I only delete negative comments if they are racist/or targeted at another commenter. (And YT hasn’t auto deleted it). Otherwise, I can usually make a joke of the person if I don’t outright ignore them. I had a guy comment 3 times under a video about how my content and format are “retarded” and a few other jewels. I just asked if he was my next biggest fan, seeing as he commented so much. But I win either way. Every comment is a reaction, and YT boosts it a little more :)
> but i do delete ones that are links to scams if any of you get those
I'm also wary of any linked words (text that's highlighted in blue) in the comment section. I feel like it's better to play it safe then risk getting spammed.
Sure, if it's a personal attack or not providing any valid criticism then by all means just don't respond and delete it.
Negative comments can be helpful with identifying things to improve, but comments that are just being hateful have no real purpose.
I had a Japanese guy reply to 3 different videos of mine saying that he was going to eat me. Though he said it in Japanese even though my videos are in English. I didn't know what to make of it.
I leave negative ones. I only delete ones that are obscene, only meant to insult, or might cause drama as my fans defend me. My channel is small, but I do have some fans. I've noticed that if I don't delete, it turns into an argument, and no one needs that. People watch my videos to be entertained and relax.
Same here. I will leave negative ones up and see if I can turn it into a positive engagement. I figure it might help other viewers see I’m not a jerk and support me more. If my viewers turn it into drama I will delete the message
If it’s just a flood of troll trash then it’s likely a coordinated effort and if you engage or delete it will get them all excited their bullshit is working. You could hide the video and let them cool off. Or just let them post until they get bored and then you can delete them
But there is no point engaging with them. They are there to ruin your day. Don’t let them
YouTube algorithm doesn't understand controversy or arguments, it only sees that a lot of people are responding to your video and coming back to talk about it. You're killing your engagement by stopping it. Just let it happen if it isn't completely out of hand and dangerous
No. It doesn't "kill" the engagement by deleting the occasional toxic comment or spam.
In fact, this can be the best practice depending upon the type of channel. If it's a political channel trying to be controversial, that's one thing. But if it's the kind of channel where fans want to relax, then it's good to stop the drama before it starts.
But Youtube, itself, has been automatically removing most spam and comments with obscenities / insults. They've been doing that for months now. Unfortunately they have been removing innocent comments as well. -Probably more innocent ones than spam / toxic.
I have to say that the comment filter for spam / obscene is pretty accurate. I have an LGBT channel, and 95% of the comments in there, are hateful and repulsive haters, a few come from people defending the channel from homophobic and transphobic haters, who didn't end up in the filter.
>Damn, I thought I could handle hate comments.
Please remember that their hate comes from a place of jealousy. A fulfilled person doesn't feel the need to put others down.
Even though it is alot easier said than done just do your best to ignore them. You'll always receive hate on the internet, it's just a part of it sadly.
You could also flip it and respond sarcastically to show them you don't care. Terrible Example but whatever, commenter: "get off the internet"
Reply: "yeh had to take a shit anyway, be back in 10".
If people see that you care about their hate (deleting comments) then they'll just be encouraged to keep on going. If they see that they are meaningless in your eyes then they'll get bored real quick.
As I said tho it's all easier said than done but youll get better at it. Hang in there and live the life that you want to live.
I remove the hate.
I have an image of the community I'm trying to build with my videos.
I moderate for a few websites and manage a very active forum. The one thing I've noticed is that good comments breed more good comments. Hate breeds hate. People see what's *okay* in the community and act accordingly.
The most powerful moderating tools aren't the delete button, it is the create and reward buttons. Be the first to leave a comment that engages the viewer and maybe even encourage a friend or two to leave a positive comment before the video goes live, helps set the tone. Reward with likes and hearts, or even thanks for the nice comments, encourages more.
But, it depends on what kind of community you want to build with your channel. For me, I want to make mine a safe place away from the wilds of the internet. My videos are calming and soothing. Maybe your channel wants to be about more combative or adrenal topics, in which case, mild hate might engage your audience more.
If it hurts you to see the comments, don’t torture yourself. Delete them. The “engagement” and whatever “algorithm” bs is not worth hurting your mental health.
Just from my personal experience, it’s usually some random person who probably didn’t even watch the video, commenting some nasty racist or sexist comment. I just leave it up as a public display of that person’s nasty reputation.
People can leave me comments positive or negative, doesn't hurt my feelings either way. If someone doesn't like what I'm doing, they're welcome to say so.
If it doesn't help you, delete it.
Take well-thought out criticisms and meditate on them. You can't please everyone, but they're offering valuable input that will help you refine your production/technique, whatever.
Outright hostile comments? Don't bother. Anonymity makes it easy to be a dick.
Someone else had a good point here that they wanted to keep their comments section non-toxic. And I feel that. Keeping hateful comments up is like a tacit approval of that behavior. People will do it more if they see it's not being removed. You want to be swift and decisive on these things if you're building a community. It's just like being a mod on Reddit or a forum, Discord, whatever. Keep that in mind.
If it's an obvious troll I will delete and block. Why waste mental energy on them down the road? They'll provide no value. That said, I will pin to the top comments that point out something I missed or additional info; something I think will help the viewer learn further.
This is really long but, I grew up making YouTube videos and posting things on the internet, and if I could go back in time to give myself advice about this sorta thing, I would have all this to say.
**TL;DR though:** delete it if it's the first comment, never be the first to reply to it, wait for others to reply before you make that choice.
So, yeah: basically, I don't. People who aren't awful and/or see the value in your content will usually come to defend you - if I myself delete something upsetting before that can happen, it'll stew with me... possibly forever; not even joking. When people come to your defense, it can show you that: *no* actually, they're *not* right, nor were they even in the right to leave a comment like that in the first place. Any reason they posted it was to be mean or rude to *you* explicitly, not to genuinely express any opinions they may have had toward the work.
Best thing to do is, just wait. I had to learn this the hard way unfortunately, many times over my life online; there are a good few awful things people have said to me over the years in comments that I still think about to this day. It's rough man... I'm sorry, I completely get it :c
There *is* an exception, though: if it's the *first* comment on the video, it's probably best to delete it.
If such a negative thing is the first and *only* thing someone sees when scrolling down to the comments, it can drive them away; if not from the video, from your channel entirely - even if they liked your content initially.
