Should We Censor Blog Comments?

I have always been taught to leave comments as they come in and not censor in anyway. When people submit comment feeds to the aggregators it is a way to show popularity. But on all my sites I will loosely monitor them as to eliminate something horrible. Which thank god I never get….yet that is

I had a football (soccer) blog last year. One of my friends made a post on it about another team. It was a very cruel and nasty post, and got lots of hits and of course many comments.

What should have been banter between rival fans, ended up getting nasty and bitter. As a consequence, I pulled the entire thing from my blog.

Firstly, I was trying to build up a reputation, and having that on my site was a big blemish, even though I didn’t write it.

Secondly, it upset a lot of people, and while controversy is healthy, downright attacks are not.

So, in my opinion, I think it depends on what the comment is like, and each and every one of us has a different moral code to others.

I’m not sure freedom of speech does exist, at least not in the form that most of us think it exists in.

Perhaps in the states it does, I don’t know, but I know for a fact in the UK it does not exist. You cannot say what you want.

Interesting post.

I was following that review closely to see what she would say. I think the tone of her review (throughout) set it up so that people could feel ok about going negative with the comments.

I think her overall review felt pretty negative and hostile, which isn’t necessarily the best perspective to come from with a review.

Anyway…

My blog is my blog. It’s not the warrior forum. You don’t get to personally attack anyone on my blog. There have been times when people have made comments that I felt were uncalled for, but they were about me or the post, so they got left. I replied in a professional manner, and many commentors came to my defense. While it’s one thing to make a nasty remark about a post or something I said. It’s something totally different to let people say nasty things about other people. Thankfully I’ve not had to face this on my blog, everyone’s playing nice, but I would absolutely have deleted the comment, then sent the person a private email letting them know why I did it.

Hang in there ~ that was a rough review, but you handled yourself well.

Jackie

Well it depends on what was said and if it was on someones blog other than yours it really doesn’t matter I am very upset when I get censored but censorship is more rampant on the web than any where else in life and after this last year or so I have just changed my words to reflect my angst in a more polite way.
Truth is though, that I’d like to be able to say whatever I wanted without some other individual kicking me out or shutting of my access to the site.
That bites.

Absolutely the comments should be moderated, not censored. Since the world is full of morons, for a lack of better definition, who insist on making their ‘views’ known… for no other reason than because they can – someone with a sense of reality and a brain on their shoulders needs to step in and do something about it and the owner of the content being commented on is probably in the best position to do so.

There’s no question that it’s good to have debates, opposite views etc. in an open society, but not when there’s clear abuse under the flag of ‘democracy’.

Therefore moderation is an important and useful tool. If anyone can’t be polite, respectful, decent & ethical – they have no business interacting with people who can.

Wow Jenniefer.

Like you, I’d separate valid criticism of the product (no matter how harsh) from personal, ad hominem attacks,

The moment the OP started talking about your personality and disposition, imo he crossed the line. Regardless of the other valid content in his post, I would not have approved it.

A blog is private property, NOT public speech, and free speech issues don’t come into play. As far as I’m concerned, it comes under the heading of “keeping things civil.”

Hi Jennifer,

I think you and Tiffany are great. I have purchased
OWM and some of Tiffany’s products. You both are
incredibly knowledgeable and generous with your knowledge. Tiiffany Dow has a great number of valuable videos on Youtube. I read Dorothy’s comments and I think she went “over the top” as they say in the UK. As far as censoring, if someone makes comments that are opinions that are bordering on slander, then they should be deleted. What good are those types of comments?
If the comments are based on facts, then I would argue against censorship. Most of what Dorothy said was not based in fact! OWM is very valuable – Tiffany Dow agreed – that is high praise indeed because she is one smart cookie! (sorry for the cliche). I repeat, I am a fan of both you and Tiffany, and maybe you should do a Joint Venture! Every smart internet marketer should stay in touch with you and Tiffany Dow. Your One Week Marketing and Tiffany Dow’s Building an E-Book Empire are super products.

I, too, agree that each blogger has the right to decide what the commenting rules are. Offensive remarks and obvious spam are off limits on my blog.

Should we as blog owners censor comments? Absolutely!

Anyone who cries foul when their comment has been edited or even deleted needs to just simmer down. Free speech does not mean say anything and the results be damned.

This is YOUR house, Jennifer, so your readers live by YOUR rules. No one’s forcing them to post a comment here or anywhere. So if they can’t play nice, then they just need to move on to somewhere else that allows their version of free speech.

It’s just as simple as that.

