Controversial topics are a great way to gain page views on Associated Content, but you have to have a thick skin! How do you deal with criticism and trolls?
The most controversial article I wrote was A Conservative Case for Hillary Clinton. It was a *qualified* endorsement for Sen. Clinton, arguing that of the three remaining candidates, she may be the *least objectionable.* While I did receive a lot of positive feedback, there were a few trolls:
"Hillary sent thousands of people to die in Iraq. Now she's against the war. Was she PMSing?"
Obviously the person didn't even *read* the article--I addressed that issue very clearly in the editorial.
"Oh don't deprive the Queen of her throne. She might cry."
I am always up for intelligent debate or constructive criticism, but ad hominem attacks are just not worth it.
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AC Writer Kim Linton is no stranger to the spotlight! Her edgy and controversial articles regularly attract hundreds of comments--many positive, many negative. Her piece about Hot Sex and the Evangelical Church dared to suggest that you can be a Christian and still enjoy sex. Her piece Is Barack Obama a Racist or Guilty by Association? discussed his church and relationship with his pastor. While she sought to remain objective, it wasn't enough to stop the influx of trolls.
Sometimes people would simply read the title, and take a snippet of the article and draw conclusions before getting all the facts. Often people have already made up their minds before even reading the article. As a pastor's wife, she's received insults about her, her family, and her church--even the occasional death wish.
How to deal with Criticism?: Kim decided long ago not to be drawn into unwinnable arguments. While she is willing address genuine comments and concerns in a mature fashion, she doesn't respond to threatening or insulting comments.
"I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but I'm not going to waste my time trying to argue with someone who wants to argue for the sake of arguing."
Is it Worth It?: "As a pastor's wife for many years, I've learned that sometimes people will not like me or my message, and that's okay. You just have to keep writing what you are passionate about and do it as objectively as you can. The rest will work itself out in the end."
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2 comments:
Kim's take on handing criticisms is interesting. I guess you could call it taking the high road, not to get involved in a two-way debate over how she perceives the topics she writes about. I'll take a page from her book if I ever write anything controversal.
Hi, it's just me, Dan Mage from AC and Michy's blog. You might like this guys stuff, he's a good online friend of mine. His views are kind of "neocon," therefore I don't really agree with him about much, but we do agree on the need for civility in online discussions.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/169663/neill_arnhart.html
I get a kick out of Kim's stuff sometimes too. Some of my favorite CPs are people I disagree with on political issues.
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