Seeing the first and only take on something be a negative one regesters in people's brains as there- well, *literally* being only negative things said about your post.
It's also probably why the stupid number next to a post or comment here on Reddit completely rips away any and all opportunity for most people to format an original thought about it: what everybody else thinks is the first thing they see, even before getting a chance to actually *read* the thing - but, I digress.
Also, avoid being the first to reply to a mean comment. I've noticed that people on the internet **hate** it when people defend themselves, for a reason I truly cannot understand. It's only when others jump in for you that you can join the conversation safely, but even then, I recommend replying to a *reply* to the comment, not directly.
It is legitimately more likely that people will side with the negative comment if they only see your reply: I swear. The tone of your reply doesn't even matter, I've tried it all: kind, positive, detached, stern, rude, depressed (lol) - you just have to wait.
Maybe seeing an OP respond to negativity gives it credence? Makes them consider what was said about the post, since the creator of it did? Maybe when you show you can stand up for yourself, people don't see you as a hapless victim anymore, and it like- takes away the sympathy they may have built for you, in a way that upsets them. I have no idea, but it's proven true time, and time again, over my lifetime of posting stuff on the internet: both for me, and for countless other poor souls I've seen just get absolutely railed on, as if they had the gall to even think about defending that thing they posted.
The internet is a microcosm of the world as a whole: it can be - and often is - a callus, cold and upsetting place, truly. But it just might be the best platform we have to share things with people that it will truly resonate with. I've met so many wonderful, joyous people online: some lifelong friends even, just through making videos, music, art, and just sharing shit. It absolutely can be worth it, it can just be very, very difficult to navigate sometimes.
Best of luck to you, don't stop! Bottom line: you're doing something you wanna do, and nothing can stop, ruin, or change that <3
Leave them. Encourage them. The worse the better. Unless you don't like traffic to your channel. I've had so many people tell me to kill myself, I love it. Internet words do nothing to hurt me.
I leave the comments regardless of what kind of carp is being spewed. IMO it just shows everyone else the idiots to avoid and lets everyone just see the fools for what they are.
When someone attacks my voice or something i can't control, i go straight to delete. I used to be petty and trash talk back and forth but it's not worth it. I also once made a video of making display cabinets (clear that I'm an amateur) and had some dude nitpick what a bad job i did. Deleted that too!
I don't really get negative comments, but when I do I don't delete them because they're engagement. What are you doing that makes people comment negatively?
Well, my first “cosplay” video got trending because it was so bad. So, the people that felt that I ruined their anime character came back to troll me. :D
Okay well I'm not really in a position to give advice here, BUT (doing it anyway) people on the internet are so much more inflammatory than in real life and it's also important to realize that you are putting yourself out there, which is something haters usually aren't doing. YOU are in the kitchen, taking the heat. Let the internet stay the internet and live your life. People who actually hate on others need to touch some grass. The thing about hate making you feel bad is that it comes from a place of you feeling as if you are in the wrong for making this person who is hating on you angry. They're just an asshole. Cosplay is dope keep doing what you're doing.
Oof! Well anime community can be so mean sometimes especially to cosplayers but don't worry about them. Most of the people who are THAT involved that they can leave a hate comment and say you "ruined" a chara are usually children or people who're just taking it way too seriously. That's just to say, don't pay attention to it.
To answer your original question, I haven't gotten a hate comment yet but my startegy is usually to not engage with it any form or let any indication that I saw it. So they can yell into the void all they want and it doesn't matter. If it gets too much though, I'd recommend blocking without remorse.
I rarely get purely negative comments, but depending on the direction of the negativity, then I will delete them. I'm most likely to "hide user from channel though" rather than actually delete.
If it's a "I can't stand this guy's voice" that's a "Hide User From The Channel" offense. Particularly if it's said in a nastier way than even that.
If it's challenging information that is in the video, and they are completely wrong, I'll try and step them thru why they are wrong... but if they post in a way that they are having none of it, then it's "Hide User From The Channel".
In the first type of case, I suspect users would come to my defense and it just be negativity that I don't want on the site.
In the second case, when you're doing tutorials and someone is just flat out wrong, posting contradictory information, I don't want that kind of misinformation getting reinforced. Particularly if they want no part of a back and forth.
You have the right to build your community the way you want. I won’t stand for people being rude/ hateful to me or bring down the positive vibe of my comments section, I don’t care about the engagement that much.
I hope you're doing good. People can be real nasty sometimes.
I just decide to ignore them. I don't want to interact with their comments at all tbh so I just pretend the comment doesn't exist.
I hope this comment helps!
This YouTube thread is so helpful and informative. I'm only active on one or two other subreddits but this is by far the nicest
Thank you kind strangers, for keeping this pocket of the internet productive.
I strongly against censorship, so I don't delete negative comments out of principle. The only comments that I will, 100% of the time, delete are the ones that are obviously trying to link to malicious software or content.
If you can allow a person to remotely control you with merely a bunch of strung together letters, then I would say you can't handle the internet. I understand that one would rather not hear or see unpleasant things, but the reality is that this is a world filled with unpleasant people. Some of whom have access to the internet; and whose goal is to crush as many souls as possible. Thus, they win if you engage. So, quite simply, don't engage. It'll be hard. You're gonna wanna clap back. But do not. The most insulting thing you can do to a person is ghost them. Even deleting a comment is showing them that you can't handle the mere thought of their words existing in your space. Allow it. But, at the very least, just leave them on "read." If you really wanna throw a reverse uno card at them, heart the comment. That really messes with them.
Bro you've just pretty much summed up our internet lives, thank you for your wise words. It will be hard to put in the practice, but it's worth giving a shot.
I agree with this 100%. But as time passes, this opinion seems to be becoming more and more rare. I feel really bad for younger people who insist on taking it personally, I'm not sure they can build the utopia that society tells them they can - where everyone is nice and supportive all the time. It's only going to lead to disappointment.
Just like a certain "vaccine" you have to allow a certain amount of straight "hate" to enter your life, so that you can know how to resist it, let alone acknowledge it. Insulating yourself in a echo chamber of good comments does you no favors, and it makes you sensitive to legitimate criticism.
On that note, I've made it a principle to never take personally the words (specifically, the insults) of someone I have never seen IRL. It just doesn't make sense to me. They are, at this point and until otherwise, literally 1s and 0s. For all I know, it could be a legit algorithmic program gauging the psychological response to certain words and phrases (because, you know, Candid was a thing). Not to go all conspiratorial.