Jennifer,

Thanks for opening up about this cause it’s really
about your reaction to a negative reaction. Whois dorthy? What’s her documentation? It’s so easy to slam people without putting yourself up for scrutny.
Jennifer live long and prosper. Remember the old saying opinions r like _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ everyone has one. Peace

Hey like they said to each there own most of all
people will give a positive and a negative on anything
somebody else say . As for me I think your lens are
very informative and give the reader the information
they was looking for , I have read your lens on affiliate
marketing and got a lot of good how to and what to do
now step and they help me out . and the new one the
Dam way is the best information source to make money online I have seen from you some of the tips
gave me some real cool result .In a google search on a keyword phrase I found some real nice niche
on a subject that i know I mean come on I found
the keyword phrase came back with a search result
of 1 in 4640 and the rest are as follow 1 in 5030
1in 6830 and i did searches on eight phrases and all of them are not over 1 in 30,000 the highest was
1 in27,700 now that is result from me reading the
information you gave me so in my opinion she just
trying to take some of your readers don’t let it stress you out I am one person that can say THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SEE I CAN DO THIS I CAN START MY OWN BUSINESS ONLINE AND CAN MAKE AND NEW WAY OF LIFE FOR MYSELF ONCE
AGAIN THANK YOU

Funny how some negative people must make villains out of helpful people – presumeably jealousy of other people’s popularity and success – a coping mechanism for insecurity and lack of ability . There are too few thoughtful and considerate people out there – it should be obvious when people genuinely try to help; equally obvious when criticism rings hollow…

My advice would be to challenge this person to show how she would have done since she is so sure she knows best. I doubt she would ever actually do anything half as helpful as you do – and it’s better to accomplish something with a few tiny flaws than spend forever refining a masterpiece nobody gets to use.

Hi Jennifer,
First, a blog or forum is not “public” as covered by the Constitution. The owner can censor anything he wants to censor. That truly is not debatable. If censorship was not allowed there are many very popular forums that would have already had lawsuits brought against them for censorship.

As to publishing Dorothy’s comments: I personally would have contacted D and told her that if she wanted her comments published she would have to re-write and remove anything that even hinted of a personal attack. I feel that Tiffany was definitely remiss.

You said “To Tiffany, I’d like to say – ‘Girl, I don’t envy you ONE BIT over that situation. You just stick to what YOU believe in – You are doing great things for people!’”

I respectfully disagree with you. No personal attack should ever be tolerated and the proper decision was not a difficult one to make.

I actually feel that D made some valid comments which were worth reading. However, her attack invalidated all she had to say. With that said I doubt that you have been injured by D; anyone capable of using OWM can see through D’s verbiage.

I’m not so sure that Tiffany is not injured. I personally have never heard of her before but based on the way she handled this indecent I would not go back to her blog. (And that is said feeling that her review of OWM was, in my opinion, a good one.)

Thank you for the opportunity to comment and keep up the good work.

Carlton

I monitor my blogs and do not allow any bad language or adult content on them. I do not oppose differing opinions, since everyone has one and you can always learn from other’s opinions.

I love being on your list Pot pie Girl, because you are a non-hypie type internet marketer, who doesn’t over inflate or over sell programs. Thanks!

Well I for one do monitor my blogs ,because frankly it not hte place to bad mouth any one.It is really not the place.If you have something to say thats on your mind and ou need to say it I suggest you email the person and make your comments thee between the 2 of you.It is in real bad taste to bad mouth some one ou don’t know on an closed form form not not being invited to do so.I ahve ben marketing on the inte net for 10 years and I have aslo been trianing be in business for about 6 years.I was introduced to your things and productsthrought Ken Evoy of site biuld it.I not teach in MLM but it is not old school I do it through educational marketing. said that to say this I have read your Renaged Markrting program.I think it is a very good pice of work.it is good work because you are real in your advbice and I also believe you are just being real it this project.So what theres soem things that are out of place.It just being real and human.I find it refreshing with all the hype but out by some og these so called Marketing pros.I for one don’t blow my horn much at all.Like me or not it you choice so to speak.Well to finnish up Jennifer you handel the whole thing like a pro good for you.

Personal attacks against the blog owner are uncalled for. However, if someone has a strong opinion about a post, I think they should be able to state their reasons as to why they have a different opinion, as long as they are nice about it and use appropriate language.

PS: I love the Dam Way book!

It would seem that Dorothy has been burned before. Once you have been in Internet marketing for a while, you find out about the gurus. They act all sweet and caring and they are not doing it for the money (they’ve already made 10 gazillion dollors this week), they only want to help people. That’s a bunch of hooey! (Does it sound like I’ve been burned a few times myself?)

Yes, Dorothy may have gone a little overboard, but dropping off a list just because you don’t agree with it is childish.

As Fred said above, Dorothy’s comment says more about her than Jennifer. Would you trust working with someone like that? I wouldn’t.

I say let them have their say. They are only hurting themselves in the end.

By the way, I bought OWM and had no success at all, but that’s the way it works sometime. I have no problem with Jennifer. We tried, it didn’t work. Wait until you are suckered into buying one of those $2000.00 courses that don’t work either. Then you will REALLY have a reason to be upset.

Good luck PotPieGirl and to all of your followers. I still read your emails.

Steve

I agree with Tiffany in saying that censoring comments to not allow anything negative and post everything positive is unethical marketing/blogging and doesn’t show the true picture of whatever is being discussed. They should not be filtered. Obviously there are circumstances where comments could be censored like those using foul language, spam, unwarranted attacks, lies, etc… but it should be the blog owners decision. The fact is that some people will have bad experiences with every product/service and they should be able to voice their opinion on it just as those who have great experiences with the same product/service. I will say that I didn’t read the comment in question by Dorothy so I can’t give any opinion directly about it.

