What do you think and how would you have handled this?

1. 79

   Healthy Pursuitsposted 12 years ago

   MG Singh wrote a hub on gun control in the U.S. There are a lot of comments on it. I also wrote a comment, with my opinion (which had its origins in a research paper I wrote for a public health class a couple of years ago).
   
   Jackburton had already written a comment that was almost a hub in itself. After he read my comment, he wrote ANOTHER comment, that, again was almost a hub in itself. His second comment was written for the sole purpose of going after and supposedly refuting everything I had said in my comment. By-the-way, I don't know where he got his refutation facts, but I have reference sources for the ones I stated.
   
   I felt like someone had just done a whole nasty, verbal bullying job on me for stating my own opinion, like I wasn't allowed to say anything in a comment, because he didn't believe the same things that I did. I didn't bother to go back with much, though. I just commented to him, "Gee, Jack Burton, thanks for the rant. Did you take this hub over in your extreme need?"
   
   However, I'd like  to know -
   
   First, is it appropriate for one reader who had commented to go after other readers who comment in a hub? I've seen it in some forums, and feel it's bad enough there, but haven't seen it before in a hub. To have it happen in a hub is just ugly to me. My feeling is that a reader's exchange is supposed to be with the writer.
   
   Second, when this happens, what should people do? I don't mean the hubber who wrote the article. I can see where some writers would want to let readers do whatever they will. However, what should a reader do who is verbally attacked by another reader? I was thinking that if I wanted to go fact-for-fact with this guy, I'd invite him to a forum, so he stops monopolizing MG Singh's space. However, I thought about it later, and realized that MG Singh would get pageviews if we stayed in his hub's comment area. So. Should people stay in the comment area of a hub for exchanges, so the hub writer gets the pageviews?
   Not that I plan to have anything else to do with this guy, but if this happens again in another hub comment area, has this happened to you? If so, what did you do?

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   1. 79

      Healthy Pursuitsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Well, scratch that last idea. My forebrain has been sidestepped.  I'm going to respond. He's used my refusal to take up MG Singh's hub space to crow as if he's right when he's not only totally off the wall, but aggressive, too. Do I reply in MG Singh's hub or do I invite Mr. Burton "outside" to a forum? And which one?

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      1. 84

         rebekahELLEposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Since it's between you and another commenter on someone's hub, I would invite him to the forums if you feel you want to continue the 'debate'. I'm sure others will join in. Do you mean which forum?  If you're touching on gun laws, probably Politics and Social.
         
         I just read his last response on the hub. It might be interesting to respond there and let him know you would like to invite him to a forum for open discussion.

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2. 60

   paradigmsearchposted 12 years ago

   I've seen some knock-down, drag-out fights in the hub comments sections before; usually between the hub author and a specific commenter though. And so it goes....If it was me, I'd go have a Twinkie and a cup of coffee.

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   1. 60

      paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      And then go write a hub and make some money off the incident.

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3. 71

   Cagsilposted 12 years ago

   My preference is that the readers are to engage the author more than they should ever engage another reader. Too many arguments tend to lead off into other topics, which will most likely add content to a page and that content might not be related.
   
   To have natural conversations about everyday things or such will detract value from the author's written hub. If the comment section is wasted on meaningless arguments between readers, then the author is doing a disservice to themselves.
   
   I told another person who used to be a HubPages member to no engage my readers. Most of my readers know I have my own unique method for those who engage me on my hubs. I will be honest and I will be straightforward. I am the author of my writing and anyone who comes to my hubs to engage anyone else other than me, the comments are accepted. I then reply to let them know they are not to engage my readers. Some people like to go onto hubs and blast other readers. Because people follow hubs, then they get updates on comments placed on the hubs they follow.
   
   This means that the person who previously left a comment can respond to the author's reply or read any other comments. I would suggest taking it to the forums. That's knowing what I know about HubPages and what I learned from many others, and probably best.

