RSS FeedsHow seriously should you take comments on your blog and on other blogs?
Mar 03, 2008
Source: darkpatator
A person is suspected to have committed suicide (I read it here) after a few scathing blog posts and subsequent vitriolic comments on the ways of his functioning. This reminds me of various blog posts and comments I have encountered during my blogging experience of 5 years, on other blogs, and sometimes on my own blogs. In fact, even my content writing website sometimes becomes target of vicious commenters. There was this person who would write to me every morning, with a different name, that my English is so pathetic that I should be ashamed of providing content writing services and charging for them.
You expose yourself to open assault when you share your thoughts, skills and services on the Internet simply because it is so easy to attack you; one just needs a computer with Internet connection and a browser. You can be attacked through your comment section or through a blog post on another blog. The content of such comments and blog posts can range from snide remarks, sudden outbursts of disagreement, outright insulting and even racial slights.
You have some degree of control on your comment section but you cannot control blog posts and comments appearing on other blogs. Even people whose posts and links end up on various social bookmarking websites like Digg become targets of very rude and ruthless remarks on their abilities. So how do you handle the attack if you are the target?
Have confidence in yourself
You are less prone to get affected by negative reactions if you have confidence in yourself. For instance I never even for once took that person’s advice to my heart (the one who said I shouldn’t offer professional content writing services). I’m not saying that my English is perfect and flawless but I know one thing, most of my clients are happy with the sort of content I provide. This was enough for me to ignore that person’s harangues.
While exchanging comment on other blogs be sure of what you are saying. If you know what you’re talking about you won’t get hurt; you will simply think that either there is a difference of opinion or they don’t understand what you’re trying to say so you should try again. Similarly when you are writing for your blog accept the fact that some people are going to oppose your ideas out of conviction and some are going to do it just because they have nothing better to do and they have no idea what they’re doing.
Be humble and ready to learn
Learning is something that never stops; you’re always learning and de-learning. The sky is not going to fall if someone criticizes you. Not many people are tactful but it doesn’t mean that they are always out to hurt you or insult you or show you down. Before feeling crestfallen after reading a negative comment just try to study it a bit; what is the intention of the person leaving the comment? Some people simply want you to improve and they just don’t know how to put it in better words. So whenever you encounter an adverse comment on your blog or another blog just try to see what is the intention.
Be an authority
Bloggers who have attained an authority are hard to criticize just for the heck of it because then the person who needlessly criticizes himself or herself becomes the target of the other readers. An authority also gives you confidence and clarity; you know your facts, deep down your heart you know whether the person is wrong or write and whether you need to learn something new.
Develop a thick skin
You need, definitely, a thick skin to interact on the Internet. Today I came across some online Hindustani vocal music tutorials on YouTube presented by an American lady. Of course she didn’t sound like a melody queen but it wasn’t that bad. Still people had left such hurting comments that a sensitive person would immediately take down all the videos. Fortunately the singer isn’t overly sensitive.
The thing is you cannot stop people from behaving the way they do. You can’t preach to them, you can’t talk sense into them, they are bad because they simply want to be bad. Some are even proud of their badness. Therefore if you want to survive on the online world you need to develop a thick skin.
Posted by Amrit | Tags: Content Publishing, Blog Publishing, Blogging Tips
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March 3rd, 2008 at 9:24 pm
March 4th, 2008 at 6:46 am
I believe we should take comments seriously, whether they are at our blog or on anyone else’s. Just that we need to take them positively and extract all the goodness that we can, out of it.
I have a post at Inspirit, about How to Respond to the Comments on your Blog EFFECTIVELY that you’ll love to check out
March 5th, 2008 at 5:30 am
March 6th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
April 1st, 2008 at 10:30 am
April 4th, 2008 at 4:36 am