I’ve been making comics online for over twenty years and over that time I’ve gotten so much positive feedback and beautiful messages from you, my wonderful readers. When the time comes to tell the complete story of my life this time making comics has been made extraordinary thanks to all of you.
But there’s also been the nasty messages, the hate mail, and the negativity. It’s been in much smaller quantities in comparison to the love I’ve been shown, but it’s been there nonetheless. You don’t have to get hurt very often to learn the signs that you’re about to get hurt, and these are some of the signs I’ve come to quickly spot that I’m about to read a negative message, be it an email or a response to a social media post.
I pass these on to you in today’s blog so you can quickly spot these signs yourself.
Any message that begins with “Um” or “Uh” is the surefire sign that the rest of that sentence is going to be condescending at best and insulting at worst. Whenever someone types out a grunt of disbelief, there’s never anything pleasant that comes after it.
Any message that begins with “You know,”. The comma is important there. It’s the written pause that indicates someone’s disappointed in you, for whatever reason.
“You’ve gone on record saying” is a red alert sign of an unpleasant message. Politicians and people appearing in court should be held accountable in that manner. For things like comics, games, or other forms of entertainment it seems a bit excessive to me, and is inevitably followed by needlessly formal complaining.
No one has ever addressed me by my last name, and only my last name, in a pleasant way. “Michael” or “Mookie” is fine. “Mr. Terracciano” has been used a few times but that’s usually followed by polite requests or other pleasant (if unnecessary) formalities. “Terracciano” by itself? I know I’m about to read some nastiness. I’ve seen it happen with some friends and colleagues of mine, and the trend holds up.
By themselves they’re uncomfortable. Add them all up and it’s the intro to a message that’s going to ruin your morning:
“Um, you know, you’ve gone on record saying [insert something I said], Terracciano…”
Oof. I gave myself a little shudder just writing that example out. Old wounds and all that.
Watch for these signs in your own online or work life, and once you see any of them brace yourself for the worst, or the most annoying. Being prepared lessens the blow, somewhat.
