Blog Nastiness?
Everything that I write on this blog is public. Â That was the understanding with which I undertook this endeavor.
Many of my blogger friends out there have encountered blog-related nastiness. As with any other decision to put one’s self out there, this is a symptom of success…. you only get complaints if someone is watching/listening/reading. Well, this week, I got my first whiff. It was a minor whiff, but a whiff nonetheless.
A vast majority of you who read don’t write anything. Â That means I don’t have any idea who is reading. That’s okay, it comes with blogging, despite what analytics will tell you. Many years ago my husband had a nightly radio show in Israel. (Does anyone remember RadioWest?) He sometimes would wonder if anyone was out there listening at all. He encouraged callers, and yet sometimes he got very few. It was only when he was out socially that he would hear a comment about a broadcast that week, or occasionally get a reaction when he said his name.
… And so it goes. I find myself pleasantly surprised to hear that people are reading in the funniest ways. I don’t write this blog in order to cultivate a mass readership or fame. I am quite sure this is clear from the caliber of my posts! It is nice, though, to know that people stop by, occasionally think about what I have said, or even have something resonate with them (you).
If I have to find out that people are reading through an occasional obnoxious comment, so be it. So far, so good. The tremendous support and encouragement definitely outweighs the unpleasantness. If you feel the need to say something to me rather than just click on to somewhere else, so be it. Bring it on; I can take it.
How do you deal with blog nastiness?
Blogging really toughens you up You’ll deal with it better in time. What was the comment?
It was essentially a comment to the effect of: “well based on your post about Elul you apparently want to hear what anyone has to say about you no matter what….” If one wants to see that in the blog post they certainly can, right? Good to know it will toughen me up, but I didn’t think I could get any tougher!
So here is my question, oh wise and experienced blogger: is it harder when the comment is lodged by someone you know, or by someone completely anonymous?
“What was the comment?” – echoing what MominI said.
As I stick to photo blogging and talking about Jewish holidays, I rarely get blog nastiness. When I first started, I posted about the lopsidedness of Highland Park budgetary – those who support the school system by paying the highest taxes don’t use the school system. I got a mean-tone response about the environmental footprint of some houses. I wrote something in reply, but the commentator never came back.
I haven’t posted about local politics since, partly because it’s so difficult to get any information. I’ve since decided to go the pictorial route. I toy with a place where I can post politics…but I’m not ready to go there. I may never be.
I was just curious how those more experienced than I deal with such things. I was really afraid of nasty comments when I blogged about my non-egalitarian choices in “Orthodox Feminist?”, but the opposite happened. Meanwhile, would anyone think it was going to come from the Elul posting? I would think that it would be great to have people reading that don’t agree with you, especially about politics.
I had the opposite problem; when I did write about politics I got the fewest comments, the smallest reaction. Clearly not why my readers show up!
My guess is that a local blogger who does talk about politics would love a guest post from THE Leora. : ) Any time you want to guest blog here, I would be thrilled!
I can never tell when I am going to get comments. It’s kind of freaky, actually. (and sometimes demoralizing, if I am hoping to have them)
As far as sheer nastiness, I don’t get a lot. But I do have a private blog with a very limited readership (12-15 women) where I can vent/ask advice 🙂
I private blog/chat room sounds like a great idea. More efficient than five similar phone calls to the girlfriends.