deleting comments

[8teenholes]

Is it ever ok to delete comments? I normally delete the useless and pointlessly mean comments. There is s part of me that appreciates the effort...

 

[EdwardMidweston]

Sure it's all right. Some people let everything stand; others selectively delete the troll's verbal garbage' some delete everything that's even remotely critical. Bottom line: you have to decide for yourself.

 

[TxRad]

Is it ever ok to delete comments? I normally delete the useless and pointlessly mean comments. There is s part of me that appreciates the effort...

Yes, you can delete comments.

Some leave them up as long as they are not personal attacks or contain links or e-mail addresses.

 

[PennLady]

Sure it's okay. You have the option, feel free to exercise it. Like you, I leave comment up unless I feel they've crossed a line.

 

[RodenAddison]

If an abusive neighbour put a nasty sign on your lawn would you leave it there? Usually the comments are from anon anyway.

 

[BONNIEBREA]

Is it ever ok to delete comments? I normally delete the useless and pointlessly mean comments. There is s part of me that appreciates the effort...

I agree with everyone else: do it. I don't really do it much on my stories. I save that step only for the most moronic and destructive comments. One step you can take: in your auther settings you can block anonymous comments. That saves about 95% of the problem. The number of comments your story gets will diminish, but you'll be more likely to get worthwhile, positive and or constructively critical comments. That's not a sure thing - but 90% of the anonymous comments I got (before turning them off) were idiotic flames or utterly useless, and 90% of the comments from identified readers were worth reading and either positive or constructively critical.

 

[Brandie69]

Lord knows I've had some negative feedback. Rather than deleting any of it, I always try to find a way to deflect it or at least make a reply of the sort I might to a rude person face to face at a party. I think other readers appreciate that (several have told me so) and it leaves the real jerks looking like (guess what?) real jerks.

I do this not because I'm some shrinking violet who lets pigs walk all over me. It's because I have a strong personal belief that the best way (in any context) to answer words that you don't like is not with censorship. Instead, answer them with words that you love!

B (Pollyannishly)

[Edit- I meant to say, as this website itself tells you: you're the author. You may delete them. It is your call. -B (post-scriptishly)]

 

[rjordan]

I delete any comment that includes a personal attack. I don't delete anything that addresses my story no matter how much froth and foam the writer expelled. The story is fair game. My personal life is not. It's amazing to me how many commenters, particularly on LW, automatically assume that the story is autobiographical. I often wonder if they think that of someone like Stephen King.

I thought about not allowing anonymous comments, but actually, some of the best criticism I have received are anonymous, and some of the most hateful from logged in members. Just deleting the personal attacks serves my purposes for now.

 

[TxRad]

Yes, Anony does give some good advise and insight at times. Even in the Loving Wives category. Just delete the person attack stuff. Some of the foaming at the mouth ones can be very funny. As well as the ones attacking you for grammar and spelling errors while using horrible grammar and spelling.

 

[DG Hear]

I usually leave the comment alone except for two reasons. First, I sometimes get the exact comment a number of times. I think the commenter must have thought it didn't go through and it it repeatedly. I'll keep one of them. The other is if they knock my editor. I don't mean some mistakes, (we all make them) but to flame my editors.

I will often ask my editor if they want the comment removed. Flaming me doesn't do anything after over 300 stories. I usually get a good laugh out of them.

 

[MatthewVett]

I try to keep any comment that isn't entirely pointless, and even then, I might keep them. I got a story on my last story criticizing the type of beer someone chose, and calling him a queen for drinking lambic beer. I do like a lot of anonymous comments, I receive, so I would never prevent them from commenting. Plus, I feel if people notice me censoring comments, they'll feel less incentive to comment on future possible stories. I do want to give people the chance to comment on my stories. I think it's in my own best interest to get as many comments as possible. Besides, if a neutral reader sees a dumb, jerkass comment, it might prompt them to think better of the story and leave their own.

 

[topace]

I delete personal attacks or spam. I've seen a lot of junk on Incest/Taboo stories, so it's a good idea to keep an eye on the comments in that section.

 

[lovecraft68]

You have every right too, if you so choose.

Every author has different opinions on this.

Personally I leave everything up even if they're nasty because I get a kick out of them.

I also enjoy it when other people comment on the nasty comment and blast them.

But too each their own

 

[nakdsub]

Of course...

It's your story, your post, you can do anything you want. Personally, I would not delete a bad comment unless it was a personal attack. I would explain that in my prologues, of course that didn't stop them. If someone told me my story sucked because... the post stood, if someone told me I was a $#%^%$...it was deleted.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I get so few comments I sort of cherish every one, even the critics. However, I admit I haven't gotten a truly abusive one is years.