My blog isn’t in the same category as yours, but I do monitor the comments. Most of the ones I reject are spam. If a person gives a negative comment that doesn’t use foul language or racism and isn’t an outright flame, I would allow it as I believe people do have a right to express their opinion whether it agrees with mine or not

I choose to monitor and censor the comments. Reason being is that my blog receives somewhere in the neighborhood of about 10 comments a day with quite a few of them saying something like “best blog I’ve seen in some time” or something basic that doesn’t really say anything. I also tend to get a lot of comments with links to prescription drug sites.

Disagreement is fine; rudeness is not.

I though the comments were made on another blog. That being the case the issue should be with the commenter and not the blogger. You want to censor your blog-go for it. Private blogs are not a public forum, with or without paid memberships. Free speech rights should not be an issue here, this is not youtube or a news website. For you blog do what you will, as you see fit.
It just appears that you have a good relationship with Ms. Dow, but you want others to decide something for you. And I’m a bit confused why you are doing this after the fact.

Jennifer, i adore you!! you are the only person online so far to talk to us “newbies”like we’re not stupid!! yes you should moderate nasty comments,especially if they are just a “dig” at someone,there is no need to be nasty and some people who should keep nasty comments to themselves. most of the time it’s jealousy that does it.here’s an example for you….at school i was tormented by a girl who was very popular,she was a beauty(long blond hair,nice figure etc) i was shy,plump with red hair!! ohh how she hated me!! i bumped into her a few years ago,she has her hair red now(same colour as mine, she told me that the reason she was so nasty to me was because she was always jealous of my hair(i did get a lot of attention for it lol) so many times.when a person is nasty.it may be because they are jealous of what you’ve got,or what you’ve achieved. food for thought??

I have to say that commenting on blogs can be nasty at times. However, people should have a place to voice the opinion that they want to share. Now should it be done in a comment section behind a somewhat cloak of being unknown probably not. However, if you disagree with what is being put and want to “slam” the person you will want to do that on your own blog with a comment linking to your blog if possible rather than laying it out in the comment section of a blog.

Hi, Jennifer: I read the posts and comments. I left the following comment on Tiffany’s blog:

“Tiffany: I agree to a point about censorship. However, I will reprimand a poster who chooses to personally attack someone whether than keep comments on the product itself (I review books). I believe Dorothy’s comments went beyond respectful behavior. That is a reflection on her. I personally would have removed the post, explained why and ivited Dorothy to repost but keep the comment focused on her experience with the product. This is your blog, however, and I know we all see things differently and react differently”

I find personal attacks unacceptable–whether in person or online. As a reviewer myself (books) I make a point of never bashing an author. Luckily, I have never had to reprimand a commenter, but would if necessary. I think you handled your end of this whole situation very well!

I don’t think I would change my policy because of “Dorothy”. You have allowed comments on your blog for quite some time now. Have you ever had the need to delete offensive posts before this one? Keep doing what you do, and never forget who you are, (or want to be), and this will not be the end all event that it seems to be today.
I am a contractor and this situation reminds me of something my Dad used to tell me when I thought it was “face pinching time”. He said ” if you can’t argue with these tradesmen at 7:00 am and buy them a coffee at 9:00 am, then you need to find something else to do”. I remember that everyday whether or not I’m on a construction site. Life is simply too short to deal with people who hide behind a keyboard and take “pot” shots at you. I completely understand that the harsh criticism stings, but at the end of every day you Jenifer need to be able to look over what you have “built” and be pleased with what it is, and how it was made.
I am trying your methods and although I have not had a great deal of success, it is starting to make sense to me.
Thanks for a very interesting post!

I have more thoughts on this:

I’m sorry, but I’m calling LAME on what Tiffany wrote – “If I did NOT allow Dorothy to have her say on what her personal experience was, THEN I would be an unethical marketer.”

Dorothy did not talk about her own personal experience with OWM. She did however, make several other references “ex: JV-partner-scratch-my-back-I’ll-scratch-yours mentality” and “the words sheep…wannabe…poser come to mind.”

When you don’t fit what other people think you should be, some of them lie, ridicule and slander you. Jennifer – there are a lot of Dorothy’s out there waiting to sucker punch people. It’s envy – not jealousy. Envious people feel robbed, which explains the venom (remember Cain & Abel – Cain was so envious he bashed his brother in the head, killing him). Maybe Dorothy feels superior to “gee golly”, and that she deserves your OWM money, not you (even though you did all the work).

I thought of this because it reminded me of someone who called me when the Segway’s came out – LIVID – he said “I could have done that – that should have been ME”. I couldn’t believe it.

So I suggest you decide on whether you want to moderate your posts on your site, and leave the tiffany dow experience behind you.

Censorship in the age of “Snarkiness” is a must. These days, more and more people behave as though since they never have to look you in the eye through the computer wires, they have no accountability to their words or actions.

Tiffany’s policy is just that: Her Policy. Some of what Dorothy said was relevant to the product review, but some of it was simply mean, in poor taste, and could’ve been expressed in a much more tactful, elegant and fair manner. It says more about her issues than it does yours Jennifer.