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   1. 79

      Healthy Pursuitsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you, everyone. Cagsil has exactly my viewpoint - readers engage the author, not other readers. And to blast another reader is flat inappropriate.

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      1. 79

         Healthy Pursuitsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I posted this, and we'll wait and see what happens.
         
         "My apologies, MG, but I have to deal with a very rude reader on your hub. Otherwise, I wouldn't dream of engaging anyone but you as the writer.
         
         Jack - I didn't respond to your rant with anything but sarcasm, not because I feel that my position is wrong. Actually, I feel that your position is wrong. But even more than that, I feel that your manners as a reader on someone else's hub are atrocious. I did not address you when I wrote my comment to MG. I did not invite your so-called rebuttal. And I won't go into it further here. You are doing everyone else a disservice with your monopolizing the comment section with your long-winded and aggressive comments. If you truly feel that you just have to pursue this rant, let's step "outside" to a forum, where MG Singh won't be caught in the middle. Let me know VIA MY EMAIL if you want to continue this. However, at the same time, please show a few more manners in dealing with me. So far, you haven't bothered."

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         1. 79

            Healthy Pursuitsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            If it sounds like I'm pissed, it's because I am. I'd have a twinkie and coffee with you, paradigmsearch, but it'd have to be loaded with sedatives. (Deep breathing sometimes helps, if the flames don't shoot out my nose.)

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            1. 60

               couturepopcafeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               You have time. My old friend Paradigm will never run out of Twinkies.

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   2. 75

      stclairjackposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      think what we might of each other here in E-land,... cags is perfectly correct in every word he has written here.
      
      i had a hub on the the history of the jesse james saga and the comments section was held hostage by two deluded tyrants who argued on and on,...
      
      i aproved each comment for a couple days,.. then the email started ariving in my in-box from each of them,... uhg.
      
      i deleted the entire hub in disgust.
      
      the page views drove the hub score up,... but it simply was not worth watching my words that i had put a great deal of thought into be hi-jacked.
      
      thumbs up cags

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      1. 79

         Healthy Pursuitsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Exactly, and MG Singh is such a polite person, I think he's probably wondering a little at this point what the heck is going on. I'm sorry that happened to you.
         I had some readers go after me when I wrote a hub that, among other things, cast Werner Erhardt in an unflattering light. I had to stop all comments, flag profiles that were created only so these readers could rant at me, and block email addresses.  But I've never been attacked in comments by another reader.

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4. 77

   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   Honestly, you lose nothing by walking away from a conversation that someone is taking way too seriously.

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5. 77

   Aficionadaposted 12 years ago

   A hub author can always delete comments, if they so choose. I once refused to approve a comment because it was far too long, but I replied to the commenter in the comments section and included a shortened version of her comment within the Hub, because it added some value.
   
   HealthyPursuits, you could write a Hub of your own about differing opinions on the topic and the data you have found that supports your comments. If you did that, you probably wouldn't want to name the Hubber whose rants had spurred the Hub; some Hubbers have been offended by others who have named them in Hubs without their express permission.

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6. 67

   relacheposted 12 years ago

   I tend to just concern myself with my own hubs and let other authors worry about their own.

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   1. 79

      Healthy Pursuitsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Well, the ranter has replied in MG's hub again with even more ranting. He's obviously is so immersed in his "stuff" that he doesn't have room to understand what I was saying.  So, I will walk away from it. I don't have the desire to reply to that kind of craziness. Thank you all for your input.

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      1. 77

         cloverleaffarmposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         It is best to show who is the better person, and walk away. People do realize when someone is blowing smoke out their butt. I have seen it many times with articles about herbs. I have studied herbs for over 15 years, yet someone who is just writing about an herb for some ad sense dollars knows more than me...???
         You know that you have the upper hand, when someone has to keep refuting what they say.
         Cheers to you for walking away!

