How to Deal With Negative People Online

There are two types of negative comments you might find on your blog.  One type comes from this monster:

Photo by Georgio.

Yep, it's our good friend, the troll.  He or she mainly comments to wreak havoc on your site... or simply to tick you off.  With a troll, it's best to simply ignore the beast, delete the comments, block the person, and move on.  You might, however, want to keep a record of the comments in case things get too dicey.

However, not everyone who leaves a negative comment on your site is simply trolling.  Sometimes, the negative comments can actually be good criticism wrapped in a not-so-appealing package.  So, how should you deal with these types of comments?

1.  Take a deep breath.  Your initial impulse might be to fire back with a jab of your own, but that's probably not the best approach.  Return to the comment after you've calmed down.  From there, you might be able to view it from a different perspective.

2.  Moderate your comments.  If you can, make sure each comment requires your approval before it is posted.  That way, you will see the negative remarks, but the world won't.

3.  Respond thoughtfully.  If the commenter isn't just a troll (use your best judgment), then it's smart to craft a thoughtful, logical response in a personal email.  If the person is rational, then he or she will appreciate you took the time to send a message.

4.  If necessary, apply the criticism.  Perhaps something your wrote came out wrong.  Or maybe a portion of your site is confusing.  You might need to write an apology post or change something on your blog.  Just don't ignore the issue; we all make mistakes sometimes!

5.  Don't take the remarks personally!  No one's perfect, and everyone can use a constructive critique once in a while.  But sometimes, a person is simply negative for negativity's sake.  Don't let a Debbie Downer make you doubt yourself.  Keep on writing!