I’m very new to all this IM stuff, and I don’t have a blog yet. But when I do, I will definitely review comments before posting. I have zero tolerance for “snarkiness” and for those who vomit negativity into any environment… a productive critical discussion? Bring it on. Crossing the line into meanness? Take it to your shrink, not the blogs.

I believe everyone is entitled to an opinion, but I also believe once someone starts hitting below the belt it’s time to go! I ran restaurants for years, and everyone was entitled to their opinion of the food, service, etc. If someone didn’t like it and had something to say, fine. The moment their comments became derogatory to me or my staff, they were leaving or I was calling the police. It’s the same way with the internet. My blogs are my “restaurants”. I also believe anyone that had half of mind would know to read more than just that one comment, and would see where the majority was. But, to, I ‘m partial to Jennifer!

Okay, I don’t have a blog, and I’d have to give it some thought. Okay, thought given! Yes, you “own” the blog, so It’s kinda like someone saying something in your home! Shouldn’t they come into your home and if they can’t say anything nice, keep their mouth shut? Jennifer, you are, I believe maybe THE most honest and down to earth marketer that I have run across. I would take up for you anytime! Wish I’d read the post! HAHA! I am serious though. You are one in a million, and very generous and polite and kind and funny!
That person was jealous!! I have been in the health care field for many years and dealing with the public you must finally learn that some people don’t want to be happy! They are stupid and they like to attrack attention by being drama queens. Any NORMAL person would have no reason to be like that! Forget about it!!!

It is a tough call, whether to censor or not. “Dorothy” did have a right to express her opinion, however I think she used very poor judgment in slamming the writer of the product, you. It is one thing to not agree with the product, but it is nonconstructive to slam the creator. I do not agree with her thoughts on the product. As with most products I have found, you get out what you put in. It sounds to me that “Dorothy” probably did not put much into using OWM or probably others that she has bought, and just assumes that the blame falls on the products and not herself.

You absolutely have the right to determine what is published. You are offering a service and your clients don’t need hecklers from the audience to distract them. Keep up th e good work.

As the Owner and Chief Editor of the blog you have an absoult right to decide what goes in and being distributed.

In the earthly world, I can hardly expect to walk into the Editor of The Sunday Times, give off and slag someone off and expect the newspaper to print, publish and distribute “My Agony Hangup” article, it just because I feel so. No way, I’d be thrown out of the Editors office head first!

The web amplifies human nature, the good sides and also (unfortunately) the bad sides and many poor judgments…

Kind regards from a nice London,

Peter

I agree with Angela Booth on Tiffany’s comment section. Your blog is your blog. It is not a public forum. If you choose to publish comments criticizing your products, you may. If not, not. If you choose to publish comments that attack your character, fine, if not, not.

Is that ‘moderating’? Or censoring? Get real folks.

Personally I find a of of whining about a lot of products on blogs. All the “gurus” say hey folks this is WORK. Yeah you’ll have to write a lot. And find good keywords. What’s new?

I find Jennifer’s instructions are painstakingly step by step and easy to understand. To DO – well, that’s work. If someone else makes it easier to understand, it still has to be DONE.

Lastly, a comment is a comment. Not an article. This is the longest comment I’ve ever left anywhere. And it’s way too long.

Stay positive everybody.

It’s a shame that some people strive to validate themselves by criticizing others in a demeaning way.

I think you’ve handled a rather unprofessional approach in your typical, professional manner, Jennifer.

Your hard work has taught me plenty. You go, girl!

Hi Jennifer,

I’ve read through the posting made by “Dorothy”. I bought your OWM course, the premier version. Although I think there are SOME valid points among her posting that are worthy of debate, I think some of the tone of it was unnecessarily nasty.

I think constructive criticism is OK, whether or not you agree with it, but it shouldn’t get nasty and offensive and would agree that the blog owner should not publish those sorts of comments.

I think you should be glad to read constructive criticism because it will help you if it’s valid, but not personal attacks. That’s my humble opinion. I hope it helps and doesn’t offend.

David Beedham

Hi Jennifer,

Yes, it’s a tough situation.

I understand those who are against censoring in the name of free speech. However, bloggers also have the right to police their own blogs. It’s your yard, and you should be able to lay down the rules.
If it’s a matter of free speech, then start your own blog, or do it in a community-based forum.

Anyhow, that’s my 5 cents worth.

All the best,
Laurie

Jennifer,
I read the comments by “Dorothy” and found them to be the kind of catty remarks that are often traded in women’s groups. This is unfortunate, but it happens.
Anyone who iclaims to be an adult should behave as an adult. and avoid making personal attacks in evaluating a program.
If Dorothy found the program too difficult for her, she should get some help to understand it. It is possible that she expects making money on the internet to involve no effort. We all know that it is work, that it demands time and close attention.

Deleting comments really is a personal thing, but in my view I am being unfair if I censor negative feedback, even more I am being dishonest. The only time I will delete comments is if they are a blatant attack on me or anyone else… not just a negative review. I can live with the fact that not everyone agrees with my opinions but I don’t promote hate so if it is just plain hate mail ~ it goes.