 

[_Lynn_]

I get so few comments I sort of cherish every one, even the critics. However, I admit I haven't gotten a truly abusive one is years.

Same here, except I don't get abusive comments.

 

[lovecraft68]

I've caught more flak on my latest story than any previous ones. I'm leaving them all there, but guess I out squicked myself on this one. A couple were fairly well spoken, but a couple of "Ugh, you're sick" including a "stop writing stories!"

 

[8teenholes]

I really only delete the pointless and mean anon comments. I don't get very many comments, so I kind of hate to do it. I will certainly leave negative comments up if they seem fair or valid, in fact I would like to encourage those commenters! Praise is always nice, but I hardly expect it at this point. I do have a few fans, so that is usually motivation enough to keep on trying.

 

[bashfullyshameless]

If a comment is critical of your story without being insulting or abusive, it shows some character to leave the comment up. Not every story will make everyone happy.

But you'll know an insult or cruelty when you see it. You'll know bigotry or homophobia when you see it. I fully encourage you to delete those. DO NOT respond to them. It's not worth it, and in the end you're better off just removing their crap so later readers never even know it happened.

 

[MSTarot]

It got to be where the first comment I was getting was always a bad one... so those I would get rid off. For me if your a writer with a name and stories on the site I welcome every comment good or bad.

If you want to leave comments on my stories and you haven't bothered to place a single story on site then your...well not really wasting your time, I will read it, but I will pay little heed to whatever you say.

If your posting bad comments Anon your wasting you finger tips typing. Nothing you say will stop me from writing.

M.S.Tarot

 

[TimothyM]

For me if your a writer
then your...well not really wasting your time,
If your posting bad comments Anon your wasting you finger tips typing.
M.S.Tarot

How about a comment advising you to learn the difference between your and you're ? Will you pay heed to that even from someone who has never posted a story ?

In the above quotes you managed to use your instead of you're four times - and as an extra bonus you had 'you finger tips' instead of 'your fingertips'.

But of course correct grammar is not so important in the forum. And I can see you mostly get it right in your stories, so probably this comment is not really fair. Oh and by the way, I loved your group sex story Confessions.

Anyway, more importantly: I've left lots of comments before posting my first story, and most of them were positive or at least tried to offer some constructive criticism. So I don't think you have to be a writer or have submitted a story in order to give good comments. But I'll admit that readers who are writers may have a better understanding of what it takes to write a story and that may be reflected in the way they give feedback.

 

[PennLady]

It got to be where the first comment I was getting was always a bad one... so those I would get rid off. For me if your a writer with a name and stories on the site I welcome every comment good or bad.

If you want to leave comments on my stories and you haven't bothered to place a single story on site then your...well not really wasting your time, I will read it, but I will pay little heed to whatever you say.

If your posting bad comments Anon your wasting you finger tips typing. Nothing you say will stop me from writing.

M.S.Tarot

Personally, I think the idea that you must write and post stories to make your comments more legitimate is silly. You can learn a lot about something and learn to make judgments without actually doing it. How many film critics have written or directed movies? Very few, but a lot of have studied movies and movie history and things like that, and so that gives them some basis when delivering their critiques.

I generally don't bother looking to see if someone who's commented has posted stories. I don't care if they have or not. I just read their opinion and go from there.

 

[MSTarot]

How about a comment advising you to learn the difference between your and you're ? Will you pay heed to that even from someone who has never posted a story ?

Oh I get more than a few of those.

You see I do know the difference, but I don't always type things the right way. Then I don't always catch that I have done it. I'm working on it, but when I type out something fast ...like these posts...I will fall back into the mistake. I'm trying...never made any claims to being perfect.



PennLady- Maybe it's a personal bias. I spend most of my days doing repair work on things other people messed up. I constantly run into people who have never done a days work in my field,but swear they know how to tell me how to do my job. That tends to leave a lingering aftertaste that I probably carry with me into everything I do.

So for me, I pay a lot more attention to comments from people who I can see know how to put words to paper.

Is that silly? Possibly...but very 'Me'.

M.S.Tarot

 

[damppanties]

So for me, I pay a lot more attention to comments from people who I can see know how to put words to paper.

Is that silly? Possibly...but very 'Me'.

The readers are your audience on this site, not the authors. You're basically not engaging your audience and not looking at what they feel is s legitimate comment. (Even frothing-at-the-mouth anon thinks he has something legitimate to say.) Definitely feels better when you get a comment from a fellow author, but don't discount readers' comments either. Some of my best have been from people who didn't know how to write.

 

[DC29]

Personally I delete the ones that attack me as the writer but the ones that are criticing the story I leave up.