What Are Valid Reasons for Disapproving Requested Comments?
Hi, Everyone...
As I have been using the comment feature of the platform recently, I thought it might be good to make a few as opposed to just using all my credits up (I still have well over 600 credits, but I like to have a healthy reserve)...
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Background:
I had stopped making or requesting comments due to a lack of time and also it seemed like the quality was going down of comments received.
I am the kind of person that will make something out of nothing if possible, and often I do. If the comment can be saved by the reply I write, I will approve it in spite of questionable quality. I am talking relevance here, that is where most of the questionable comments fall...
Note...
There have been times when the commenter disagreed or questioned the points of my post and stated this in their comment, but more often the comment I was debating not approving lacked completely any relevance to the subject of the post.
Sometimes it seemed like the commenter was just reaching the 50-word minimum as quickly as possible so they could move on to the next and cash in.
I even disapproved a couple of such comments if I remember right.
Never did I disapprove of a comment for a difference of opinion though. Rather, I used that to expand on why I took the position I did in the post.
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Why am I bringing all this up?
I just had one of my comments disapproved!
Even as I wrote the comment the other day I felt that there was a good chance that this could happen, as I took a contrarian position, but I was honest with my words and thoughts.
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WHAT WAS THE COMMENT AND THE REASON FOR DISAPPROVAL YOU ASK?
So glad you asked!
Below I have added my comment and the reason for disapproval.
I will not go into the post subject nor who the disapproval came from, that is immaterial, this is just for a teaching point...
Copied and pasted from the email I received notifying me of the disapproval:
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SUBJECT: Notification of Disapproval Email Content:
Hi David,
Oops, the following comment was not approved by the person that you submitted it to.
My comment that was disapproved:
"Thanks for the review. I found myself a bit confused as you ran through the details of the Mastering Book Publishing course. The author/developer obviously has a lot of irons in the fire so to speak. Having over a million subscribers on YouTube means he is likely cashing in monetizing that channel.
Add to that the course you reviewed and the other affiliate course he offers at $495 and this is what I am talking about. The transition to recommending Wealthy Affiliate is the thing that confused me. The course you are reviewing is a completely different business model.
I guess the tie-in would be the affiliate course that is sold by the same person? Anyway, just wanted to let you know how I felt as I was reading through the review. The scam headline caught my attention, that is a typical click-bait sort of title that catches eyes, haha.
Based on the diverse areas of online businesses this guy is into, I would be hesitant to buy from him. I think he is leveraging the YouTube position to cash in (the price for the affiliate course is pretty expensive I think). Perhaps after viewing some of his videos my mind could be changed.
You have helped me with this review. I have some KDP low-content books published but want to carry that a step further. Thanks again and have a great day! "
OK Now for the reason it was disapproved:
The following reason was noted as the reason for this happening.
"A comment is of a feedback nature and is not related to my business. I don't want to approve comments from this person as they are irrelevant and repetitive."
This can happen on occasion and when it does, you shouldn't be too upset by it. Rather you should consider the reason why it was disapproved and make the appropriate changes to the way you comment moving forward.
End of email...
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My initial thought: Yes indeed, this can happen and it did!
I looked carefully through the comment I wrote and I guess we will have to agree to disagree.
Questions:
1 - Is it controversial to ask about the title of the post, especially when you realize that what you came for is not what you get?
2 - Isn't that feedback, and maybe valuable feedback?
3 - What was controversial? The word "scam" is in my opinion...
4 - Using the word "scam" was not only in this blog post title but in more - I looked at some of the other posts on the site, and many had that trigger word in them, so I consider that to be a relevant point (I did not read them, maybe everything the person is reviewing is a scam?).
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My Thoughts On That Word...
The word SCAM is often abused from what I have seen by some people.
It is useful for a bait-and-switch sales technique - i.e. this XXXX is crap but what I have is not (although what the person "has" may be largely or totally unrelated to what the reader came to read about)...
Pointing this out can help someone realize they are inadvertently perhaps using such a technique.
If it was by design I would never trust any recommendation that person might make.
People are not stupid these days, they see through such tactics.
Personally, I would not use the "scam" nor the "bait-and-switch" tactics, there are more effective marketing tactics that do better on the "smell" scale...
I will leave to your imagination how the continuum runs on that scale - think a bed of flowers, and think a porta-potty - you get the point...
One example - Using a "Points of difference" approach allows you to maintain an objective perspective for readers.
They will not feel as if you are trying to trick them...Because you aren't.
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Moral Dilemmas...
Do you take the chance of a disapproved comment and provide a pablum sort of soft comment that does nothing to really dig down into the subject at hand but meets the approval of the author or do you call it like you see it and take the risk of a disapproved comment?
The choice I made (obviously) was to go in the direction of providing honest feedback. I knew there was a good chance that this person would disapprove. There are several authors who I will not make comments on any of their posts for this very reason.
It is called ethics for me. I had to be straight.
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Bottom Line:
I chose the high road and would do so again.
What I learned is that I have another author to add to my list of authors that I will not make any comments for their blog posts. I will not compromise on what I consider to be tactics that are less than forthright.