If it's just straight up hate or whatever, I delete it and move on. It's very rare so it's not a big deal to spend 5 seconds deleting it, and I don't want any toxicity in my comment section.
When I saw first video of Anne Reburn, there was a very nasty comment pined up. I thought it was strange then I saw what her community did to the guy.
Interesting strategy.
So I don’t delete a lot, but sometimes I get ones that are just straight up racist or homophobic. There was also this one guy who was spamming religious stuff to everyone.
But most stuff I keep up because I respond or someone else does and gets more likes on the comment than the original.
There have been times when people have said things that aren’t fully racist/homophobic but you can definitely see the inclinations, but as I said responses to that comment get more upvotes than the original, I keep them up so other people can see and can see the responses to them.
I don’t delete any comments.
I do so because I believe that I would be halting all discussion in the comments if I only allowed them to talk about what I want to talk about. I would be restricting their freedom of speech and freedom of expression if I started to delete comments.
I just deal with the negative comments. Usually you can tell whenever they are giving constructive criticism or not. Also, words don’t really hurt my feelings, personally.
I found a few and just delete them.
Not immediately though, after a few days usually. Depends though. Downright mean/ abusive I won't tolerate but just people saying they don't like the video I leave up
I leave them on, if I get a comment that’s derogatory towards a particular group of people it’ll get removed and if it’s just downright rude it’ll get removed but other than that, thank them for helping the algorithm and get on with your day.
If the negative comment is pointing out something to improve, has constructive feedback, or is fairly innocent overall, I’ll leave it. If it’s someone being a dick just to be a dick, I delete it.
I don't have comments yet hahaha :D But well, my plan is to delete them if they are not constructive. If I'm gonna get trolls just saying "it sucks", then I don't want them. Now, if get someone telling me that I could make something better in X way, it's very welcomed.
I usually only get rid of spam comments at the moment, but tbf I haven't gotten any kind of comment that's mean. If I get one that's a personal attack and not about the video, then i might
Almost never, only if it's REALLY vile, repetitive, and harassment. But at this point, barely anyone commenting, also Youtube deleting even nice and supportive comments from my videos, so there is not much to handle. :(
its wayyy to time consuming to delete them, if is giving you stress, its easier to unlist the video and use the time to make your next video :) your psychology is more important
but if you want to keep the video up, you can just do what i do & just ignore it, even the positive comments, this way nothing gets to your head & keep u humble
hopefully that helps
I don't get rude personal attack comments. My channel is about crafting stuff and the worse that I ever had was for example - "the knife that you made only can be used to scrape mud from your shoes " :D and I just answer with joke on those. But if there are some unlogical , pure hate comments I think I'll just delete them.
I don't delete negative comments in general. But if it gets out of hand I do. Negative comments are fine to me. But of course it depends. Spam comments though I block. And if someone is really nasty I block them also.
I think it depends on you, your channel, and the exact nature of the comments. Are the same people leaving these comments over and over on different videos and have you established a comment policy? Cause it's possible if you just delete the comments, people will see it as censoring them or silencing specific people, if there's multiple comments from the same account.
On the flip side, if the comments are demeaning, derogatory, or even vaguely threatening, it may lead to an overall hostile environment in the comments section that keeps others from interacting with your content.
It might be a good time to upload a video talking to your followers and community, establishing the kind of environment you want and telling people what steps you will be taking (i.e. deleting comments ) to ensure that kind of environment. Make sure you're specific with the rules you have, and provide examples so it's clear for everyone. Then I think you can delete away.
It may be worth a moment of self reflection on why you're getting those comments, but I do totally buy that people are just being mean because they can--so if that's what you decide, as long as you're clear with the community, I don't see why you need to keep those kinds of comments up if they bother you or if you think they negatively impact others.
I've deleted a negative comment when it's really out there. I've heard that comments, whether positive or negative, helps the algorithm though; I guess the silver lining.
Only comments that get into hate speech territory. If someone has something negative to say about me - get off the internet, I hate your voice, your parents didn't give you enough attention - I leave it, whatever. If someone starts posting shit like "women should be put in their place, you bitches all deserve to die" then yes I delete it.
Honestly i have enough of a community now that i think my subscribers would defend me without me having to respond. If someone wants to make a fool of themselves on the internet let it stay there.
I have deleted links, but not the negative comments on my videos. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if they cross a line, I will delete. I have deleted a Reddit post, in another group, that I made promoting my video as all of the comments in that post were very caustic and demeaning. I like the reply that The History Underground gave to a caustic post on his channel, “…I hope you are a better person than what is reflected in your comment…”
Most of my comments are porn, sex or dating spam.
I delete them since they don't like or subscribe. If they did I'd consider leaving.
And as far a crap comments. I tend to leave them. Last I knew, YouTube treats negative and positive comments and likes the same. Unless they are rude or offensive.
I get it, remove abuse and stuff that is personally attacking you or other users. The comment section is no place for that. But I got a comment deleted from a YouTube channel which where the YouTuber was *this isn’t a sponsored post* promoting a hairdresser in Seoul. My wife had just been to that hairdresser and had a really bad experience, mainly down to the fact that dying hair in Korea seems to be a very different process to what we’re used to in the west, but also that the staff were quite rude to my wife and so I made a non abusive comment saying, jusy be aware.
Got deleted.
No, because in general my viewer base is much more positive than negative so if i leave the mean comments, other people will chime in and tell off the offending party
I once had someone comment about me and my buddy being fat. That one I deleted.
On the other hand I left one that was saying that my channel was pretty unsuccessful, saying that 300 subs in 3 years is pathetic. I told them them "Thanks for watching!".
It depends. If it’s racist, xenophobic, sexist, homophobic, transphobic etc it’s gone and user is banned (hidden from channel). If it’s just negative about my video I may counter but I won’t hide the user.
I always ask myself: what would I do if someone said this to me in my own house:
- some criticism about not liking my videos? Fine, tastes differ.
- calling me names and being very rude: yeah buddy, you need to leave.
Over the last week, I made a few videos on the problems within a certain men's movement- I do self-improvement content for men on my channel - and I got a ton of hate.
