Lately I’ve been getting an increase in comments here, and I wanted to say two things:
- Hi! Welcome. It’s good to know I’m not just speaking into a void. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and share your opinion with me! I love waking up to see new comment notifications. I don’t want you guys to be shy about leaving comments at all. If my writing made you feel something, or you have any tips/tricks to share about lifestyle things I talk about, feel free to leave them!
The second thing is the reason for this article. Due to the increase in comments, I’ve noticed an increase in comments on older posts and those comments are… let’s just call them non-constructive. And I know, this is the internet! People are going to find old things in newer years and have different opinions about them.
But that’s not what I want to address. I’m talking about receiving comments telling me that certain information in my articles is ‘wrong’, and then delving into what is frankly just very unimaginative hate because I’m ‘spreading misinformation’. Maybe part of that is because I’m a writer, but some of those hate filled comments I see and all I can think is, ‘that is the best insult you could come up with? Really?’
Not that the content of the insults is the point.
Anyway, to help mitigate these kinds of comments, I wanted to write this article, to give you guys a more guided approach to how you should be reading informational articles. These tips should help you not only on this blog, but everywhere!
So, let’s get into it.
And actually before we jump into it, I’m going to add this little disclaimer: I’m talking strictly about regular/every day folks who blog. Not like, scientists or professional information people. They play by different rules than us mere mortals.
Step 1. Look At How Long Ago The Article Was Written
If you’ve spent any amount of time on the internet (or y’know, the planet Earth), you should know that what is considered ‘correct’ information changes all the time. Very quickly, depending on the subject!
And, I’ll even give you a hint: people who write articles? They are not psychic! (Or at least, not always) They won’t be able to tell at the time their article gets published if the information in it will become disproven in five years, ten or hell, even later that same year!
As with everything else humans do, you gotta do the best you can with the information you have at the time.
So, if after reading an article, you think the information is not correct, scroll back up and look to see what the date of publication is. If it’s an older article, chances are the information was accurate when they wrote it.
Also, many bloggers don’t add updates to articles, because well, speaking from experience, that in itself could become a full-time job and not leave time to write anything new.
Specifically for myself, once I publish an article, I deem that subject ‘done’ and I move on. I don’t want to keep making articles on the same topic, because I would find that boring to write, and I assume you guys would find that boring to read.
Unless it’s something very specific and/or I feel very strongly about it, there’s usually only going to be 1 article about it. That said, if you guys have anything you’d really like to see me update/get a fresh opinion on, let me know!
Step 2. Who Wrote The Article?
Are you on a scientific or official government website, or are you reading Joe from the bar’s blog to see if he posted today’s boner joke?
Taking into consideration what type of blog you’re on – and therefor, the kind of person who wrote the article – should help you determine the level of scrutiny you’ll need to read it.
If it’s an official government website, yes, you should expect the information to be as accurate as it can be, and that it was written by someone who is very knowledgeable on the subject.
But if it’s one of those stay-at-home-mom blogs? Well, Sharon is just trying to share her tips from personal experience! She doesn’t have a doctorate in Mothering, she’s just trying to help people in the same boat as her!
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: not every single person knows everything about a subject.
Why doesn’t Sharon know about the new Swedish article that was published 5 months after her article about the ‘proper’ way to clean baby bottles? Well, speaking as a blogger, most of our articles are written in advanced – sometimes by months – and I would guess because she’s busy actually y’know, living her life!
Especially when we’re talking about lifestyle bloggers, people engage in different lifestyle in many different ways! You could walk outside and find five vegans (or carnists, activists, etc.) and none of them would be living the exact same way.
So what ‘qualifies’ someone to write an article on a lifestyle subject? Usually, it’s just whether or not they are living that lifestyle, or they are interested in/will be living it soon.
That’s it.
No PhD’s required.
Step 3. Where Is The Person Who Wrote The Article Located?
I kind of briefly touched on this in the point above, but another reason Sharon might not have heard about the Swedish article? Because she’s busy living her life in the suburbs of the mid-western USA.
While the internet has made it a lot easier to access information from all over the world, people still need to take the time to search for the information!
And unfortunately, a lot of people are just too busy to take dedicated time out of their day-to-day to research certain things. Especially if it’s a thing they already think they’re knowledgeable on. Why would you spend time looking up tips on something you already think you know how to do well?
You wouldn’t!
Or at least, most people don’t. There are exceptions to this of course, but they are called ‘exceptions’ for a reason!
Speaking specifically for myself, I don’t do nearly as much veganism research (for example) as I did back when I was first transitioning. (Which was all the way back in 2016)
That doesn’t mean I think I know everything there is to know about veganism, but I know enough information to get through the day-to-day stuff, and for the most part, know enough to write articles about it with confidence.
Do I still check vegan-specific news websites? Yes. Am I still following vegans on social media, listening/watching their videos? Yeah!
But I’m not dedicating huge chunks of my day to veganism research anymore. I don’t need to. (Also I don’t have as much time, but that would be a different article)
So the next time you come across an article that you think is inaccurate, I want you to keep these tips in mind before you leave a comment.
If you’ve done the above and still think your comment is warranted, see if you can re-phrase it to not sound so… mean/condescending. People are always much more receptive to listening to others if they aren’t feeling attacked.
Especially if you want the person you’re commenting to to actually listen/take in what you’re trying to tell them, instead of having them just write you off as a ‘hater’.
Good luck!
*The stay-at-home-mom blogger example was just the first example I thought of to use as a ‘regular’ person. It in no way was meant to be an insult or anything. Also the name Sharon was just the first one that came to mind. If your name is Sharon and you run a stay-at-home-mom blog, I wasn’t trying to insult you, I promise! (If you’d like more clarification, feel free to message me!)
I don’t really have other articles in the same vein as this one, but if you’d like to check out more of my blog, a good starting point would be the front page!
Know your way around? Consider signing up for my Patreon to help me keep the lights on around here! Tiers start at just $1 and you’ll get some cool insider perks for signing up!