Sadly this person seems to have an issue with you AND your product and it does fall into a gray area. I don’t see a problem with leaving it up, but it did not have to sink to personal attacks either.

PS I have some exciting news for you, I am testing your OWM plan on my new book. I tried affiliate marketing and it just isn’t me but I’m going to try it and see what it can do for book marketing. I’ll be back in a few months to let you know how it goes and what I had to change

I believe that you need the negative feed back as much as the positive however the personal slams are out of line and should not be published.

As a blog owner, I feel I have the right to delete any comment that I want. If someone says “boo” to me and I don’t like it, I have the right to delete it. It’s my blog, my home, my space, everyone else are just guests. With that said, I can understand Tiffany’s point of view on this since she felt she would be covering up an unhappy sale. I’m not sure if she did the right thing, because I truly feel people should be nice to each other and “Dorothy” crossed a line. I just don’t know why people have to be hateful to each other. Her displeasure could have been expressed without getting hateful. Jennifer, you are a nice person and I think the comments were uncalled for.

I am on both your list and Tiffany’s. I have found both of you to be very upstanding women who really contribute to your readers.

I did OWM way back when I first started in IM last year. I think there are great points to the program and some that just did not work well for ME. However, to each his own and I think Dorothy’s comments were beyond rude. Rudeness is commonplace these days when people are able to hide behind the internet.

However, I would have to take each blog comment and assess whether I wanted it to be a reflection on my own blog sites. What you accept on your sites means a lot in the eyes of other visitors. Respectful disagreements are one thing, but stating ugly opinions with no basis in fact are another.

Hi,
Been following you at a distance.
I did OWM, and although it didn’t work for me, your sincerity and ethics always shone through like bright sunshine.

First point is that I never saw a statue built for a critic, but I’ve seen lots built for doers. You’re a doer.

Next point is important. Be bigger than this – be the swan who ignores the screams of the sparrows.

If you let it get to you, you’ll come down to their level.

Decide in your heart – forgive – let it go and move on and up – try to FORGET it.

Do NOT dwell on this any longer! Flies dwell on dirt, but bees make honey.

Hey Jennifer…Haven’t read all the posts here, but one I did made much sense. If this were my blog and it violated, or came close to violating my rules, I would send it back and tell them to take out all that borders on personal attacks. Otherwise, it wouldn’t go up.

It’s real easy to sit in front of an impersonal laptop and write anything that comes to mind, regardless of another’s feelings. And call that TRUTH. But the guideline I’ve used having been many years in the print publishing business is this: What would I say, and how would I say it, if I were speaking to that person face-to-face?

Keep up the good work.

carlen maddux

PS. Your profile is rising rapidly on the Web, and so you might as well be prepared for critiques on your products and points of view.

PSS. Also, you might want to take this opportunity to review your own blog rules and define them more clearly for yourself and your readers, if that’s even necessary.

I feel that comments should be monitored. Some individuals do not have enough common sense as to what they should or should not put in a post. You should be able to post your thoughts on a product, but it does not give you the right to demean or slander anyone.

There is no need to use derogatory remarks or defamation of character to get your point across. Constructive criticism consists of neither. Freedom of speech guarantees us the right to speak/blog our thoughts, but inflammatory remarks reflecting anger and jealousy are fear based and lack maturity.

I read her comment, and i see why it stung, but i don’t believe one bit with her comment(but we all have our opinions)
I might say that your OWM guide did leave me confused at first since I was new when i got it, but these were simple concepts that can easily be researched upon and understood
about the overflowing in box stuffing, I have never seen you blast promotions like crazy like other affiliates do, you have always recommended products that only complement what you teach, and not just chase some quick commissions

anyway, I do not think that censoring comments is the right thing to do, I do feel that we can all share our opinions good or bad, people change when they see you caring for them(thats something i learned from(gary vaynerchuk) and maybe this person was influenced by other unsuccessful affiliate and wrote that.
either way good handling of the situation, i like your transparency, it shows that you do care about us.

-Luis Carrillo-

I wish I had the time to go through all the comments here, but I don’t.

I think being transparent is important, but that does not include personal attacks on individuals.

Several months ago, the site owner of a site I subscribed to made a rash comment about a particular author’s request to to him to give her credit for her trademark phrase he used.

His followers went to the point of harassing this poor elderly author and even posted bogus negative reviews of her books. Meanwhile, the letter he received from her was probably a standard form that was automatically sent out.

I’m sorry, blog owners and COMMENTERS need to be aware the the internet is extremely powerful and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

I’ll go back to the topic though, transparency is great, but each blog owner needs to use his/her own discretion when dealing with personal attacks or vulgar commenters.

That’s my two cents!

Thank you PotPie Girl. I appreciate your patience.

NO, you should NOT censor blogs. Obviously, if someone is attacking another person on your blog, immediate removal of the thread and removal of the blogger is appropriate. That is not censorship, that is self preservation. But, as long as it a critical review of a public offering, critics will abound. Authors do NOT have the option to approve or disapprove the critique of a novel or short story that is in print.