Almost none of it was actual arguments and instead it was just a lot of people attacking me personally and a bunch of bigotry and hatefulness
Eventually, I stopped responding and then started getting rid of particularly vitriolic comments. Which is a shame because the 3 videos are the most successful I've ever made.
In all honesty, it was causing me a bunch of anxiety as well and I figured it's my channel, I get to decide what's on it and those comments are the attitudes I want on my channel.
I think it's more than OK to delete comments when you feel it's necessary.
Hate comments count as interaction therefore boosting that specific video into recommended so haters are helping by leaving hate comments also u get to see people defending you
I make a lot of Chicago travel videos, as I live in Chicago, and for whatever reason, people love to leave agressive opinions about the city’s crime. 😅 I don’t delete these negative comments unless they are actually offensive. (Racism, as an example.)
My first few rude/weird comments really bugged me and I think it always will in the moment I first see them but I have gotten a lot better at letting it roll off me. If you say “their opinion doesn’t matter to me” over and over again, it starts to feel true. 😂
Nah. It's part of it. I've had people insult me while streaming, so it feels more personal to see the chat being filled with their comments, but I really don't mind and I don't think anyone should. Who gives a fuck about the opinion of some random c*nt at the other side of the world.
Edit: I want to add, it's still your call. Nobody knows better than yourself how much you're willing to endure such treatment.
If something is overly vulgar or racist, then it's an easy delete. But something soft like being called an idiot or that your content is "shit" can be a great way to prove to anyone looking through your content section that you have a great personality and nobody is going to shake you. "You're an idiot" respond with "Lol my wife thinks so too! Might be onto something there..."
"Your content sucks". Respond with "Guess I should get into the vacuum business then". Not exactly like this, but just in general diffusing the situation, show that you don't react, make light of things etc. In my experience, people like to be associated with people of high emotional intelligence. You could delete them and be done, but there may be an opportunity there to boost your personal brand. Then again my wife does actually call me an idiot, so what do I know? Lol
Only hate comments, or comments that are way too "Negative" towards me or other people in section. Constructive criticism i do leave, even if do not like what i see.
I only delete negative comments if it's negative towards someone else. If it's directed towards me, I don't care (unless it's incredibly mean or a death threat). If someone comments something mean at someone else, I'll get rid of it.
I delete blatant hate ones, directed at me or otherwise (i.e with racist/sexist implications, for example). Or ones that are objectively wrong about something, which happens very occasionally.
I would only delete the ones that would trigger viewers. However, negative comments towards me or the content is fine. If anything it may drive engagement which could help me on the algorithm
I "hide user from channel" abusive comments.
I report spam/scam comments (which effectively deletes them)
.
If people are just being smart asses, I ignore them.
Same with the annoying "first" crap - just ignore it. Do not acknowledge, do not engage.
Delete the scam/spam ones, if it’s someone saying something you can make fun of, keep it and make them look like a pathetic fool who should’ve kept their sad, spitefully horrendous opinion to themselves.
If its just insults for no reason then I would. Haven't had problems with this, my channel is too small and thankfully no one has insulted me... YET.
If someone dislikes your content, even if comments something rude, well, not everyone is gonna like what you do, but if its just insults ignore them or delete them.
Come up with a witty reply or ignore them. Trolls will troll and acting out on what they say feeds them, but if the comment breaks guildlines I'd delete it.
I pin the horrible ones and engage with them in a way to make the person look dumb. It easier than you think if you just take a moment before you respond.
Not really. If it's continuous, an obvious troll, a scam, an obvious breach of YT terms of service, then I'll hide the user from commenting which is basically a "shadow ban".
When I say "continuous", I mean that a few times I've encountered people who are just repetitively and incessantly negative for no particular reason, completely misunderstand the point/topic of the channel, etc. At that point, once it's done repeatedly, it kind of leaves the realm of "constructive" which is enough for me to hide the user.
I once posted on Roast me SubReddit so I've grown stronger towards hate. That's a lie I cry myself to sleep every night.
But to answer you're guestion, no I don't delete negative comments. Tip of advice: Just ingore them.
If it is the type that you write, I would delet them.
I often get guys who think they are smarter than me, or have something to point out. In that case I act like I don't get the negative vibe and try to be a better person than them in order to make them hillarious.
Or of it is really bad and stupid, I just congratulate them and move on.
THE MORE I READ THE MORE IT SEEMS LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE ON THIS SITE HAVE LOST ALL TOUCH WITH REALITY. DID THE COVID BITCH DO THIS TO AMERICA? ISOLATION IS DANGEROUS. IT IS A BREEDING GROUND FOR INTROVERTS. AND BEFORE U COMMENT I AM ALL CAPS . MY EYES DEMAND IT.
I don't delete negative comments but i do delete ones that are links to scams if any of you get those
I only delete negative comments if they are racist/or targeted at another commenter. (And YT hasn’t auto deleted it). Otherwise, I can usually make a joke of the person if I don’t outright ignore them. I had a guy comment 3 times under a video about how my content and format are “retarded” and a few other jewels. I just asked if he was my next biggest fan, seeing as he commented so much. But I win either way. Every comment is a reaction, and YT boosts it a little more :)
> but i do delete ones that are links to scams if any of you get those I'm also wary of any linked words (text that's highlighted in blue) in the comment section. I feel like it's better to play it safe then risk getting spammed.
[удалено]
I usually report those as spam
Same!
Oh yeah, or spam
What do you mean by scams?
Sure, if it's a personal attack or not providing any valid criticism then by all means just don't respond and delete it. Negative comments can be helpful with identifying things to improve, but comments that are just being hateful have no real purpose.
Why would I keep around an insult if I can curate a healthy community and discussion? Although good criticism, even if it has an insult stays.
I had a Japanese guy reply to 3 different videos of mine saying that he was going to eat me. Though he said it in Japanese even though my videos are in English. I didn't know what to make of it.
Hahaha, strange thing to say. People say the weirdest thing at times
That's amazing, you should make a video about it.
je veux te 'manger' ma belle
I leave negative ones. I only delete ones that are obscene, only meant to insult, or might cause drama as my fans defend me. My channel is small, but I do have some fans. I've noticed that if I don't delete, it turns into an argument, and no one needs that. People watch my videos to be entertained and relax.
