When do you delete an inflammatory comment?

[Nexte100]

Newish author here. I recently received a comment that's pretty inflammatory. Not exactly name calling, but certainly contains a personal attack. I've chosen not to get my feathers ruffled over it, and so far I've chosen to just leave it, but it made me wonder what the experienced writers tend to do over stuff like this that adds nothing and doesn't provide useful criticism (which I really do value). Do you bother deleting them? Or just leave them?

To be honest, I'm almost glad I got it, since I figure that means that at least my story is being read, and I well understand that I'm not going to please everyone all of the time. Most of my other readers seem to be very supportive, and I'm thankful for that.

 

[Voboy]

Newish author here. I recently received a comment that's pretty inflammatory. Not exactly name calling, but certainly contains a personal attack. I've chosen not to get my feathers ruffled over it, and so far I've chosen to just leave it, but it made me wonder what the experienced writers tend to do over stuff like this that adds nothing and doesn't provide useful criticism (which I really do value). Do you bother deleting them? Or just leave them?

To be honest, I'm almost glad I got it, since I figure that means that at least my story is being read, and I well understand that I'm not going to please everyone all of the time. Most of my other readers seem to be very supportive, and I'm thankful for that.

I only delete comments that have nothing to do with the content of the story.

 

[NotWise]

Newish author here. I recently received a comment that's pretty inflammatory. Not exactly name calling, but certainly contains a personal attack. I've chosen not to get my feathers ruffled over it, and so far I've chosen to just leave it, but it made me wonder what the experienced writers tend to do over stuff like this that adds nothing and doesn't provide useful criticism (which I really do value). Do you bother deleting them? Or just leave them?

To be honest, I'm almost glad I got it, since I figure that means that at least my story is being read, and I well understand that I'm not going to please everyone all of the time. Most of my other readers seem to be very supportive, and I'm thankful for that.

I don't think there's a rule, and also don't think there's any reason to allow insulting or inflammatory comments to stand.

In a couple recent instances, I let questionable comments stand, and the site removed them. If you even wonder, then you should probably take it down and save Laurel the effort.

 

[KeithD]

If it bothered you enough to post about it, it probably bothered you enough to delete it. I probably would have--without posting about it and letting whoever left it know that it rattled me and they got the response they wanted.

 

[Paul_Chance]

If it's not contributing anything, I just delete them. I tend to let them stay if it is criticism just poorly expressed.

 

[jaF0]

I used to leave them as they reflected more on the commenter than anything else. At some point I deleted all comments good and bad and turned all comments off.

 

[eroticstoryspinner]

i have only removed one comment and that was because it was clear anonymous skimmed till offended and has not actually read the story.

 

[Nexte100]

If it bothered you enough to post about it, it probably bothered you enough to delete it. I probably would have--without posting about it and letting whoever left it know that it rattled me and they got the response they wanted.

It seems like you don't believe that I'm honestly looking for how others deal with this. I've seen plenty of situations where writers are criticized harshly only to have other people comment in defense of them. I certainly don't expect that to happen, but there are other situations to consider, and I wanted to get other takes on this.

 

[KeithD]

If I were really that rattled, wouldn't I have just deleted it immediately?

No, I don't think so. In my Literotica experience--which goes for a decade and a half across accounts--you'd rant about it here on the board and let whoever left the comment know that they got the response from you they wanted. And that seems to be what you did. Then if someone gave the advice to you that I did just to deep six what annoys you, which the Web site empowers you to do, and not to rant on the board about it, you'd go off on them as well. (LATER: Which you did, before deleting it.)

 

[Nexte100]

you'd rant about it here on the board and let whoever left the comment know that they got the response from you they wanted.

You seriously took this:

<quote>Newish author here. I recently received a comment that's pretty inflammatory. Not exactly name calling, but certainly contains a personal attack. I've chosen not to get my feathers ruffled over it, and so far I've chosen to just leave it, but it made me wonder what the experienced writers tend to do over stuff like this that adds nothing and doesn't provide useful criticism (which I really do value). Do you bother deleting them? Or just leave them?

To be honest, I'm almost glad I got it, since I figure that means that at least my story is being read, and I well understand that I'm not going to please everyone all of the time. Most of my other readers seem to be very supportive, and I'm thankful for that.</quote>

...as a rant?

Really?

 

[SimonDoom]

It's a good question. There's no right answer. You should do what feels right to you.

When I published a Loving Wives story as a newbie two and a half years ago and starting getting feedback, I was shocked. The comments included things like "What's wrong with you?" "Here, eat my condom" and, of course "cuck shit." I left them up out of a kind of grotesque fascination. Ultimately, Laurel took most of them down.

I never deleted comments until recently. Somebody posted a comment that looked like it was addressed to a completely different story. I deleted it. It added nothing.

Feel free to do what you want. My one piece of advice: don't engage with the trolls. Just delete their comments and move on.

 

[Voboy]

Believe it or not, OP, this has come up before.

I don't think Laurel started deleting comments until fairly recently, so every time we've discussed this before the consensus has been that there's no real standard. The site makes YOU, who wrote the story, the moderator of your stories' comments pages. I think the site expects you to wield that power however you want to, in terms of how YOU see those comments reflecting on your work.

I suspect the basis of what KeithD is saying in his own inimitable style is that if a comment troubles you enough to ask us about it, that might be your gut telling you something about how you should treat that comment.

A number of us have made good-faith efforts to suggest rules of thumb and/or best practices. I'd advise that you not get hung up on what you see as an offensive reply, and instead go with the suggestions that suit you better. There's been an uptick lately in easily-offended newish posters coming in here, soliciting advice, and then getting huffy about that advice, and it'd be a shame for you to get lumped in with those. It might make people less likely to want to help you.

