Handling Criticism As A Blogger- My Thoughts

by Abhijeet on April 29, 2008

in Blogging, Life

handling criticism
Image by Zach Klein

Today, Maki launched the new design of Dosh Dosh through a detailed announcement post. However something which he didn’t quite expect was negative feedback. Although he did get tons of appreciation but criticism poured in too. Since I follow him on twitter, I was keeping a track of that conversation. He was upset and frustrated and also mentioned: ” Criticism is frustrating, even if its constructive. I need to tune out some of the negativity I’ve gotten. ”

As a blogger, criticism could well become the part and parcel of life, considering the kind of blog you write. If you love controversies and blog about it then chances are that you face criticisms daily and also get accustomed to it.

However for a blogger like Maki, who is a well known and well respected blogger in his niche, this sudden criticism on his new blog design was unexpected and hence not easy to handle. I have had my share of a similar situation before but it was offline and not public as in this case.

Since this incident prompted this post, I decided to give a thought over what could a blogger do if he faces sudden criticism and it becomes really frustrating for him.

Be prepared for the unexpected

Yes, this is probably the first mental step. Whenever you start something new and you are upbeat about it, obviously you think for the best and think that everyone will like what you have accomplished. However as the saying goes, prepare for the worst. It doesn’t mean that you should be pessimistic, but you should have a frame of mind where you are ready to face all kinds of feedback.

Reduce the passion

In the first point I mentioned about being prepared for the negativity. Now, I know this is easier said than done because when we are in a positive frame of mind and cheerful about something new, we don’t usually want to think about the negative aspects. Hence the way to get in that frame of mind is to reduce the passion and be calm before you announce something new. Thats when if negative feedback pours in, although you will get upset, but you will handle it in a better manner without getting frustrated.

” The less passion there is, the better we work. The calmer we are the better for us and the more the amount of work we can do. When we let loose our feelings, we waste so much energy, shatter our nerves, disturb our minds, and accomplish very little work. ” – Swami Vivekananda

Face it as it comes and then analyze it

Now when negative feedback and criticism does start pouring in, there is nothing much you can do. Well, yes, you can always stop the comments, sign out of your IMs, mails, twitter, log out of your computer and then lock yourself in the room. But does that solve the purpose? In fact if you do this, the next day you will face double the criticism and you may be titled as a coward who knows how to tickle the dragon but can’t face the fire.

So here the important thing is to face it as it comes and then analyze it. Check why you are getting negative feedback and what exactly people are disliking. You could also participate in the discussion and be candid and answer the questions. Thats what Maki did. Instead of just getting upset and getting off his computer, he participated in the discussion by answering to comments and talking on twitter and this is what every blogger should attempt to do in such a situation. This can help you in 2 ways:

1: You get a lot of constructive feedback and a lot of support from your followers.

2: Those who criticized you bluntly may change their mind after participating in the discussion and may accept that they were actually wrong.

Hence instead of running away, you should face it in a brave manner.

Believe in yourself

Last but not the least, no matter what happens, its important to believe in yourself and in your work.

Again quoting Swami Vivekananda- ” Each work has to pass through these stages—ridicule, opposition, and then acceptance. Those who think ahead of their time are sure to be misunderstood. ”

Hence just believe in yourself and stay motivated because your endeavor will bear fruits, if not today… then tomorrow.

  • Good advise! Thanks!

    What was the worst kind of criticism one can get I wonder? Hmmm...
  • I know this post went up a while ago but I just found it today - and I'd like to thank you for it. I've recently started to get serious about my blog and have been concerned about the negative feedback I'll receive. I like feedback which is constructive and respectful, but the nasty stuff is...well...just nasty. I appreciate your writing about this on your blog and giving some tips on how to deal with it. Thanks!
  • I get hate mail all the time. The fact is that they still read my site and some readers enjoy bashing me. I'm a glutton for punishment I guess.

    If you get negative feedback and between the garbage there is something constructive then use it, other than that don't sweat it and just keep blogging.