Let me say this, please: After buying the cheaper version of OWM, I have been desperately trying to find a guide to using it. While reading through the original poster’s thoughts on OWM, I learned things. Things that I didn’t get from OWM. It has been said that those who can–DO. Those who can’t –Teach. Jennifer, I hope you are happy as a doer, because the teaching style is not at all clear to a rank newbie like me.

Were I you, Jennifer, I would work with that woman to produce a guide to OWM for Dummies. I would buy it in a heartbeat, if it told me what to do in what order to make my dream of IM guru a reality.

There is an old saying that “sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you”. Whoever coined that phrase got it vastly wrong. Words work their way into the psyche and stay.

It is perfectly ok to have the reaction you had. It hurt and that is your personal take on the matter as it was very very public.

It is never right to personally attack someone.
I will allow constructive criticism on my blogs but cutting or downright nasty comments would not get published. Perhaps it would have been kinder had Tiffany notified you first to ask your opinion on publishing that comment. Had the shoe been on the other foot I am sure she would have appreciated you doing that.

I guess we all have different ways of going about things and thats what makes the world but it costs nothing to be kind. Dorothy achieved nothing to bring people to her side. What she did achieve was to have the rest of the community react negatively to her and to have us back you up. It shows your star is on the rise.

Constructive is a far better way to counteract something we are not happy with.

Keep doing what you are doing Jennifer. Its great.

Bonnie

sure, it’s your blog, not theirs and your free to edit it however you see fit. Your ethics or lack thereof will be evident in how you edit, 4 all 2 see.

Wow, great topic here. So many sides to this debate.

I completely understand your analogy about this being your home but at the same time, anyone that blogs is opening the doors of their home to the public, right?

That being said, and I understand you do not want your blog to be an open forum necessarily, but even forums ARE moderated. In this regard, I agree with censoring our blogs and weeding out spam, name calling and personal attacks.

As for this specific situation, I have lived through some public criticism myself and I think that is just something we have to deal with when we enter the public domain.

I see it a little like Amazon. The reviews help the consumers make purchase decisions. Even though Dorothy did not have anything good to say, a lot of others on Tiffany’s site did have good things to say.

So, essentially, we saw both sides of the coin here with the positive outweighing the negative and even Tiffany herself giving her nod of approval. As an OWM fan, I can say that she did make some good points in her review. Nonetheless, I like seeing both the positive and the negative. If it were not for the different points of view, sites like Amazon would not thrive as a resource for consumers.

Great job and thanks for writing OWM!

Jeff

Well Jennifer,

I have a relationship blog trying to help couples and I get a lot of comments from porno and drug sites so, I screen every last one of them before they go live.

Freedom of speech is one thing but, not when it’s costing me readers. Ok, I will be the first to admit some of my first posts really vacuum and I would have no problem if someone would comment and say so.

After a few I would just delete the post and keep moving on but, allowing porno sites to advertise on my blog just defeats the whole purpose of it.

I’ll welcome all positive comments to help other marketer’s as long as their site doesn’t harm relationships.

I’m not afraid of personal attacks on me because, who knows it could actually work out to my benefit and get more response with the comments like it’s doing for you right now.

Controversy can be a good thing after all!

Didn’t bother clicking the link to see what was said about you because, I really don’t care! It wouldn’t change my mind about how I feel about you anyway. I think you are doing your best and I’m learning from you. I have admiration and respect for you so, that’s all that matters to me.

You can’t please everybody even if you were passing out hundred dollar bills so, save your money and just do your best, have fun with it and know everybody doesn’t want to be your friend.

I know, it’s hard to believe! Just like, life’s not fair but, we have to get over it.

Jen,

Hard to say what is right or wrong. I believe it is the individual web owners decision.

However, I personally would not allow comments that basically call someone less than honest. (Unless it is a certain politician). Especially if it is someone who I trust & feel like they are doing their best to provide value.

Many people like to say a course won’t work, when in fact, it is them that won’t work. Nothing in life is free, and buying a course is not going to solve their money problems. Buying the course and putting it into action will.

It is sad that this has happened. I know that there are countless IM’ers who stay in the shadows and don’t share their secrets with the rest of us for just these reasons. They’re making the money, so why invite the heartache.

I personally have benefitted from your OWM and made some of my first sales. Remember, for every 1 person out there that’s upset with you, there’s 100 that are happy to have crossed your path.

Lonnie

I can understand the blog owners viewpoint, but I say that without seeing the original comment.

Like others, I feel that if the comments become more of a personal attack, threatening, racist etc. then by all means I would take action, but even then I may ask the person commenting if they wanted to change their comment to more of their HONEST experience with the product..

I know sometimes people kind of ‘lose it’ and say things that they really don’t mean, especially if they’re frustrated and can’t make things work, even though that is no excuse for being a jerk.

If it comes down to someone having an honestly bad experience with a product, then that’s their opinion. Unfortunately, we all know that regardless of the product or service, there is always going to be ‘those’ people. Personally, I bought OWM and was completely satisfied and thought it was worth the money.