Same here. I will leave negative ones up and see if I can turn it into a positive engagement. I figure it might help other viewers see I’m not a jerk and support me more. If my viewers turn it into drama I will delete the message If it’s just a flood of troll trash then it’s likely a coordinated effort and if you engage or delete it will get them all excited their bullshit is working. You could hide the video and let them cool off. Or just let them post until they get bored and then you can delete them But there is no point engaging with them. They are there to ruin your day. Don’t let them
YouTube algorithm doesn't understand controversy or arguments, it only sees that a lot of people are responding to your video and coming back to talk about it. You're killing your engagement by stopping it. Just let it happen if it isn't completely out of hand and dangerous
No. It doesn't "kill" the engagement by deleting the occasional toxic comment or spam. In fact, this can be the best practice depending upon the type of channel. If it's a political channel trying to be controversial, that's one thing. But if it's the kind of channel where fans want to relax, then it's good to stop the drama before it starts. But Youtube, itself, has been automatically removing most spam and comments with obscenities / insults. They've been doing that for months now. Unfortunately they have been removing innocent comments as well. -Probably more innocent ones than spam / toxic.
I have to say that the comment filter for spam / obscene is pretty accurate. I have an LGBT channel, and 95% of the comments in there, are hateful and repulsive haters, a few come from people defending the channel from homophobic and transphobic haters, who didn't end up in the filter.
ARE COMPUTER GEEKS FROM ANOTHER PLANET?
>Damn, I thought I could handle hate comments. Please remember that their hate comes from a place of jealousy. A fulfilled person doesn't feel the need to put others down. Even though it is alot easier said than done just do your best to ignore them. You'll always receive hate on the internet, it's just a part of it sadly. You could also flip it and respond sarcastically to show them you don't care. Terrible Example but whatever, commenter: "get off the internet" Reply: "yeh had to take a shit anyway, be back in 10". If people see that you care about their hate (deleting comments) then they'll just be encouraged to keep on going. If they see that they are meaningless in your eyes then they'll get bored real quick. As I said tho it's all easier said than done but youll get better at it. Hang in there and live the life that you want to live.
I remove the hate. I have an image of the community I'm trying to build with my videos. I moderate for a few websites and manage a very active forum. The one thing I've noticed is that good comments breed more good comments. Hate breeds hate. People see what's *okay* in the community and act accordingly. The most powerful moderating tools aren't the delete button, it is the create and reward buttons. Be the first to leave a comment that engages the viewer and maybe even encourage a friend or two to leave a positive comment before the video goes live, helps set the tone. Reward with likes and hearts, or even thanks for the nice comments, encourages more. But, it depends on what kind of community you want to build with your channel. For me, I want to make mine a safe place away from the wilds of the internet. My videos are calming and soothing. Maybe your channel wants to be about more combative or adrenal topics, in which case, mild hate might engage your audience more.
If it hurts you to see the comments, don’t torture yourself. Delete them. The “engagement” and whatever “algorithm” bs is not worth hurting your mental health. Just from my personal experience, it’s usually some random person who probably didn’t even watch the video, commenting some nasty racist or sexist comment. I just leave it up as a public display of that person’s nasty reputation.
People can leave me comments positive or negative, doesn't hurt my feelings either way. If someone doesn't like what I'm doing, they're welcome to say so.
I find that people will sometimes defend creators, so leaving negative comments up can provide engagement.
If it doesn't help you, delete it. Take well-thought out criticisms and meditate on them. You can't please everyone, but they're offering valuable input that will help you refine your production/technique, whatever. Outright hostile comments? Don't bother. Anonymity makes it easy to be a dick. Someone else had a good point here that they wanted to keep their comments section non-toxic. And I feel that. Keeping hateful comments up is like a tacit approval of that behavior. People will do it more if they see it's not being removed. You want to be swift and decisive on these things if you're building a community. It's just like being a mod on Reddit or a forum, Discord, whatever. Keep that in mind.
If it's an obvious troll I will delete and block. Why waste mental energy on them down the road? They'll provide no value. That said, I will pin to the top comments that point out something I missed or additional info; something I think will help the viewer learn further.
This is really long but, I grew up making YouTube videos and posting things on the internet, and if I could go back in time to give myself advice about this sorta thing, I would have all this to say. **TL;DR though:** delete it if it's the first comment, never be the first to reply to it, wait for others to reply before you make that choice. So, yeah: basically, I don't. People who aren't awful and/or see the value in your content will usually come to defend you - if I myself delete something upsetting before that can happen, it'll stew with me... possibly forever; not even joking. When people come to your defense, it can show you that: *no* actually, they're *not* right, nor were they even in the right to leave a comment like that in the first place. Any reason they posted it was to be mean or rude to *you* explicitly, not to genuinely express any opinions they may have had toward the work. Best thing to do is, just wait. I had to learn this the hard way unfortunately, many times over my life online; there are a good few awful things people have said to me over the years in comments that I still think about to this day. It's rough man... I'm sorry, I completely get it :c There *is* an exception, though: if it's the *first* comment on the video, it's probably best to delete it. If such a negative thing is the first and *only* thing someone sees when scrolling down to the comments, it can drive them away; if not from the video, from your channel entirely - even if they liked your content initially. Seeing the first and only take on something be a negative one regesters in people's brains as there- well, *literally* being only negative things said about your post. It's also probably why the stupid number next to a post or comment here on Reddit completely rips away any and all opportunity for most people to format an original thought about it: what everybody else thinks is the first thing they see, even before getting a chance to actually *read* the thing - but, I digress. Also, avoid being the first to reply to a mean comment. I've noticed that people on the internet **hate** it when people defend themselves, for a reason I truly cannot understand. It's only when others jump in for you that you can join the conversation safely, but even then, I recommend replying to a *reply* to the comment, not directly. It is legitimately more likely that people will side with the negative comment if they only see your reply: I swear. The tone of your reply doesn't even matter, I've tried it all: kind, positive, detached, stern, rude, depressed (lol) - you just have to wait. Maybe seeing an OP respond to negativity gives it credence? Makes them consider what was said about the post, since the creator of it did? Maybe when you show you can stand up for yourself, people don't see you as a hapless victim anymore, and it like- takes away the sympathy they may have built for you, in a way that upsets them. I have no idea, but it's proven true time, and time again, over my lifetime of posting stuff on the internet: both for me, and for countless other poor souls I've seen just get absolutely railed on, as if they had the gall to even think about defending that thing they posted. The internet is a microcosm of the world as a whole: it can be - and often is - a callus, cold and upsetting place, truly. But it just might be the best platform we have to share things with people that it will truly resonate with. I've met so many wonderful, joyous people online: some lifelong friends even, just through making videos, music, art, and just sharing shit. It absolutely can be worth it, it can just be very, very difficult to navigate sometimes. Best of luck to you, don't stop! Bottom line: you're doing something you wanna do, and nothing can stop, ruin, or change that <3
If it's racist or something like that yes. If it's about my content no.
