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Some people!

Gordon N

Gordon N

New Member
It's always nice when you wake up in the morning with a couple of comments awaiting moderation on your blog - it shows that people are finding your site. However it is a bit of pain when you find it's only spammers from abroad.

This morning was a bit different for me, can't quite exlain it but thought I would share the level of some people's ignorance! :)

At ten past one this morning a not very helpful chap apparently named 'Jim' was having a look around my website. He decided to leave a comment on one of my blog posts - fine, thats what I want to encourage. As most of you will probably be aware, to leave a comment you must enter your email address - his was nochance [at] nochance . com, can you see where this is going? :)

His comment which in itself is a question (that I cannot reply to via email obviously!) was as follows....

If you are a web designer why dont you develop your own CMS and why is your homepage made in Word press? Surely you should be showcasing your own skills on your homepage?

Brilliant!! :w00t:

Without actually publishing the comment on my blog I could not reply - and as its in a post about an ecommerce application it really isn't relevant. I hope and the mob excuse my opportunity to vent a little anger and reply on here?

I *am* a professionally qualified web designer, and I *have* developed a number of CMSs in my time (ironically I am working on another specialist one just now!). Part of a designer/developers job is picking the most suitable platform for a site, which in many situations including my own site is WordPress (why reinvent the wheel?) - my homepage is a showcase of my skills, in design and WordPress integration.

I have two questions of my own...

Why would somebody take the time to fill in a comment form with a question that could never be answered? (Does he really think I would display it??)

and,

Has anyone got any interesting/amusing examples of complete strangers showing a huge amount of ignorance and a complete lack of knowledge on the subject they are commenting on?

I do of course have his IP address, which I am hoping may lead to me being able to reply directly at some point in the future ;)

Here endeth my rant - thanks for your patience! :001_rolleyes:
 
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S

Starshape

New Member
Gordon,
Why don't you publish the comment and reply to it positively. Explain that it is more cost effective for the client to use Wordpress rather than have a custom built solution, that you are showcasing your Wordpress skills, that you can and do create custom CMS's etc. Try and turn the comment to your advantage.

Why would he say that? Some people just need to put down others to make themselves feel more important. Same offline as it is online.

Thomas
 
Gordon N

Gordon N

New Member
Why don't you publish the comment and reply to it positively. Explain that it is more cost effective for the client to use Wordpress rather than have a custom built solution, that you are showcasing your Wordpress skills, that you can and do create custom CMS's etc. Try and turn the comment to your advantage.

Thanks Thomas.

I did consider it, and if it was in a more relevant post than a link to a couple of Magento videos I would be more tempted. Your bang on though - might ponder that for a bit.

Some people just need to put down others to make themselves feel more important. Same offline as it is online.

True, although I would prefer to know who it was that feels the need to be 'more important'. After all, apart from raising my blood pressure slightly what has he actually achieved/proved?
 

Boxby

New Member
i'm suffering at the moment with random posts. Someone doing an SEO test competition found the boxby blog, and now visits nightly to post links to all his clients. It's doing my head in. I'd hope that the fact that they're all deleted every morning would put him off, unfortunately, not yet.....

Sorry, off thread, again, just a need to rant :)
 
Gordon N

Gordon N

New Member
I am now receiving emails from some of my clients forwarding messages he has left on their contact forms!!!!!! :sneaky2:

Looks like I have rubbed someone up the wrong way along the lines somewhere. Not impressed!!

In each message he is not willing to share any email address or any more information than his name being Jim, if that's his real name at all.

Any advice on what I should do about this?

I have sent messages to all my clients explaining that I have been targetted by a strange person who obviously has intent on damaging my reputation and that they should ignore any emails received from him. If they have any queries or concerns they should contact me straight away.

What else can I do?
 
Mike Lewis

Mike Lewis

New Member
Gordon,

I don't have any personal experience in this area, but I feel that if someone runs a blog with a comment facility, then they've got to be prepared to accept any comments that come along. Of course, you should filter out anything obscene or illegal, or that will cause genuine offence. But, that apart, the comments should be allowed to proceed.

In this particular case, my instinct would be to do as Thomas suggested: publish and reply positively. Alternatively, publish it and ignore it.

I'm sure most visitors to your blog will have the good sense not to be influenced by this sort of fatuous comment.

The other issue -- the misuse of your contact forms -- in a more difficult problem. I don't know what the answer to that is.

Mike
 
Gordon N

Gordon N

New Member
I am working on an idea for a post that will answer his question in a clear, concise and professional way, which I will link to in a reply to the original comment (and then publish it). Thanks for your input folks - it's helped a lot!

Ah well, another page of new content full of relevant keywords that market my services coming up - should I be thanking him now? - LOL! :D
 
Scottish Business Owner

Scottish Business Owner

New Member
It's pretty sad that people feel the need to do something like this as it actually achieves nothing.

I've used Gordon on many occassions and have to say I find working with him an absolute joy and he certainly has a flair for design. I would ignore small minded people like that and just focus on moving things forward. Jealousy is an awful thing.

Everyone will just see that for what it is, someone who is bitter and twisted and that also not even man enough to make themselves known.
 
Employment Law Services

Employment Law Services

EmployEasily Legal Services
Two ideas for you Gordon..............

