I buy Facebook ads from time to time. Some of you have probably seen them if you're on Facebook. If so, I apologize for that. They're not intended for my friends, but I have limited ability to control that. Nine times out of ten, I choose an audience of people who don't follow my author page as a way to keep that kind of thing down. I'm running an ad right now about my new audiobook, so I chose "audiobook listeners" as the target audience.

It's a business, you know? You write the book, you pay the upfront costs to produce the audiobook, you advertise, and you hope the numbers come out in your favor. At a few bucks a day, I am absolutely not papering social media with my little ad.

Well, I've had several message posted to my author page this afternoon complaining about the ads in a semi-literate troll-like way. One of them yelled at me about cluttering up his timeline and said he was blocking me. (Good.) My favorite was the woman who said it was non-literary trash that should be canceled like Dr. Seuss.

I'm not sure English is even their first language, so this smells a bit like foreign bots. It could also be hostile people whose political views don't align with mine, but I'm pretty circumspect online about those things, for this very reason.

There's not much harm in all this, other than it hurts my feelings more than it should. It would be more worrisome if it got out of hand to the extent that I had to take down a Facebook author page with a couple thousand followers accumulated over ten years.

Anyway, I just wanted to vent. Thanks for listening.

quote:

One of them yelled at me about cluttering up his timeline and said he was blocking me.

I'm sorry!!

I totally get that it's kind of hard to just brush it off.

I recently did a survey where I solicited responses using various online places where people who fit my target are likely to congregate (including but not limited to multiple subreddits and Facebook groups).

I had over 700 hits (which is huge in my non-big-data world), tons of people commented about how interesting it was etc., and I did not hear of any technical problems from the survey itself.

But one person on a FB group got Very Angry with me because, as he said, he spent over an hour answering my questions and then lost the survey. Which, he said, was My Fault.

Another person in a reddit group accused me of spamming (despite numerous positive comments in that particular subreddit).

Anyway, that was two out of probably 1000s who saw my survey invites. But it really stuck in my head for awhile and, as you said, bothered me more than it should have.

I'm sorry that happened to you when you were just trying to do your job, and I know you did it professionally and considerately.

You're right about the small number. I'm probably having issues with a similar proportion of people who saw the ad. It's just that this has never happened before and they were so hostile.

This is why I don't go to Reddit. Heck. I don't even go to TNCR.

It is sad that hostility has become a norm.
Sorry you got hit with all that.

What CHAS said.

I don't understand why people seem to go out of their way to be unkind and/or downright nasty.

Maybe they're having a really bad COVID year.

Thanks, Chas.

And thanks, wtg.

Like the Bible says about the poor, the stupid will always be with us. And they're all on FB.

You would not believe the amount of ads I am seeing for beachfront property and services now after a couple weeks in Orange Beach AL and the Florida Keys. Get over it and

Just.
Scroll.
By.

quote:

Heck. I don't even go to TNCR.

Ok that made me
(FWIW I don’t go there either)

Before I started posting my survey recruitment stuff on Reddit I did a fair amount of reading and got some advice from former students (i.e. young people!

Ouch, Mary Anna! For some reason, a negative comment can stick with us much more than the tons of positive comments that clearly outweigh them.

Do you remove negative comments?

I recently got a snarky question about one of my designs. I answered *very* politely, but it really bothered me. I decided to remove the comment and my reply several days later, but when I looked, it was already gone. But I would have removed it. My page, my domain.

“They can kill you but they can’t eat you.” Its a goofy sentiment but it’s appropriate here.

I’d just scroll right on by.

quote:

Originally posted by AdagioM:
Do you remove negative comments?

Yes, I removed them. It's my page and it promotes my business. Why should I leave something there that would give a negative impression to potential readers, even if anybody with eyes can see that these people's hostility had nothing to do with me?

I don't really get negative comments on the page from reasonable people who just want to express valid criticism. If I did, I'm not sure what I'd do about that. Again, it's a promotional site. I might take it down but, then again, I wouldn't want to offend an actual reader who just has something to say. It would just depend on the circumstances.

Most actual readers who have something critical to say do it on Amszon, which is probably why I haven't had to deal with it.

If you can delete it, that's certainly the way to go. You have no obligation to endanger even one sale by leaving up derogatory messages.

quote:

Originally posted by Mikhailoh:
If you can delete it, that's certainly the way to go. You have no obligation to endanger even one sale by leaving up derogatory messages.

Good to hear. I don't want to cravenly protect myself, but I don't feel like I have an obligation to host their opinions. There are other places to post them, like Amazon.

quote:

Originally posted by Mary Anna:

quote:

Originally posted by Mikhailoh:
If you can delete it, that's certainly the way to go. You have no obligation to endanger even one sale by leaving up derogatory messages.

Good to hear. I don't want to cravenly protect myself, but I don't feel like I have an obligation to host their opinions. There are other places to post them, like Amazon.

Totally agree here. The internet has given people the feeling that every opinion of theirs is so important that it must be shared with the masses. And has taken away the face-to-face feeling that they should be polite. It’s like coming into your living room and pooping on the rug.