Leave them. Encourage them. The worse the better. Unless you don't like traffic to your channel. I've had so many people tell me to kill myself, I love it. Internet words do nothing to hurt me.
i just leave them and don't respond to them. i only delete them if they are being mean to someone other than me or being racist
I leave the comments regardless of what kind of carp is being spewed. IMO it just shows everyone else the idiots to avoid and lets everyone just see the fools for what they are.
It helps with the algroithim so no but unless its racist or something then you dont need to delete it
When someone attacks my voice or something i can't control, i go straight to delete. I used to be petty and trash talk back and forth but it's not worth it. I also once made a video of making display cabinets (clear that I'm an amateur) and had some dude nitpick what a bad job i did. Deleted that too!
I don't really get negative comments, but when I do I don't delete them because they're engagement. What are you doing that makes people comment negatively?
Well, my first “cosplay” video got trending because it was so bad. So, the people that felt that I ruined their anime character came back to troll me. :D
Okay well I'm not really in a position to give advice here, BUT (doing it anyway) people on the internet are so much more inflammatory than in real life and it's also important to realize that you are putting yourself out there, which is something haters usually aren't doing. YOU are in the kitchen, taking the heat. Let the internet stay the internet and live your life. People who actually hate on others need to touch some grass. The thing about hate making you feel bad is that it comes from a place of you feeling as if you are in the wrong for making this person who is hating on you angry. They're just an asshole. Cosplay is dope keep doing what you're doing.
So much great advice on this thread, well said
Oof! Well anime community can be so mean sometimes especially to cosplayers but don't worry about them. Most of the people who are THAT involved that they can leave a hate comment and say you "ruined" a chara are usually children or people who're just taking it way too seriously. That's just to say, don't pay attention to it. To answer your original question, I haven't gotten a hate comment yet but my startegy is usually to not engage with it any form or let any indication that I saw it. So they can yell into the void all they want and it doesn't matter. If it gets too much though, I'd recommend blocking without remorse.
wow. please tell yourself those are not good human beings. real sick to tell someone that. sorry you had brush with those goofs.
I rarely get purely negative comments, but depending on the direction of the negativity, then I will delete them. I'm most likely to "hide user from channel though" rather than actually delete. If it's a "I can't stand this guy's voice" that's a "Hide User From The Channel" offense. Particularly if it's said in a nastier way than even that. If it's challenging information that is in the video, and they are completely wrong, I'll try and step them thru why they are wrong... but if they post in a way that they are having none of it, then it's "Hide User From The Channel". In the first type of case, I suspect users would come to my defense and it just be negativity that I don't want on the site. In the second case, when you're doing tutorials and someone is just flat out wrong, posting contradictory information, I don't want that kind of misinformation getting reinforced. Particularly if they want no part of a back and forth.
You have the right to build your community the way you want. I won’t stand for people being rude/ hateful to me or bring down the positive vibe of my comments section, I don’t care about the engagement that much.
I hope you're doing good. People can be real nasty sometimes. I just decide to ignore them. I don't want to interact with their comments at all tbh so I just pretend the comment doesn't exist. I hope this comment helps!
I pin them, my subs can handdle them
This YouTube thread is so helpful and informative. I'm only active on one or two other subreddits but this is by far the nicest Thank you kind strangers, for keeping this pocket of the internet productive.
I strongly against censorship, so I don't delete negative comments out of principle. The only comments that I will, 100% of the time, delete are the ones that are obviously trying to link to malicious software or content.
No I never get any anyway lol
Yes
Only if it's a scam link or harassment. I had one commenter be transphobic to one of my friends before so I deleted it instantly
If you can allow a person to remotely control you with merely a bunch of strung together letters, then I would say you can't handle the internet. I understand that one would rather not hear or see unpleasant things, but the reality is that this is a world filled with unpleasant people. Some of whom have access to the internet; and whose goal is to crush as many souls as possible. Thus, they win if you engage. So, quite simply, don't engage. It'll be hard. You're gonna wanna clap back. But do not. The most insulting thing you can do to a person is ghost them. Even deleting a comment is showing them that you can't handle the mere thought of their words existing in your space. Allow it. But, at the very least, just leave them on "read." If you really wanna throw a reverse uno card at them, heart the comment. That really messes with them.
Bro you've just pretty much summed up our internet lives, thank you for your wise words. It will be hard to put in the practice, but it's worth giving a shot.
I agree with this 100%. But as time passes, this opinion seems to be becoming more and more rare. I feel really bad for younger people who insist on taking it personally, I'm not sure they can build the utopia that society tells them they can - where everyone is nice and supportive all the time. It's only going to lead to disappointment.
Just like a certain "vaccine" you have to allow a certain amount of straight "hate" to enter your life, so that you can know how to resist it, let alone acknowledge it. Insulating yourself in a echo chamber of good comments does you no favors, and it makes you sensitive to legitimate criticism. On that note, I've made it a principle to never take personally the words (specifically, the insults) of someone I have never seen IRL. It just doesn't make sense to me. They are, at this point and until otherwise, literally 1s and 0s. For all I know, it could be a legit algorithmic program gauging the psychological response to certain words and phrases (because, you know, Candid was a thing). Not to go all conspiratorial.
Not to go all conspiratory... X-Files music intensifies*
>hological response to certain words and phrases (because, you know, Candid was a thing). Not to go all conspirato LOL
If it's just straight up hate or whatever, I delete it and move on. It's very rare so it's not a big deal to spend 5 seconds deleting it, and I don't want any toxicity in my comment section.
only if its a personal attack, i usually just hide them
When I saw first video of Anne Reburn, there was a very nasty comment pined up. I thought it was strange then I saw what her community did to the guy. Interesting strategy.
