Dealing with social media

leatherback said:
Dear All,

Many of us are on social media, and post about our trees and their progress. I am sure several of you have encountered idiotic remarks of people clearly not understanding what is going on. Recently I have noticed an uptick in very harsh, insulting, personal comments to the point I feel like just not posting anymore. "Moron with double ulcers" is one of them. "Die like you kill this tree" is another that comes to mind. The posters were blocked from my account, but I also realize people who just want to troll make a new account and continue.

I was wondering whether who has experience with this, and how you deal with this.

J.
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A lot of other YouTubers I sub to literally don't read comments at all. The one in particular that comes to mind has nothing to do with bonsai at all but it still applies. I'm sorry to hear this is a thing for you. I literally can not fathom the level of sadness one has to reach to be compelled to troll a bonsai video yet the Internet and humanity in general never fails to disappoint.
 
Just look at all the positive comments that you have on your videos compares to the negative ones, I am sure the positive ones are 100x more. Idiots will always be idiots and you know you cant please everyone and every aspects of life will have these idiots. Just laugh at them and dont reply.
 
Cruiser said:
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
What an unusual thing to call someone.

View attachment 511319

View attachment 511320
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Yeah, it is odd. And even worse: I had to translate it, as it was not in English!

Youtube shifted some of these to spamfolder and I had the brainfart moment to look into the spam. (Good I did because there was an actual comment I was waiting for; linking to an example video for me). In any case. There was a slew of stupidly rude comments there
 
Stick with it mate, your videos are great and I’d hate to see you give up creating content because of idiots. I haven’t experienced it but can imagine just how deep it cuts, I’d try to laugh it off - how sad of a life must they have to take the time to engage
 
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It is a shame that people resort to that level of toxicity, but with any degree of popularity in any given community(congrats on the almost 20k subs and 500k views on the trunk thickening vid!) there will be internet randoms and trash talk. For the bonsai world, you are quickly becoming popular, so there are bound to be random haters across the internet. Like @jandslegate mentioned, I think that MOST youtubers past a point of popularity don't read comments at all for this reason.

Even if one has thick skin with respect to brushing off toxic commentary, past a certain threshold it DOES begin to affect anybody, similar to water torture.

My best advice is to try and schedule a time, perhaps once every 2 weeks or once a month, to glance at and react to comments to keep your engagement up (youtube algorithm stuff), and focus on your craft and engagement with the inner circle of your community.

Haters and trolls always come as a part of success on any social media platform. Insulate yourself a bit to keep your sanity, and keep up the good work.
 
It takes two to fight- Don't fight with Pigs in the Mud, You get Dirty and the Pigs Love It!
It is not worth your effort acknowledging them, the World is Full of Idiots

My Mom's side of my family hails from Ingolstadt in Bravaria, came to USA in 1895, It is on my Bucket List to visit
 
Sorry to hear you and others are going through this unnecessary crap.

Unfortunately as stated throughout this thread, social media outlets can be a rough avenue.
There are always going to be “tough-guy” wannabes, and “keyboard tough-guys”, that probably live in their Mommy & Daddy’s basement and have no REAL LIFE of their own. So they get their jollies by being A-Holes to others.
As difficult as it may be, just ignore the morons. Block them and/or turn off comments on YT.
Be well, as you are a true asset to the community!
Ben
 
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Comments in a Spam folder may have just been written by bots. Nothing to fuss about. Turning comments off means they win.
 
leatherback said:
Dear All,

Many of us are on social media, and post about our trees and their progress. I am sure several of you have encountered idiotic remarks of people clearly not understanding what is going on. Recently I have noticed an uptick in very harsh, insulting, personal comments to the point I feel like just not posting anymore. "Moron with double ulcers" is one of them. "Die like you kill this tree" is another that comes to mind. The posters were blocked from my account, but I also realize people who just want to troll make a new account and continue.

I was wondering whether who has experience with this, and how you deal with this.

J.
Click to expand...
I agree with people that advise to ignore them. A lot of other comments are useful for a lot of people. And btw I never realized till now that leatherback is Jelle on Youtube :D. I'm watching your vids for a long time, awesome down to earth and very beginner friendly content!
 
Hi Jelle, over the last couple of years I have also received a load of troll comments (tromments ?) and I sometimes read them because they give me a good laugh! Then I delete them, most of them anyway.

When they insult you personally, it is always the troll who has a problem - sad losers and cowards. When they insult your work, or bonsai in general, it's because they are ignorant, uneducated, and lost... like conspiracy theorists. So, have a laugh at them, delete the tromment and move on!
 
Jelle, I also didn't realize you were Leatherback! I've been watching your YouTube videos all summer! Not only are you great at bonsai, but I love to hear you speak. I have several cousins yet in the Netherlands and it is very "gezellig" to hear you, it reminds me of them.
 
bluesky said:
Hi Jelle, over the last couple of years I have also received a load of troll comments (tromments ?) and I sometimes read them because they give me a good laugh! Then I delete them, most of them anyway.

When they insult you personally, it is always the troll who has a problem - sad losers and cowards. When they insult your work, or bonsai in general, it's because they are ignorant, uneducated, and lost... like conspiracy theorists. So, have a laugh at them, delete the tromment and move on!
Click to expand...
Good to see you, also back on YT this weekend!
 
Oh and btw I got another tromment this morning saying the usual - tree torture, bondage, trees are sentient, etc... it's usually on the air/ground layer videos that get more views..
so this might help you to consider: those comments show that the YT algorithm is widening your video's audience to new viewers so (knowing that there will always be trolls out there) you should consider the tromments to be a sign that the video has been successful!
 
bluesky said:
Oh and btw I got another tromment this morning saying the usual - tree torture, bondage, trees are sentient, etc... it's usually on the air/ground layer videos that get more views..
so this might help you to consider: those comments show that the YT algorithm is widening your video's audience to new viewers so (knowing that there will always be trolls out there) you should consider the tromments to be a sign that the video has been successful!
Click to expand...
Gues that is also a view yeah.

buuut.. Your videos are always utmost relaxed and respectfu
 
As a long-time newspaper reporter, lemme welcome you to the world of mass media exposure. 😁

I've been writing for about four decades for one type of newspaper or another--a substantial period of which was pre-internet. The vicious, obnoxious insane commentary has always been around. I Used to get threats of physical violence, as well as threats from lawyers about coverage (which were based on simple facts in stories that their clients simply didn't like--not because of any legal basis).

It was comforting back then to know it took some effort to make such threats, you had to sit down with a pen or a typewriter and write, get an envelope and devote a stamp and a trip to the mailbox. Now all it takes in a second or two at a keyboard. The Internet has been a boon for lazy people (mind and body).

When I get crazy ass comments on whatever on news stories, I mostly ignore them (unless they contain actual physical or legal threats, then I have to pay a bit more attention.) The kinds of comments are like funny baseball cards for journalists--who's got the craziest, the nastiest, etc. Some are quite hilarious and most are incredibly dimwitted. There is solace in most of the people making idiotic comments are pretty much complete morons, or schizophrenic assholes.

Bottom line, unless you get a message from a Miami mob boss threatening your family, let the shit slide off your back.
 
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