Good luck.

 

[Nexte100]

When I published a Loving Wives story as a newbie two and a half years ago and starting getting feedback, I was shocked. The comments included things like "What's wrong with you?" "Here, eat my condom" and, of course "cuck shit." I left them up out of a kind of grotesque fascination.

Ha!! I actually laughed out loud at this. Thank you for that.

A number of us have made good-faith efforts to suggest rules of thumb and/or best practices. I'd advise that you not get hung up on what you see as an offensive reply, and instead go with the suggestions that suit you better. There's been an uptick lately in easily-offended newish posters coming in here, soliciting advice, and then getting huffy about that advice, and it'd be a shame for you to get lumped in with those. It might make people less likely to want to help you.

Good luck.

Good advice, thanks. I'll watch that. I feel I should explain that the original intent of my post was genuinely to stimulate discussion on what other writers do rather than to solicit advice on my particular situation, but your point about this being brought up before is well taken. I have certainly been on the side of the "can we make this a sticky?" forum graybeards before in other venues. I appreciate you reminding me of this useful lesson.

 

[Hypoxia]

In my 7 years of posting stories to LIT I deleted just one comment and wish I had not. I treat savage attacks as badges of honor -- I *affected* their brains! I win! Some comments seem to be auto-deleted; I don't control that process; I have no idea how bad they must be. But any comment shows that my words had impact. I've done my job.

 

[ElectricBlue]

My analogy is artless tag graffiti on a fence or dog shit on your lawn. Would you keep it or get rid of it? There's no shame in deleting anything you want to delete - it's your fence, your lawn. You set your own criteria as to what you keep, what you delete, and don't let anybody try to shame you if you keep a tidy house. Garbage is garbage, crap is crap, always.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

I'll just say, as another newish author who hasn't yet gotten a truly inflammatory comment*, I found this discussion useful. Also, I've realized after a long time of fighting my family history that asking about something doesn't always mean that the person asking is upset or angry about the topic.

*some dumb ones, sure. But nothing actually inflammatory or offensive.

 

[Voboy]

But nothing actually inflammatory or offensive.

Greeeaaat.

Now you’ve done it. Expect one in 5...4...3...2....

 

[PennameWombat]

Ha!! I actually laughed out loud at this. Thank you for that.
<snip>
Good advice, thanks. I'll watch that. I feel I should explain that the original intent of my post was genuinely to stimulate discussion on what other writers do rather than to solicit advice on my particular situation, but your point about this being brought up before is well taken. I have certainly been on the side of the "can we make this a sticky?" forum graybeards before in other venues. I appreciate you reminding me of this useful lesson.

I've never posted in LW so I've never had that fun but overall I've gotten few comments on any of my stories. Almost all of the them have been positive or neutral of offered something useful to glean. The phrase "horrifically amusing" is one I like.

But one was, um, not those things. I did a (experimental for me) first person story where the protagonist is deliberately left vague for a few paragraphs. But within the first Lit page it becomes clear through dialogue and inner monologue that she is a she, her name is 'Jo,' (later made clear this is short for Joanne) and she has a bit of a crush on a male coworker (and she'll succumb to her desire and seduce him later in the story.) Not my highest rated story but the comment complained, loudly, that it was "the moral right" of the reader to know about the gender, names and apparently the exact specifics of all characters as soon as they're introduced.

Or something. I've left the comment up since if anyone makes it through the story and sees that comment it'll say much more about that commenter than about the story. The comment made clear that they hadn't read more than a couple of paragraphs or had been unable to understand even that much.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Not my highest rated story but the comment complained, loudly, that it was "the moral right" of the reader to know about the gender, names and apparently the exact specifics of all characters as soon as they're introduced.

That's stupidity of the highest order, to think that. I'd probably quite deliberately write something that exactly didn't do that, just to fuck with their pea-sized brain. Or, as per my earlier post and in a less charitable mood, assert my moral right as an author to say, "Fuck off, I'll write how I bloody well want to write."

 

[Voboy]

I forgot to add, OP, that I'd echo what a number of others have implied: if there's an urge to "respond" to anyone's comments by posting my own, under my own name, I resist that as a rule. I think I've done it once or twice in response to a direct, pertinent question, but generally I think the comment area is not a discussion forum.

I've said my piece. My comment is the story. I shouldn't need to add more.

 

[Nexte100]

I forgot to add, OP, that I'd echo what a number of others have implied: if there's an urge to "respond" to anyone's comments by posting my own, under my own name, I resist that as a rule. I think I've done it once or twice in response to a direct, pertinent question, but generally I think the comment area is not a discussion forum.

I've said my piece. My comment is the story. I shouldn't need to add more.

Yeah, I definitely wasn't going down that road. If they don't get it in the writing, explaining it with a comment response is only an invitation to comment negatively again.

 

[Hypoxia]

I've said my piece. My comment is the story. I shouldn't need to add more.

I sometimes find it useful or salutary to add an Author's Comment about the story's genesis or whatever. It could have been an epilogue, a continuation, but IMHO a comment is more appropriate. Meta-story stuff, hey?

 

[Nexte100]

I sometimes find it useful or salutary to add an Author's Comment about the story's genesis or whatever. It could have been an epilogue, a continuation, but IMHO a comment is more appropriate. Meta-story stuff, hey?

Makes sense. I usually put stuff like that in a sort of forward, or afterward. Submitted in the charter text but noted as an author's note.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

Greeeaaat.

Now you’ve done it. Expect one in 5...4...3...2....

I shall wear it, Sir, as a badge of honor. Or, something...

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I rarely delete negative comments, but make exceptions in the case of semi-literate heifer-dust from aggressive knuckle-draggers whose posts seem solely vindictive and petty personal attacks. Waste of electrons letting them stay.