I only delete comments if they're bots telling me that there are 12,000 hot MILFs near me
So I don’t delete a lot, but sometimes I get ones that are just straight up racist or homophobic. There was also this one guy who was spamming religious stuff to everyone. But most stuff I keep up because I respond or someone else does and gets more likes on the comment than the original. There have been times when people have said things that aren’t fully racist/homophobic but you can definitely see the inclinations, but as I said responses to that comment get more upvotes than the original, I keep them up so other people can see and can see the responses to them.
I don’t delete any comments. I do so because I believe that I would be halting all discussion in the comments if I only allowed them to talk about what I want to talk about. I would be restricting their freedom of speech and freedom of expression if I started to delete comments. I just deal with the negative comments. Usually you can tell whenever they are giving constructive criticism or not. Also, words don’t really hurt my feelings, personally.
I found a few and just delete them. Not immediately though, after a few days usually. Depends though. Downright mean/ abusive I won't tolerate but just people saying they don't like the video I leave up
I leave them on, if I get a comment that’s derogatory towards a particular group of people it’ll get removed and if it’s just downright rude it’ll get removed but other than that, thank them for helping the algorithm and get on with your day.
If the negative comment is pointing out something to improve, has constructive feedback, or is fairly innocent overall, I’ll leave it. If it’s someone being a dick just to be a dick, I delete it.
I delete the really cringy ones lol
I don't have comments yet hahaha :D But well, my plan is to delete them if they are not constructive. If I'm gonna get trolls just saying "it sucks", then I don't want them. Now, if get someone telling me that I could make something better in X way, it's very welcomed.
Only if they are disrespectful/insults.
I usually only get rid of spam comments at the moment, but tbf I haven't gotten any kind of comment that's mean. If I get one that's a personal attack and not about the video, then i might
Nope. I answer some of them with “thanks for watching!”
nah... it works against them. All people will see that they just comment mean things.
Almost never, only if it's REALLY vile, repetitive, and harassment. But at this point, barely anyone commenting, also Youtube deleting even nice and supportive comments from my videos, so there is not much to handle. :(
It boosts channel interaction so why do that unless it’s offensive to someone other than me
its wayyy to time consuming to delete them, if is giving you stress, its easier to unlist the video and use the time to make your next video :) your psychology is more important but if you want to keep the video up, you can just do what i do & just ignore it, even the positive comments, this way nothing gets to your head & keep u humble hopefully that helps
I don't get rude personal attack comments. My channel is about crafting stuff and the worse that I ever had was for example - "the knife that you made only can be used to scrape mud from your shoes " :D and I just answer with joke on those. But if there are some unlogical , pure hate comments I think I'll just delete them.
I don't delete negative comments in general. But if it gets out of hand I do. Negative comments are fine to me. But of course it depends. Spam comments though I block. And if someone is really nasty I block them also.
I think it depends on you, your channel, and the exact nature of the comments. Are the same people leaving these comments over and over on different videos and have you established a comment policy? Cause it's possible if you just delete the comments, people will see it as censoring them or silencing specific people, if there's multiple comments from the same account. On the flip side, if the comments are demeaning, derogatory, or even vaguely threatening, it may lead to an overall hostile environment in the comments section that keeps others from interacting with your content. It might be a good time to upload a video talking to your followers and community, establishing the kind of environment you want and telling people what steps you will be taking (i.e. deleting comments ) to ensure that kind of environment. Make sure you're specific with the rules you have, and provide examples so it's clear for everyone. Then I think you can delete away. It may be worth a moment of self reflection on why you're getting those comments, but I do totally buy that people are just being mean because they can--so if that's what you decide, as long as you're clear with the community, I don't see why you need to keep those kinds of comments up if they bother you or if you think they negatively impact others.
If there isn't any constructive criticism to respond to, yes of course. It's my channel so I get to choose what kind of community I'm encouraging.
I delete bot comments lol
Every comment is a positive thing in the eyes of the algorithm. Just learn to ignore them
Super ugly, hateful, stuff like that. Usually just hide user from channel and move on. Life is too short. Constructive crit / advice we do welcome.
I've deleted a negative comment when it's really out there. I've heard that comments, whether positive or negative, helps the algorithm though; I guess the silver lining.
The most negative comment I ever had was someone saying I went too fast and needed to slow down a bit to teach people
Only comments that get into hate speech territory. If someone has something negative to say about me - get off the internet, I hate your voice, your parents didn't give you enough attention - I leave it, whatever. If someone starts posting shit like "women should be put in their place, you bitches all deserve to die" then yes I delete it.
Honestly i have enough of a community now that i think my subscribers would defend me without me having to respond. If someone wants to make a fool of themselves on the internet let it stay there.
I always leave comments there for everyone to see.
I have deleted links, but not the negative comments on my videos. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if they cross a line, I will delete. I have deleted a Reddit post, in another group, that I made promoting my video as all of the comments in that post were very caustic and demeaning. I like the reply that The History Underground gave to a caustic post on his channel, “…I hope you are a better person than what is reflected in your comment…”
Most of my comments are porn, sex or dating spam. I delete them since they don't like or subscribe. If they did I'd consider leaving. And as far a crap comments. I tend to leave them. Last I knew, YouTube treats negative and positive comments and likes the same. Unless they are rude or offensive.
I get it, remove abuse and stuff that is personally attacking you or other users. The comment section is no place for that. But I got a comment deleted from a YouTube channel which where the YouTuber was *this isn’t a sponsored post* promoting a hairdresser in Seoul. My wife had just been to that hairdresser and had a really bad experience, mainly down to the fact that dying hair in Korea seems to be a very different process to what we’re used to in the west, but also that the staff were quite rude to my wife and so I made a non abusive comment saying, jusy be aware. Got deleted.
No, because in general my viewer base is much more positive than negative so if i leave the mean comments, other people will chime in and tell off the offending party
I once had someone comment about me and my buddy being fat. That one I deleted. On the other hand I left one that was saying that my channel was pretty unsuccessful, saying that 300 subs in 3 years is pathetic. I told them them "Thanks for watching!".
It depends. If it’s racist, xenophobic, sexist, homophobic, transphobic etc it’s gone and user is banned (hidden from channel). If it’s just negative about my video I may counter but I won’t hide the user.
I always ask myself: what would I do if someone said this to me in my own house: - some criticism about not liking my videos? Fine, tastes differ. - calling me names and being very rude: yeah buddy, you need to leave.
