We all love to read blog posts by talented and successful artists. It's amazing how nature generously gives people talents, how skillfully they multiply them!
In addition, craftspeople reveal their secrets, post tutorials, give useful advice on the choice of materials, care for things, share marketing tricks and ways to resolve conflicts, they share a lot of useful information, and even take time to answer questions in the comments to their own articles.
It is no surprise that you may see dozens of grateful comments and emotions in the comments to their articles.
Sometimes pleasant part of reading such comments to articles abrupts here. And there begins less pleasant, but nonetheless interesting part of reading.
I present you a small anti-rating of comments for self-promotion that I came across last week. So,
III PLACE
Conventionally toxic comments with a subtle flair of their own superiority, when the author, for example, criticizes the content of the article and subtly hints at his/her higher professionalism. As a rule, the message of such comments is the following: my works are good unlike yours.
II PLACE
Clearly aggressive messages, knocking you down. These unpleasant comments can be summed up to one meaning: the liars are all around, only my store is trustworthy.
I PLACE
My favorite genre — "good" tips, like wishes of "learn the basics of the craft." In fact, the advisers probably do not like the author of the article, because it is their competitor.
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Some craftspeople (I guess, the ones that have reached Zen) give a relaxed and polite answer to this person, while others hurt by the comment join in the fray.
I understand that this whole trolling afoot is an attempt to boost a stalled apparently "trade motor", but, to be honest, dear friends, this motor will not last long on such fuel, making careless commentators run the risk of being branded as dishonest people.
SPECTATOR DISLIKES PRIZE
A curious tip was given to an amateur craftsperson, who received it in response to his/her question about what is wrong with his/her apparently faulty knitting machine. The commentator advised the craftsperson to sell it before it was too late.
What had made me angry apart from instigating deception? The fact that the advice was given by the seller of knitting machines. As they say, it is better to leave this comment without comments.
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I hope my opus will not serve as a cheat sheet on trolling for anyone, because it was not written to learn the bad, but rather the opposite.
I would like for Livemaster to be a platform to exchange joy, so all kinds of aggressive and toxic self-promotion comments are not appropriate.