1) Post his comment along with your own comments that clearly outlines your position, but also make an open challenge for him to use a real email address and enter into a mature discussion. When he fails to respond he'll simply undermine his credibility.

OR

2) Create a 'spam of the week/month' page and use his post as the first entry. You can share his ignorance with the rest of the world and add some witty commentary that will, at the very least give your readers a good laugh.

Remember, you can't buff a shite!!
 
Why would somebody take the time to fill in a comment form with a question that could never be answered? (Does he really think I would display it??)

and,

Has anyone got any interesting/amusing examples of complete strangers showing a huge amount of ignorance and a complete lack of knowledge on the subject they are commenting on?

Well: Playing Devil's advocate slightly here....

One suspects the 'question' was meant to be rhetorical rather than one that actually required an answer... Evidently some code-monkey has viewed your choice to use a relatively accessible tool to design your home page as a sign of your limitations... Obviously completely missing the point which says more about their limitations (and overall understanding of the process) than it does about your own...

When faced with similar criticism myself (and yes, it does happen even though I'm quite clear on the point that we DON'T do web design) I generally point people in the direction of the Montblanc web site.... Very clever, very nice. Absolutely fecking useless if you actually want to obtain some serious level of information about their pens or watches BUT....:001_rolleyes:

And certainly, as far as email addresses are concerned I personally am wary of anything that might be harvesting data. For instance I view firms that use contact forms and '0800' numbers as suspicious; doubly so if I can't find a proper email address, postal address and telephone number....

The only thing I would say (again, playing Devil's advocate) is that if this is how 'Jim' is perceiving your site what's the possibility that others are too? Could this in fact be a valuable piece of feedback?

For the record I'm pretty much with Thomas with regard to a response to the incident....

As for your second point; Well yes! I could point to several, there was one on here just a few weeks ago which moved! Happens all the time... ;) . There was (for instance) the fellow last year who had been handing out legal advice on another forum; came on here to 'defend himself' and wound up exposing the fact that not only was he completely in the wrong on the point he'd come to argue, but was actually breaking the law on several other points too...

I frequently happen across blogs and posts pontificating about web video or some other aspect of the production process (media/copyright law for instance) ;often spouting complete Cr@p in the process.... And VERY often the people behind such nonsense are quite convinced of the superiority of their knowledge...

Like web design and photography video production is one of those crafts that everyone and his dog think they can do!

As of June 11th just past I've been 30 years in this industry, the first 4 1/2 years of which were spent gaining my basic qualifications. In August I'll start my 9th year of teaching; guiding people through their first few steps as they enter the industry. And the two years that my new 'crop' of charges will spend with me are periods of immense stress and effort on their part... And of personal and professional growth...

Occasionally I'll find something that makes me so angry that I'll just rip into the author: There is, for instance, a UK-based 'trade association' for the video industry which issues so-called 'qualifications' to its members; complete with the 'right' to sport pseudo-academic 'letters' after the holders name... In fact it's (far!) harder to obtain a driving licence than it is to obtain even the 'loftiest' of these 'qualifications'. And, much as their 'curriculum' covers only the most superficial aspects of the craft, a display of such 'letters' does not indicate that the holder has spend so much as a single hour under proper instruction or training...

In short, membership of this organisation is (in my view) the mark of a charlatan.

Contrast the paying of a fee to have a sample of your work 'assessed' (which is the process necessary to gain these so-called qualifications) with the 2400 hours of study and assessment (ratified by a recognised academic body) necessary to obtain an HND. Or the 3200 hours of study necessary to obtain the most basic legitimate letters after one's name....

Guess how much I warmed :001_rolleyes: to the notion (sent by email) that I should join this 'organisation' and perhaps take up a place on their online course? It was even suggested that I might easily obtain 'fellowship' status from them :lol::lol::lol::lol: and thus the opportunity to gain 'letters after my name'.... :001_rolleyes: :001_rolleyes: :001_rolleyes:

You can also imagine my contempt for the shower of failed art school luvvies I happened across recently who are claiming (among other things) to be 'world class film makers'.... And desperately trying to persuade people to 'work for them' for 'the experience' or for 'commission'.... :001_rolleyes:

I'll save poor the experience of a week in coronary care by NOT publishing my reaction to their recent 'invitation' to join their 'network'...:D:D:D:D:D
 
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polr

polr

New Member
Hi Gordon,

I would publish it then post a helpful, polite and positive reply. We have had someone post a nippy comment on our blog. We responded and thanked them for their interest, they in turn emailed to say 'sorry for being nippy and thank you for taking it in fun'. They also went as far as to comment on their blog about the professionalism of our company (based on that and a few other things!)

Even if you don't get such a positive result then why not use it and turn it into a post for your blog - Wordpress v's Bespoke CMS - why reinvent the wheel? ;-) If he's asking the question then maybe he really doesn't understand and is asking a genuine question..!?
 
N

Newone

New Member
As has already been said by others, these people are just "numpties" for want of a better word and really don't deserve to be noticed at all.
There will always be such grotts in any quality websites.
They and their comments are of no interest to anyone other than themselves, so personally, I wouldn't bother with them and just delete without reply. Treat them like you would a blackhead!
 
Gordon N

Gordon N

New Member
Thanks for the input on the blog folks - much appreciated! :)
 
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