Of course there are some people who might not agree with an article I may put up on my blog. But what happens when all comments seem to be positive and encouraging but this same person goes all out posting negative comment? All comments from this anonymous person has always been negative, such that I sometimes have to delete some of them from my posts.
What should I do if someone constantly drops negative comments on my blog post every now and then?
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If those negative comments are from a troll, first thing you should do is shrug them off. Trolls are unfortunate individuals who have to have their say. They delight in causing mischief and making people upset. Don’t give them that pleasure! You may think it’s personal to you, but actually how do you know this isn’t something which is repeated on many other blogs? If the negative comment is from Your blog member, stand back and analyse it without letting it get to you. Your first reaction would be to take offence (this is very normal). Instead swallow, blink and count to 10, and then read it again carefully. Look between the lines, focus on understanding its meaning, and try putting yourself in the commenter’s shoes. Is there anything true about the negative comments? Are they actually trying to help you? Negative comments is your opportunity to defend yourself, or thank the commenter for opening your eyes to another perspective. Ask a question back for better clarification. If they mean well, they will respond. Keep the conversation going and both of you may learn something new.
I’m going to talk about this from social media angle cos that’s the closest comparison. When it comes to my social media feeds, I have zero issue deleting negative comments from my posts. I used to leave them up and mop on them for days but now? I hit delete and I move on with my day. The reason is pretty simple: I treat my personal social media accounts as an extension of my life. I show up on social media the exact same way I would show up if I were at a networking event, in my living room or meeting you for the first time. What you see is what you get. I won’t be rude or callous with you and even when I disagree with you, I’ll try to engage with you in the same way I would if we were having a face-to-face conversation. It’s no different than how I’d be in real life, too. For example, if you started blasting me in a professional networking event, I’m going to walk away. If you were in my living room being callous or rude, I’d ask you to leave. Social media is an extension of my life and my values so I do my best to create a space that honours those. If I don’t feel safe, how can the people who do wish to engage with me feel safe enough to leave a comment or engage in a healthy conversation? My rule is this: if it makes me, or anyone else on my post, feel downright awful, I delete it. If it doesn’t add any value whatsoever to the conversation and was only added for shock value, I delete it. If someone is starting a whole other side tangent to stir up drama and it has nothing to do with the original post, I delete it. Once it’s deleted, I then evaluate that person and ask myself WHY they are in my network. By signing up on these platforms, I didn’t hand over the right for others to treat me however they want, right? Always remember that it’s your space so make sure it feels like it.