It’s unfortunate that many are so quick to post piercing posts or comments before thinking things through though. Maybe emailing the course author for help, maybe getting a refund or even spending more time with the product first would be beneficial, or at least fair to all concerned. Then maybe posting their honest opinion. All things aren’t right for all people, but it’s a shame that there are often times when someone slams a product, service or marketer when they are actually the ones that can’t make things work.

I’ve not seen a survey or anything, but I’d be willing to bet that Jen’s course would get very high marks from ‘almost’ everyone that purchased it. Unfortunately, even the amount of refunds isn’t an accurate barometer, there are also those that are habitual ‘refunders.’

I would imagine that if the course was totally free, and you actually set up the campaigns for the would-be marketers, there would still be a very few that could find fault, and would be quick to let as many people as possible know about it.

I think comments should be allowed. It speaks to your integrity not the author of the comment. I bought OWM and it didn’t work for me but i am brand new and feel i need to go back and redo it. I am sure if followed it does, as you have proved. Even if that comment was made on your webpage it should be allowed, for your sake. otherwise, what are you hiding. As far as i am concerned you are a sweet person. Just remember one thing ” the guilty person runs” and you my dear, are not guilty and should not feel guilty of anything.

Best regards,
Jess

PS You are from Georgia, I’m from Alabama. That’s another reason I like you! Enough said!

Jen I can see why the content of Dorothy’s comment upset you! I don’t think she is well acquainted with you or your offerings…I’ve received many helpful tips from you; too. I suppose my response is, Dorothy had a right to her opinions. I did not like her opinions being quoted as facts, tho, and think the blog owner could have (should have!) pointed out that her opinions were ONLY her opinions. Yes, I think you have to censor comments (for profanity, racial slurs, etc.); but yes, you should definitely allow “anti” opinions as well as “pro” – but personal attacks are unwarranted

The worst I’ve had happen is a person complained about service they received from the vendor, which was a comment I approved, then replied with my own experiences – and offered what guidance I could about resolving the complaint.

If I think a comment is even the least bit legitimate (aka not spam or hate speech) I will allow it – with the proviso that I am entitled to respond to any claims made in my own (hopefully respectful) way.

Each LEGIT challenge is an OPPORTUNITY. A challenge to your name or your service or your products is an opportunity to demonstrate your character.

A completely irrational challenge (hate speech or just irrational spam designed to waste your time) should simply be deleted or ignored… because no amount of sensible arguments with soothe the tortured sould of the irrational mind.

Boy this was way to verbose. Sorry. Haven’t commented in a while and thought this was a good topic to bluster about.

I do believe comments should be allowed.Just like here.I dont own any of Tiffanys products or Yours.I believe comments that are constructive reviews,or suggestions for improvment are neccessary.

After reading Dorothys post,i personally would have deleted her post and told her to rewrite it without any flamming,ect…even the word sheep was uncalled for,it had no meaning except to irritate and flame.It had nothing to do wit OWM at all.

If she didnt rewrite it,since it is MY personall domain she is treading on,i would have found a way to BAN here from ever posting on my domain again.PERIOD.

She seems to be unhappy because she thought she was going to make money right away and didnt.
Anyway,good luck to you,im a noob and still learning.

Just like the WF.Say something wrong,you go on vacation.Allen doesnt mess around.
Now ill go look at the videos you just sent me.

Hi Jennifer,

I believe anyone has a right to approve or disapprove a comment being put on their blog. We all work hard and don’t need the negativity that some people feel they have to spout out.

I think I would have contacted the poster and gave her the chance to remove the personal remarks about you and if she chose not to, I would censor them myself.

Everyone has a right to their opinion. Maybe OWM did not work for her but that does not mean it is a bad product or poorly organized guide and to attack you personally was just wrong.

I also think the reviewer, as someone said before “set the tone” right from the beginning. IMO a reviewer is supposed to be neutral and review the product only and give their opinion as to, “Yes, the product worked for me because… or No, it did not work for me because” and nothing else.

I applaud you and your Southern grace in handling this “sticky” situation.

Hi Jennifer!

I have loosely followed Tiffany’s review of your OWM course because it had been something I was interested in but did not want to spend money on should I find that it complicate my IM journey further.

That said, I did read Dorothy’s comment, and while I know it had a bit of a bite to it at the end, I am having a hard time understanding what all of the fuss is about. Maybe it is because I understand that people’s emotions can become a bit charged in this industry as a LOT of us feel like those who are selling products are in some type of club where it is us and them, and we are at their mercy. And the piles of garbage out there are just too numerous to count. Not to mention, we all DO have different learning styles, just as some teachers have different teaching styles, some teachers are fantastic, and some, not so great.

About Dorothy, I think that putting yourself in her shoes REALLY involves trying to get to the heart of why someone might have such intense things to say as she did. Let’s say Dorothy bought One Week Marketing, was in a crunch for some money, and truly needed to see some gains at the end of the week, as is proposed in the title at the very least. Dorothy goes through your product, is a complete newbie, and is frustrated because, like Tiffany said, it seemed unorganized, she was jumping around, and could not get the flow she needed in order to do the work and complete that one week to the fullest possible extent. Consider that Tiffany is an experienced marketer. Tiffany struggled, she had to refer back and forth to things,became frustrated, and even wanted to quit. Dorothy is a complete newbie perhaps. I point that out only to emphasize that if Dorothy failed to be able to do the work, it does not mean that she is just lazy and wanted everything to be handed to her. Perhaps the product, in her mind, did not do as you said it would.

