Deleting comments by readers

[lc69hunter]

A reader just posted an obscene direct attack on me in one of my stories.

How do I delete that post? It is actually bad enough that I could report him and probably get him kicked off the site. But that is a nuclear option I don't really want to pursue.

 

[Emotional]

go into your home panel

click on works

click on story

click on comments

beside each comment is a garbage can to delete them

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Go to your home page, then to Stories. To the right of each title will be, among other things, a speech bubble icon. Click on that and you will see all comments for the story in question. Each one will have a garbage can icon.

As to reporting somebody, being on this site is to me a privilege. Nobody has the right to make obscene, threatening or vile comments - IMO, the site would be better off if such posters were shown the exit. It’s your call, of course.

 

[Rob_Royale]

See the three icons to the right? Click the chat bubble and it will list your comments and each will have the trash can icon to allow you to delete them.

 

[mirafrida]

I don't blame authors for deleting comments (and reserve the right to myself someday), but I've never felt moved to delete one yet. I figure any comment bad enough that I'd delete it is already self-invalidating ...

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I don't blame authors for deleting comments (and reserve the right to myself someday), but I've never felt moved to delete one yet. I figure any comment bad enough that I'd delete it is already self-invalidating ...

Got it and deleting is something I rarely do. On the other hand, I clean dog poop off my front lawn and paint over obscene graffiti on my fence. Sticking to the same principle, while I’m prepared to leave up well-reasoned criticism, I’m equally willing to take down personal attacks, scatological muck-throwing and spiteful bile. ‘Self-invalidating’ it probably is, but I still don’t feel any need to leave it on my lawn.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I leave all comments and let the other readers provide feedback on those who deserve retribution.

I think that some inane comments spur other readers to address the comment when they wouldn't otherwise bother to leave one themselves. The more ridiculous the comment, the more likely some other reader will call them on it.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I leave all comments and let the other readers provide feedback on those who deserve retribution.

I think that some inane comments spur other readers to address the comment when they wouldn't otherwise bother to leave one themselves. The more ridiculous the comment, the more likely some other reader will call them on it.

You are way too smart to be on here! I would never have thought of that!

Em

PS as I seem to be having issues being misunderstood at present, the above was not intended as sarcastic

 

[CyranoJ]

I don't blame authors for deleting comments (and reserve the right to myself someday), but I've never felt moved to delete one yet. I figure any comment bad enough that I'd delete it is already self-invalidating ...

Never hesitated to delete comments, personally. In particular, comments that are just outright attacks or trolling, attempts to kink-shame the category in which a story is published, or comments that are obvious sock-puppeting (attempts by the same commenter to pass off multiple posts as "discussion" among different people that amplifies some point they're keen on making). I don't put the onus on the reader base to address crap that I can easily detect and deal with myself.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

You are way too smart to be on here! I would never have thought of that!

Em

PS as I seem to be having issues being misunderstood at present, the above was not intended as sarcastic

Simply employing life experiences.

Consider how many times here in the AH forum one writer lashes out at another in some fashion only to get called out by other writers for doing so.

I seldom receive truly negative or personal attack type comments on my stories and have some very loyal followers, so my solution works for me.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I would remove comments that offend the readership, or truly offending racist feedback.

I can shrug off comments that are about me or the story, but I don't want my stories to become a platform to offend others. (At least) one time, Laurel was just ahead of me to remove a homophobic comment, and more than once, other readers sufficiently took care of things.

I haven't received anything like that. Maybe the auto-vetting of comments caught them before I saw them?

 

[ElectricBlue]

I haven't received anything like that. Maybe the auto-vetting of comments caught them before I saw them?

Don't think so. That process targets spam, but I don't think it looks at content.

From what I've been able to figure out, the site runs a word-bot through the database on a regular basis to target hate content, and people also report it.

Content also gets removed if an account is cancelled - either by someone asking to go, or the site terminating an account because of their behaviour. Trolling would obviously be the main reason for the site to terminate.

 

[ElectricBlue]

‘Self-invalidating’ it probably is, but I still don’t feel any need to leave it on my lawn.

It's not self-invalidating at all. It's choosing the quality of the neighbourhood you live in - your analogy to dog-shit and crap graffiti is spot on.

