How Do You Handle A Flaming On Your Blog?

Flaming happens when someone (possibly a commenter) attacks someone else (possibly you) on your blog. It is typically very personal and vicious and can offend not only the concerned parties but also the other subscribers on your blog. No matter how careful you are with your posts, it can still happen, hence it is important that you know how to handle it. Some bloggers actually post written policies (or disclaimers) about inappropriate behavior on their site, which then enables them to remove offending posts (or totally ban a certain IP address) without complication.

Handling Flaming Properly

When one of your readers attacks another reader of your blog, then you had better do steps on handling the situation immediately. Failing to handle this situation will appear as if you are condoning such behavior. If you are serious about your blog, then you will want to show your readers that you value them – you need to make sure that they are not attacked while participating in a discussion on your site.

The first thing you should do is to delete the flaming post. Once you’ve done this, you can contact the person who was attacked and let them know of your actions. You should also apologize for the offense and assure them that you will do your best to avoid flaming the next time.  Next, you will want to contact the poster and inform them that you cannot tolerate such behavior on your blog. You can issue a warning or if the post is extremely offensive, then you can permanently ban them from the site.

What If Someone Is Flaming You?

Personal attacks directed at you (the blogger) must also be addressed correctly. You need to protect yourself from such action in the same way you would protect your readers. You will also need to show that you accept feedback (both positive and negative), but you have to draw the line between pure feedback and flaming.

You can follow the steps mentioned above, or you can follow Darrel Rowse’s method: RESPOND. Some flamers just wish to attract attention to their site and would make controversial remarks on your posts. You may choose to debunk the flamer’s “claims” but do it as articulately as possible. Also, it helps to remind your readers the proper behavior in interacting on your site. By doing this, you can promote a healthy environment where you and your readers can discuss (or debate) issues without fear of rising to the level of inappropriate behavior.