If I provide pablum (a vanilla comment that they are looking for) I am contributing to the problem. I am not that desperate for the approval of a comment. I will take the "hit" and move on...
I did think that this might be a good teaching point, so decided to create a short (?) post on the subject. I have done so in the past, and obviously, it has not made much difference, but who knows, this might reach a few souls!
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What Has Been Your Experience? Is The Comment Feature Useful & What Reasons Have You Been Given For Disapproval of Comments?
OK, go with your experiences in the comments below, please!
Let's scratch the scab off this wound that will not heal (comments - good, bad, and huh?) and see if we can open the eyes for all (including me)!
Also:
Was I too harsh with my comment, and was it in the "disapproval" range or was there just some hurt feelings in play do you think?
Hope all are having a great day, here in Dubai we are enjoying the cooler temps - yesterday the high was 25 C - wow is that nice!
Cheers!
Coach Dave
Recent Comments
48
It was a good teaching moment. I fail to understand why your comment was not approved, but I am outside looking in, and the website owner obviously holds sway over what they will approve or not.
I did comment when the program first came out and have been avoiding the platform since then. Mostly because I did not like the comments that I got back, but I did not disprove them.
The program is better now and I have recently started adding comments (started today), so we will see where it goes.
Alex
Hey there, Alex...
I am glad that you decided to give the platform another chance. There will always be things that are not 100% as you wish them to be, compromise and making the best use possible while minimizing the irritants may be best...
Good luck and thanks for adding your input here!
Cheers!
Coach Dave : )
Not good or bad but if it's ALL out of honesty and authors don't see it as such then it's best to move on to the next instead of having to feel the need to "sugar coat it" to make the reader feel less threatened, maybe? 🤔
Anyway, thanks for the share.
Myra
Hi, Myra...
Yes, you are right, better to move on from the post - there are a limited number of authors that have oversized egos or are too thin-skinned to take any questioning (adoration only please!!)...
Just track them, and click through when their requests come up That way you can continue to use and get the benefits of the comments and not have to put up with the silliness...
Cheers!
Coach Dave : )
Hi Dave,
Not having read the content you provided a review makes it tough to come to my own conclusion accurately why yours was disapproved.
Given that, there were three things I noticed.
1) On first reading your comment I found it difficult to understand it and had to read it several times.
2) It was longer than any comments I’ve given.
3) Parts of your comment had the qualities of feedback.
If I received a comment similar to what you gave, I wouldn’t disapprove it for the first two points. However, when I see feedback, it would tip the scale towards disapproval.
When I provide comments, I look for the kinds of comments the author requested. Usually I stick to that. I never comment on the quality of what they wrote, or the appropriateness of the title or anything else. If they request questions I do ask them in a manner to help me understand more about the topic. If they ask for experience on the topic, and I have those, I tell them. In this way I keep my responses relevant to what they requested.
Look at me preaching to the choir! Since you have given many more comments than I have, you know all of this. So forgive me for writing like that. Since you asked I felt compelled to elaborate a bit.
Thanks for sharing your experience as it will be helpful to the members, as it was to me.
Cheers!
Edwin
HI, Edwin...
Thanks for the thorough analysis and your take on this evergreen issue. I was busy for months (over a year?) and pretty much away from this platform...
The same issue (comment feature) that was in play back then (before leaving) is the issue today (for some - many have checked out of using the feature due to the anomalies as can be seen from the comments here)...
Yeah, the feedback versus comment seems to be the overriding reason most people say they might disapprove of the comment. I don't know, my site feedback interpretation (and comment interpretation) is a bit different perhaps.
I cannot compromise on a comment, giving loving admiration for information that is presented in a misleading manner. The sleight of hand just does not sit well with me...
In any case, I do appreciate your take on this!
Cheers!
Coach Dave : )
See more comments
I, personally would welcome comments like you gave...even if they felt offensive at first or hurt my feelings. Vanilla comments are not helpful.
I've only had one comment disapproved and I was shocked. I tried to think back to what I wrote and couldn't quite remember. It was several weeks later before I realized it. The reason given was my comment didn't add anything valuable to the conversation. I would never purposely give a comment I didn't think was relevant, but I sometimes read a post that I'm not sure how to respond to for one reason or another.
But I will do my best to stay true to myself and not only give comments that I know will be approved. Thanks for showing me it's okay to be honest and even a bit critical at times when you think it can help; when you consider it to be constructive.
Lynn
Hi There, Lynn!
I imagine that feeling of having that comment disapproved was a little bit of shock for sure.
The reason may be that you put your effort into making the comment it all the check blocks and boom - it is not good enough?
Especially when you remember how many sub-par comments that you may have let slide through, even if you knew they likely could be disapproved...
These sort of borderline comments I often "save" with my reply. I can take a tiny bit of value and expand on it to make accepting the comment okay...
In any case, thanks so much for adding in your opinion and thoughts here. Group discussions can be helpful if conducted n a civil manner...
Cheers!
Coach Dave : )