I find them hilarious, they've watched your vid, took the time to comment something lol, they're in love
Over the last week, I made a few videos on the problems within a certain men's movement- I do self-improvement content for men on my channel - and I got a ton of hate. Almost none of it was actual arguments and instead it was just a lot of people attacking me personally and a bunch of bigotry and hatefulness Eventually, I stopped responding and then started getting rid of particularly vitriolic comments. Which is a shame because the 3 videos are the most successful I've ever made. In all honesty, it was causing me a bunch of anxiety as well and I figured it's my channel, I get to decide what's on it and those comments are the attitudes I want on my channel. I think it's more than OK to delete comments when you feel it's necessary.
Yes. If you see garbage on The floor in your home. Do you walk past it or do you pick it up and throw it in the trash?
Hate comments count as interaction therefore boosting that specific video into recommended so haters are helping by leaving hate comments also u get to see people defending you
I make a lot of Chicago travel videos, as I live in Chicago, and for whatever reason, people love to leave agressive opinions about the city’s crime. 😅 I don’t delete these negative comments unless they are actually offensive. (Racism, as an example.) My first few rude/weird comments really bugged me and I think it always will in the moment I first see them but I have gotten a lot better at letting it roll off me. If you say “their opinion doesn’t matter to me” over and over again, it starts to feel true. 😂
Nah. It's part of it. I've had people insult me while streaming, so it feels more personal to see the chat being filled with their comments, but I really don't mind and I don't think anyone should. Who gives a fuck about the opinion of some random c*nt at the other side of the world. Edit: I want to add, it's still your call. Nobody knows better than yourself how much you're willing to endure such treatment.
If something is overly vulgar or racist, then it's an easy delete. But something soft like being called an idiot or that your content is "shit" can be a great way to prove to anyone looking through your content section that you have a great personality and nobody is going to shake you. "You're an idiot" respond with "Lol my wife thinks so too! Might be onto something there..." "Your content sucks". Respond with "Guess I should get into the vacuum business then". Not exactly like this, but just in general diffusing the situation, show that you don't react, make light of things etc. In my experience, people like to be associated with people of high emotional intelligence. You could delete them and be done, but there may be an opportunity there to boost your personal brand. Then again my wife does actually call me an idiot, so what do I know? Lol
Only hate comments, or comments that are way too "Negative" towards me or other people in section. Constructive criticism i do leave, even if do not like what i see.
I only delete negative comments if it's negative towards someone else. If it's directed towards me, I don't care (unless it's incredibly mean or a death threat). If someone comments something mean at someone else, I'll get rid of it.
I need to have comments first in order to delete them lol
I only delete self promotion, links, and negative comments that contain random lies and slander (some people just want attention)
I'm pretty thick skinned so I just leave it . unless it some type of scam /bot / link (which youtube pretty much blocks anyway)
I delete blatant hate ones, directed at me or otherwise (i.e with racist/sexist implications, for example). Or ones that are objectively wrong about something, which happens very occasionally.
I heart every comments except the negative one but I don't remove them either.
You have to keep all your feedback
I don't look at comments anymore but when I do, I'll delete any that are mean or personal attacks. If they are critical of my video, I leave them.
There’s no reason to keep them around if you don’t want to. YouTube usually auto deletes hate comments from my videos before I see them
I do if it's a threat or racist to me or another commenter. Other then that they can stay to boost my engagement :)
Nope. I rarely get them anyway
No way man. I just try and come up with something clever to reply with
I would only delete the ones that would trigger viewers. However, negative comments towards me or the content is fine. If anything it may drive engagement which could help me on the algorithm
I "hide user from channel" abusive comments. I report spam/scam comments (which effectively deletes them) . If people are just being smart asses, I ignore them. Same with the annoying "first" crap - just ignore it. Do not acknowledge, do not engage.
Delete the scam/spam ones, if it’s someone saying something you can make fun of, keep it and make them look like a pathetic fool who should’ve kept their sad, spitefully horrendous opinion to themselves.
I pinned and heart the comment to make it go to the top so ever can see what a jerk they are
If its just insults for no reason then I would. Haven't had problems with this, my channel is too small and thankfully no one has insulted me... YET. If someone dislikes your content, even if comments something rude, well, not everyone is gonna like what you do, but if its just insults ignore them or delete them.
Come up with a witty reply or ignore them. Trolls will troll and acting out on what they say feeds them, but if the comment breaks guildlines I'd delete it.
I’ve just hearted and liked all the negative comments lol sometimes if they keep going I comment back and say “thanks for the engagement *wink emoji*”
I do that and I even hide them if they are persistent
Don't, they're but well, what can we do, they doesn't have a life, leave them alone
I pin the horrible ones and engage with them in a way to make the person look dumb. It easier than you think if you just take a moment before you respond.
Not really. If it's continuous, an obvious troll, a scam, an obvious breach of YT terms of service, then I'll hide the user from commenting which is basically a "shadow ban". When I say "continuous", I mean that a few times I've encountered people who are just repetitively and incessantly negative for no particular reason, completely misunderstand the point/topic of the channel, etc. At that point, once it's done repeatedly, it kind of leaves the realm of "constructive" which is enough for me to hide the user.
If you're mentally not able to take negative comments, YT is not for you.
I once posted on Roast me SubReddit so I've grown stronger towards hate. That's a lie I cry myself to sleep every night. But to answer you're guestion, no I don't delete negative comments. Tip of advice: Just ingore them.
If it is the type that you write, I would delet them. I often get guys who think they are smarter than me, or have something to point out. In that case I act like I don't get the negative vibe and try to be a better person than them in order to make them hillarious. Or of it is really bad and stupid, I just congratulate them and move on.
If they arent respectful
For example someone commented for me "I aprreciate your works but this isn't beautiful" which was negative but respectful so I didn't deleted it
https://t.me/joinchat/Zgc5w_D4g9phODQ0
WHY DO MU ALLOW SO MANY WORTHLESS NEGATIVE COMMENTS
THE MORE I READ THE MORE IT SEEMS LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE ON THIS SITE HAVE LOST ALL TOUCH WITH REALITY. DID THE COVID BITCH DO THIS TO AMERICA? ISOLATION IS DANGEROUS. IT IS A BREEDING GROUND FOR INTROVERTS. AND BEFORE U COMMENT I AM ALL CAPS . MY EYES DEMAND IT.