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Social Commentary

People sometimes think that because your blog is public, you are entitled to their opinion. Not everyone was born with the tact gene. Treating others as you wish to be treated is one of those rules that applies anywhere, including blog comments. How respectfully you comment on the blogs of others is important.

You do not have to agree with everything you read. If you feel the need to leave a heated comment, keep in mind that you usually would not be able to edit or delete it after it is posted. Take a moment to compose yourself before responding. A well-thought-out, intelligent comment or rebuttal can at least be respected, even if it is not agreed with.

If you are particularly outspoken, be prepared for resistance. Regular readers of a blog tend to rally behind its owner. This is not to say that you should not speak yoour mind, but do so with decorum. A witty, well-timed retort and a sweet disposition can leave them wondering.

Having a blog opens you up to a whole world of wack-a-doos, so sometimes you need to chaperone your blog, making sure that everyone plays nice. These wack-a-doos, usually called trolls, will leave negative comments on your blog, usually more than once. Most of the time, blog commenters are lovely, fine people such as yourself, but once in a while, you will get someone who is hell-bent on picking a fight with you, usually over something ridiculous. The troll will usually comment anonymously because mean people are often too cowardly to reveal themselves.

Similar tactics apply. Delete the comments and block the jerk from commenting, or from your site entirely. You can do this by blocking that IP address from the server, or with features that may be available through your blog platform or service. You can track the IP address and use search engines to help you find the offender, but that is usually a dead end. Check with your hosting provider for more information about blocking IP addresses.

When someone gives you a hard time on your blog, relax. It is only the Internet after all. Unless you feel you are in danger of harassment or stalking, try not to let the occasional negative incident impact your feelings toward the blog community. One or two rude people do not represent the whole of the Internet, and the benefits of blogging and sharing comments definitely outweigh the random troll here and there.

1 comment:

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