Courtesy to All

As somebody who hashurt peoples’ feelings over the years with direct, unfeeling commentary, I havetried to mend my ways.

Here is the process I follow.

Review the post, site, etc. and try to give the bestfeedback possible using the criteria provided by WA.

What if you notice a problem?

Sometimes there might be display issues that are distractingand possibly damaging to the site owner’s image. Or you may see a spellingerror so egregious that it could be bad for their business. What do I do?

Use Private Message!

Did you ever have a boss who corrected you in front of yourcolleagues? Felt great, didn’t it?

I don’t believe you should “go public” withyour comments when there might be a potential for embarrassment. Instead, usethe Private Message button and let the site owner know there is a problem thatthey probably want to correct right away.

Use Humor and/or Empathize

Make sure you identify with the issue. If it hasn’t happenedto you yet, it probably will. It’s also a chance to learn so you might preventthe same problem on your site.

I believe in self-deprecating humor to reach myaudience. If you are uncomfortable with that, at least empathize. You might bewalking in the same shoes soon.

Include Link(s)

As I recently learned, it is essential to have the link thatevidences the issue. That can be critical information you want to include.

Howdo I know? I didn’t do that in my communication and then had to go back to getit for my colleague.

Enough of my blathering (see what I did there?).

All my best,

-Steve