Some writers think it's heroic to keep crap content in their comments field as some kind of badge of honour. I see comments as part of marketing the story - they are a reflection on that story, for better or worse. Would you put up a poster that says, "This is a shit movie, don't watch it?" No, you wouldn't.

It's no different when you delete stupidity, inanity, and bile. If someone leaves considered negativity, that's fine, but most negativity isn't thoughtful, it's just dumb.

Choose your neighbourhood wisely, I reckon.

 

[Bramblethorn]

If you think this person is likely to be hassling other authors as well, consider reporting the comment rather than just deleting it. The value of reporting is that it establishes a record of their behaviour so when they harass somebody else, the moderator (Laurel?) knows it's not a one-off.

For run-of-the-mill bad comments ("this story was boring" etc.) I'd go with @BobbyBrandt's response - if I leave it alone, other readers will usually weigh in and respond, and that's probably the best outcome without the author needing to intervene.

But for comments that go beyond "bad" to "shitty", I'm with the other replies - I don't want my readers having to wade through shit on my behalf and I'm prepared to delete/report if necessary. Thankfully that's been very rare for me.

 

[MajorRewrite]

Deleting comments left by lunatics is just plain fun. Sometimes a loon comes back to complain that I deleted his first comment, and I get to delete them again. Very entertaining.

Leaving up negative comments is a good policy, but ain’t nobody got time for wacko comments.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I leave all comments and let the other readers provide feedback on those who deserve retribution.

I think that some inane comments spur other readers to address the comment when they wouldn't otherwise bother to leave one themselves. The more ridiculous the comment, the more likely some other reader will call them on it.

I think that was a viable strategy when comments weren't held in l;imbo until they grew mold on them. Not so much anymore.

I have deleted a few particularly nasty comments, probably not more than a a half dozen at most. I've kept the nasty ones I thought were funny.

 

[SyleusSnow]

Yeah, I agree with leaving critical comments but deleting whack doodle ones. My Valentine’s story drew many negative comments because it was posted in Romance but dared to mention the dastardly act of pegging. Even the mention of vegetarianism was too extreme for one reader.

Several readers leaped to defend the story (and the pegging). It was great to see.

Plus, leaving negative comments is a handy reminder for future me of what readers didn’t like. Leave only the positive ones and in time I’d start thinking the story was universally loved and what a super great writer I must be

Then one reader posted paragraphs and paragraphs of personal backstory and angst (seriously, is there no character limit for comments?) that had nothing to do with the story. I left it for a time but have now deleted it.

 

[Djmac1031]

Absolutely report them if it's a personal attack.

 

[lovecraft68]

All I can say is its a good thing the site is screening comments.

 

[TadOverdon]

I've never reported one, but I routinely delete negative comments that are personal, without any hand wringing about it. They can say what they like about my writing, but they've got no right to be rude to me.

 

[Voboy]

I've only deleted about seven or eight comments, total, and they were the ones which either added zilch to anyone's understanding of the piece, or they were LENGTHY "alternate endings" that piggybacked on my story.

I feel like if commenters want to write stories on my watch, they can go ahead and write their own instead. The submission process is the same for them as it is for me.

 

[JuanaSalsa]

I don't delete comments, ever. Recently I had some obnoxious and insulting ones that I assume are because I pissed off an asshole "Dom":dude on another site and he followed me here. I don't feel like I need to moderate the comments though. They're real and I guess I feel like hiding them just gives an impression that people are better than they are. But if someone posted personal info about me in a comment (very few people even could), I'd delete that, that might be my only exception.

I've accidentally posted unfinished comments and then I just cringe at myself and still don't delete them. I've written one anonymous comment because I didn't want the author to know how awesome I thought his vocal work was and invite flirting.

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

My Valentine’s story drew many negative comments because it was posted in Romance but dared to mention the dastardly act of pegging.

How uncouth to think pegging isn't romantic.

 

[SyleusSnow]

How uncouth to think pegging isn't romantic.

I know, right? How can any one specific act be inherently unromantic?

 

[lc69hunter]

Thanks, guys.

I don't and will not delete posts that just disagree with my story, etc, but this was a personal attack on me that had nothing to do with what I wrote