    Koka Sextons last blog post..Grand Central Time Freeze
  • I'm only just starting to become serious in creating websites, so I've had little to no feedback on the websites I have created. This is some really great information for newbies like me. I'll be sure to keep many of these things in mind and apply them for when I get my own negative criticism!
    >:D
  • I also get negative feedbacks, initially, I get very frustrated. But later, when I think about them, I find them a lot helpful to me. They help me improve.
  • I take negative criticism in the right spirit. I try not to get to disheartened by that. This way i can deal with that in a better way.

    Madhur Kapoors last blog post..April 08 stats
  • Great post, spot on.. I too had my share of -ve feedbacks, initially I too got little frustrated over them.

    Nirmals last blog post..Schedule your Tasks in Windows with Z-Cron
  • Good post. very useful for blogger like me
  • One of the better things to do would be to cool off a bit.

    That is, not to read too much into criticism. Also, it'd be a good idea to forget comments from people who do not know what they're speaking (trolls etc.).

    I do it all the time when I get dugg.

    However, criticism from respected bloggers/readers should be taken in.

    Being optimistic and positive in attitude can also help.

    And as you said about David's logo design, "you can't please everyone". Spot on. Everyone will have their own likes and dislikes, and it is important to realize that. Not just for design, but also for writing, marketing etc.

    @David: The logo design looks pretty, and I'll drop my thoughts on your post about it. [off to David's blog ;) ]

    Sumeshs last blog post..Test post for FeedBurner etc.
  • Thanks very much, Aaron.
  • Whether it's positive criticism or negative criticism, Dosh Dosh is receiving a lot of attention today. That's a good thing!

    David I like your logo, its very simple, so sticks easily in memory. Will look great on print too!. Good Job.
  • Abhijeet
    Thats spot on Darren. Thanks for taking the time to stop by. :)
  • nicely put - I think there's a real talent in being able to balance taking on board the opinion of others and sticking to your own convictions. Ignoring criticism is a dangerous thing but so is taking it all to heart - between the two is a wise (but not easy) place to live in.

    Darren Rowses last blog post..What is the Biggest Source of Traffic to Your Blog?
  • Thanks for the compliment, Jeet!

    I've read through the reader comments, on a number of occasions. Constructive criticism is important in my line of work, and I'll be publishing an explanatory blog post shortly (about the logo design).

    David Aireys last blog post..Logo of the month #7
  • Abhijeet
    @Syahid: I agree with you and in fact thats the best way to deal with such a situation

    @David: I could see that many were unhappy with the logo. But you can't please everyone and not everyone understands logo design.

    And if you look at it from a different perspective, like Caroline said above that there is always some learning from criticism too, you could sit and analyze that why most of them didn't like the logo. Its not that the logo is bad or something but obviously an analysis will always help you design better and better.

    Although I think there are no two opinions about the fact that when it comes to logo design, you are one of the best in the industry. :)
  • Sadly, a lot of the criticism was based upon the logo I designed for Maki.

    You're right though. If you put yourself in the proverbial shop window, expect to attract comments from all sides.

    David Aireys last blog post..Logo of the month #7
  • I just take criticisms with an open heart and tried to improve if its constructive. If it's too negative, I will just ignore it and move on.

    Syahid A.s last blog post..Quickly Open a Website in Mozilla Firefox with an Alphabet
  • Abhijeet
    I agree with you Caroline. There is always something to learn from criticism too.
  • I've also had my fair share of negative feedback though in my case it was highly abusive. For some people such as myself it can be difficult not to get upset by it but I think the additude to take is that there always a lesson to be learned from it.

    Both times I've had severe negative feedback I was able to see their side. In some ways I felt like I had been misunderstood to a certain extent but that's valuable feedback to because it shows how I am not communicating my message / intentions properly.

    Both times I also reacted to it and both times I considered that to be a mistake. In hindsight and for future reference I would take, take it in, learn from it but other than that, ignore it.
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