Now not only is Dorothy frustrated that she did not make headway, she is told (through emails and upsells) that in order to really pump up the action, she should get this, this and that. She is frustrated, and EMOTIONAL. To her, you are no different than the other guys who come to us with the luring song of how much they want to help us, but when it comes down to it, are always pumping our inbox with more products that we really need to make it to succeed. The fact that you push Wealthy Affiliate has made ME, personally, suspicious of you. I have had a BAD experience with them, that I won’t get into on here.

So back to Dorothy. In HER mind your original product did not deliver what she needed, in a method that was clear to HER, so, she is emotional and frustrated and yes, a bit bitter in her comments. But so what. She didn’t call you a liar or a cheat. THAT is not cool. Unless you DID lie to her or cheat. There were aspects of your delivery that, based on her frustration, she felt aggravated by and therefore brought attention to. She was trying to say don’t let Jennifer’s cutsie style fool you. Perhaps this was because she had trusted in what felt like your good girl demeanor, and was incredibly let down by it.

All of that aside, instead of pegging Dorothy as some poor soul who just can’t hack it in the IM industry, or as a jealous competitor, perhaps try and REALLY understand where she might be coming from. Try to understand maybe where she was before her encounter with you and other IM’ers, during, and after. Maybe think if there IS anything you do or have done that seems to be even remotely close to what she is talking about. Did she choose the perfect way to express it? No. But does that mean her comment was slanderous in anyway and should be censored? I don’t think so. If it doesn’t apply to you, it doesn’t apply. But, if there is ANY meat in there at all with those gnarled up bones, perhaps it is something for you to “chew on”? Like I said your association with Wealthy Affiliate which IS an income revenue for you, if I’m not mistaken, has slown me down on listening to everything you say. You DO seem to me to be like one of “them”. I’m NOT saying that to be ugly, at ALL. I’m just pointing out that there are things that you would have NO idea of, that could trigger this type of thought or emotion in someone else.

While what I have said is quite long, and I could go on, I hope that I have given you or your readers SOMEthing to consider.

My last point is this. Trying to make anyone else feel better by pointing out weaknesses or character flaws in another party, such as Tiffany or Dorothy, is NO different than what Tiffany did by allowing Dorothy’s post to be on her blog, or Dorothy’s post to begin with. And, IMO, I have read plenty of it in these comments. Just my .02.

Thanks for letting me sound off!
Lauri

PS – Censor hate, racism and TRUE discrimination? Yes. Censor comments made in frustration? Um, no.

Wow, those words were really kind of stinging. That is one of the reasons I try to keep to myself online.

It seems that the minute you become successful and let people know, here come the naysayers and the criticizers.

I say that they act that way because of negativity. The same negativity that keeps them from success everyday.

Personally, I would have deleted it, simply because it’s my blog, and I prefer positivity.

It’s like my grandmother always said, “If you can’t say something nice, than keep it to yourself!”

Really, people who act that way have their own karma to deal with. I say don’t add to it by acknowledging them. Simply let them live with themselves, and their egos.

Don’t let it get to you Jennifer! A whole lot of people think you are wonderful, including me. And I appreciate what you have offered to share with the IM community.

I thought that One Week Marketing was just what I was looking for, and it works perfectly fine for me. I understood it from start to finish

Oops, I meant the person “Dorothy”, not you Tiffany, you are great too! LOL

I have read a lot of your stuff, and passed it on to my husband to learn IM when he was getting started.

I had typed out my comments, and then found that it looks like I was talking about you Tiffany. LOL

Lyn said: “…questioned her statement that she did the review because so many of her readers were complaining to her about OWM. If you bought a product and didn’t understand it or had a problem with it wouldn’t you go to the person you bought it from? But then maybe her readers aren’t the sharpest lot.”

I’ sure my subscribers will be pleased to read that you’re questioning their level of education. Nice.

Anyway, there’s a big reason they didn’t go to Jennifer – a few, actually:

1.) MANY buyers are too timid to go to the product owner and say, “I don’t get it.” – Remember back in school when a kid wouldn’t raise his or her hand if they didn’t grasp something they assumed everyone else was getting? Some are also too timid to refund, believe it or not. They feel bad – like it’s their fault. ESPECIALLY newbies.

2.) Many of my subscribers voiced that they liked Jennifer personally. So what then, you have someone you respect and consider an online friend, and you g back and tell them their product wasn’t good? No – they came to me instead, asking me if I knew anything about it.

3.) The instructions were confusing in OWM – you’re told NOT to email her and elsewhere TO email her. You’re also UPSOLD on a $97 course for someone to walk you through OWM.

Now if I buy a product I expect not to have to buy another person’s (not even hers) coaching program to teach me how to use it…especially if it’s marketed widely as a product for newbies.