Categories of Comments

When you write online, whether an article, whether a comment on a social site, you want not just views, you want comments. Responses. You want to know someone read you and felt impelled to take the time to post a comment.

An article might be perfect in style, grammar, images, but without comments, you can't know if people are reading, why they are reading, what they think of what they have read.

On social media, without comments, you can't know if you were read. Of vital importance, it is the interaction.

Under any article that has received attention one will find the basic; "I liked/didn't like" response.

There will also be those who share ideas, writing paragraphs focused on their experience or attitude towards what you have written.

These comments deserve, nay, require a response from you. You should make it your duty to answer every single comment that is posted; that is the honest comment.

Some readers disagree with you.

It is not an attack or insulting post, it is a reasonable debate as they have a different set of criterion which they bring to the item. They care enough to write their opinion.

Yes, they do not agree with you, but that is okay. For if they are honest, and their post is honest, you open the debate. You can argue your point, they can argue their point, perhaps you can accept the critique, perhaps they change their view, but this is the kind of post you should respond to.

These debates often create a lot of interest. They may provoke a forum and garner dozens of views, not just of the article but of the comments beneath.

Debates, when well done are marvelous eye catchers. People will visit your post to read the comments, and perhaps supply their own.

Of course, they must read your article first, then the comments.

Your task is to make sure that you provoke and encourage the debate. This is the time when every single one of your amicable genes needs to be brought into play.

Too often one gets annoyed or fed up and flings a remark. These nasty snipes will cause the debater to leave.

Sometimes you will find a person has an agenda. It is like arguing about the use of a certain chemical with a guy who sells it. It doesn't matter if it kills people, what matter is his bank balance.

The more responses you can get from a person like this, the stronger your point becomes. But you have to encourage him to keep posting. And you can't do this by; "You are nothing but a capitalist pig."

You can do this by pretending not to understand what he means with this term or those words, or that reference, so that he'll come back and post until his fingers bleed.

Comments bring revenue into your pocket. The more comments, the more views, the more debates, the more interest. You need to encourage comments, you need to respond to comments. You need to want comments.

Simple.

However there are other kinds of comments you need to deal with; 'differently' because they have secret, or not so secret, agendas.

This is creature who needs a lot of attention. He/She/It has nothing to say for themselves. They only exist to attack. Whatever you write, they attack. They can be abusive, obscene, slimey. They want a flame war.

If you answer them, they keep going and get the war that gives their lives meaning.

One has to understand the decrepit mentality of the Troll. All attention is good.

You will always have as many of them as there are weeds in a neglected garden. You want them to post a million times when you get $ for comments. But you need to a strategy which protects you and your post

Here is how you do it when you have the capacity to delete their posts.

1. Respond politely to the Troll, or at least do not descend to their level.

2. By their Fourth response go back and delete their first or second.

3. Keep them posting

4. Where there are other responses answer them, skipping a Troll post.

5. This should make the Troll believe that you 'didn't see' it's post, so it will post again.

6. Respond with something which furthers your point but doesn't exactly respond to the Troll.

7. Keep going to the top and deleting earlier Troll posts until the Troll stops posting. As long as it posts, keep it coming.

In this way, you ring up your coin and the Troll will, at the end of the day, have made 15 posts, of which perhaps 3 remain.

Where you are on social media and can not delete the posts of others, you delete your own. Enough is... enough.

One will always meet some clown who thinks he knows everything. His attitude is disdainful, his posts are pretend intellectual. He is above the Troll because he thinks he is. He will attack whatever you write, even the tiniest detail, trying to show the world how bright he is.

On a writing site where you have control, you respond to him in a 'provocative' manner. You border insult, but don't cross the line. You repeat your point without reference. He will continue to respond. He will never stop, he needs the last word.

Eventually, you delete his post to shut him up. When you can't delete his post, delete your own.

The reason why people make comments of the provocative kind is because they want to lure you to their Hubs and have you play their role. Sometimes they are 'duals' of the Admin or Mod.

The account was created by the Admin or Mod under a false name because the intention is to kick you off the site and retain your payments, where there are payments.

Where there is not, such as some social site, the Admin or Mod holds a particular anti to you pro and wants to get rid of you.

You are to become so annoyed you post something that gets you kicked off the site.

If you have ever done this, hang your head in shame. You've been played.

Do Not Fall for this. Do not respond or delete your post.