When I first started this blog I was leery of having comments go up without my moderating them. I was used to the snarky replies to other on-line formats and didn’t want to become an open forum for more of them. I first moderated all comments, but then learned that I could approve comments without reading them for readers I had come to know. Generally I get one or two comments to review at a time. WordPress does a good job for me of screening out obscene comments and obvious spam. In three years I had never received a comment that I didn’t approve apart from ones advertising things.
This morning I was startled to read a comment waiting for moderation. I have no problem with people disagreeing with my viewpoints on things. I also appreciate people sharing experiences very different from what I have written. But this comment attacked my style, my meaning and my coherence. A triple whammy! I am not sharing it, nor did I respond to it. Many people write hostile comments in hopes of getting into a sparring match. He won’t get one from me. Intriguingly, the comment came from someone who doesn’t keep a blog. Maybe he just roams around spreading bad will.
My comments will continue to be moderated.
Saved By Words 
Sorry to hear that, Elizabeth. I have been lucky to have no such deliberately confrontational comments for many years now. I know that people call them ‘Trolls’, and you are right to ignore them.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Good name for the evil little people.
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You were wise to handle this situation the way that you did, Elizabeth. People like this aren’t going to change, so it is rather pointless to get into an argument or discussion with them.
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My husband gave me that same advice, so I didn’t respond.
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Agreed. Maintain a dignified silence and let him find someone else to wind up. Life’s too short.
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Sorry to hear that! Why someone would bother with negative comments is beyond me but I see it on major sites all the time. Delete and ignore! And maybe classify them as spam too so they go directly to the spam folder.
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I think there are a lot of angry people out there looking for a target for their anger.
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It does sound like someone lacking in something just wanting to start arguments, yes a troll, but still potentially upsetting.
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I did find it upsetting, more so than I expected.
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Spam sounds like the perfect folder for someone like that. What did our mothers teach us long ago? If you have nothing nice to say, it is better to say nothing at all.
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And then there is the playground retort(which I avoided using)”I know you are but what am I!”
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Or “I’m rubber and you’re glue. Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you!”
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Good one.
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Some people simply don’t have anything better to do than act like jerks (or maybe they’re not acting — maybe they ARE jerks). I agree with previous commenters — just ignore the jerks.
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I go with the “they are jerks.”
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I moderate comments too. They are not automatically approved. Good thing there is Akismet to filter spammers.
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I know. It catches a lot of unpleasant mail.
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That is unfortunate Elizabeth. I moderate certain scenarios and fortunately I have found most bloggers very polite and I enjoy different points of view. But I certainly would not allow an attack of any kind. Good for you for standing your ground.
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Thanks.
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What an unpleasant experience. I choose to avoid Twitter because I have no wish to be involved in such confrontations. I’m glad you have chosen not to respond.
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Thanks.
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Sad to hear you have experienced that Elizabeth, I have had a similar one too. I moderate all comments now.
Bless you,
Jennifer
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I was amazed at how unsettling the one comment was. I am sorry you had the same experience.
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Thank you Elizabeth, yes it was a concern
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I didn’t get a lot of those until my blog became more popular, then blogless people climbed out of the woodworks. It really kicked up for me with that first Jamaican posts about 14 English words that mean something else in patois.
Everyone wants their 10 minutes of fame, and unfortunately, even small bloggers like us end up being the platform they choose for it.
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I find it strange. You would think they would have better things to do.
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Apparently, they don’t. 😅
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Similarly, virtually all of my comments have been constructive, insightful or helpful – except this morning when I received a multi-pronged attack, but did what you did and deleted it with a second thought.
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That person must be prowling about with his mean self.
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I’m sorry to learn about this. It’s unnerving. It reminds me of those who toss garbage out of their car window onto a street where people are trying to keep things clean and beautiful.
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Amazingly, on the 4th of July while we were sitting on our front porch a car drove by and tossed an empty potato chip bag out in front of us. My grandkids were appalled.
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I am like you, Elizabeth, I moderate comments from people I don’t know and I rarely get unpleasant comments. This post reminded me of a local shareholders. He buys one or two shares in every listed company and goes to the annual general meetings to make a big fuss about something or another. Some people just aren’t busy enough.
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I bet their spouse tells them to take their negativity somewhere else!
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Fortunately I have not faced that problem till now.
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May you not have to face it.
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