known as a comedic blogger. :)

Amanda @Unemployment Office

Comments have to be constructive criticisms but it may depend on how the blogger perceives it. Newbies may tend to be so affected at times and lose esteem compared to vets/pros who can easily turn a rude commenter into a fan or worse into an idiot and get humiliated on the internet (kidding).

Generally, understanding each messages will help in dealing with sour comments and facing them with conviction and an open mind would go a long way.

Justin @ No deposit poker

I think you covered it pretty well. As soon as you put yourself "out there", being on a blog, YouTube or whatever, some people are not going to like what you have to say and some of them will be sure to let you know (unfortunately, some times in a rude way).