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         1. 79

            Healthy Pursuitsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks, cloverleaffarm, for the advice. However, I didn't follow it. I felt I was being bullied by two people with an opposing view who just wanted to shut me up. So I wrote a hub as rebuttal - and reminded them that freedom of speech was a right in the USA before the right to bear arms. Then I commented in the MG's hub that I had written a hub as rebuttal. The main character that was so aggressive showed up in my comments, but he didn't have a lot to say. So far, there hasn't been a whisper from either of the two others. So I think the point might have been made.

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            1. 77

               cloverleaffarmposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Good for you!

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               1. 77

                  cloverleaffarmposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  I went and read the hub, and all the comments. He didn't leave a comment, he left a hub. One of his comments had 917 words. Gee,many of my hubs aren't that long. He is rude, and obviously has a problem with conceit. I have never seen such a long comment on a hub. In a forum, yes.
                  Freedom of speech is welcome, but could he at least spell things correctly. What is "sez"? This is not texting here folks.
                  As a writer, and a lover of words, that just made me cringe.

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7. 0

   Arlene V. Pomaposted 12 years ago

   I only deal with the writer.  If I want to express my feelings and leave a comment, I'll do it.  But sometimes, the writer will not appreciate any opinion other that the rave reviews and how many readers agree with the writing.  I've read comments to Hubs where the readers were fighting on whose viewpoint was right.  When things like this happen, the writer of the Hub could always shut it down by saying so or deleting the comments.  A Hub is meant to showcase the writer's work.  Anything else is a distraction.  For whatever you post on here to make your point clear, there is also a chance that it will not be read by the other party.  Other than the online people that I communicate with on a regular basis, I have no interest in trying to have some online critic see my way of thinking.  When a person is rude and only wants to see things his way, it's a waste of time.  It is better to cut your losses and move on from this insensitive clown.  No use arguing with someone who hides behind some computer screen, and I certainly am not afraid of confrontation.  At the same time, I pick my battles carefully.  Let it go.

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8. 88

   IzzyMposted 12 years ago

   Quite often if comments cannot add to the hub, they are better not being made at all.
   
   I certainly don't think I could be bothered getting into an argument with another hubber on a hub, nor would I deliberately put a hub down in comments unless it was really bad or infactual.
   
   Hubs are written for search engine traffic, not internal wranglings.
   
   I wrote a comment on someone's hub some time back, pointing out his facts were incorrect, and correcting him.
   
   He wrote a hub on something I am a bit of an expert in, and his 'facts' were really way out.
   
   I added that once he had made the changes to his hub, he should delete my comment.
   
   Well, I just went back last night and discovered he has made all the corrections, but left my comment there for the world to see.
   
   It now looks stupid because the words on the hub have been changed, and of course there is no word of thanks from him, not that I expected it, I expected my comment to be deleted.
   
   Not doing that again!

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9. 89

   Will Apseposted 12 years ago

   I reckon once you have had your say, that is usually enough.
   
   I only really get into arguments if I think I will learn something. In other words, if you see me really getting into a fight it is because I am not sure that I am right or I need to clarify my thoughts.
   
   The insane urge to crush my adversary might take hold somewhere along the line, of course.

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10. 79

    Healthy Pursuitsposted 12 years ago

    Thanks for your input, everyone. I don't normally argue with other hubbers. As a matter of fact, I've never commented before and had a hubber other than the writer reply to my comment, let alone with such vitriol.
    I wouldn't have responded to these guys at all. However, they were trying to shut me up. The attack by the two of them was definitely geared for just that. I decided to exercise my freedom of speech appropriately, to get out of MG Singh's hub, and to respond in a hub of my own. I did that, and I told everyone involved that I had written a hub. The hub was about what happened and how I felt about it, with a reference to the HubPages rules about comments and forums. I know they read my hub, because the primary attacker commented in it. HOwever, he was very subdued. So far he hasn't said any more, so I'm hoping, now that he was "outed" that he can approach others with a few more manners.

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