Welcome to another edition of The Friday Five! Every Friday I cover a topic related to basketball gaming, either as a list of five items, or a Top 5 countdown. The topics for these lists and countdowns include everything from fun facts and recollections to commentary and critique. This week’s Five is a list of five comments that annoy content creators.

Oh, a topic like this always feels risky! It’s impossible not to sound arrogant or ungrateful, blaming the audience instead of looking inwards. Indeed, that’s the kind of attitude that I’ve readily pushed back against when developers have tried to lay blame at the feet of gamers, rather than acknowledge issues in their titles. When it comes to encouraging engagement, there are many ways that content creators can err, from subpar work to how they speak of and to their readers, viewers, and listeners. If you put creative work out into the world, you’re going to run the gamut of responses to it.

Mind you, just as some content creators have a disgracefully disdainful view of their audience – particularly anyone who dares question their opinions – people jumping in the comments can forget that there’s a human being behind what they consume (well, unless it’s AI-generated, but that’s a gripe for another time). While it’s great to receive comments and know that your work is being seen and appreciated, there are definitely some discouraging responses and needlessly unpleasant interactions. You might say that that’s just the risk we take with any creative endeavour, but if I can be frank here today, there are some comments that content creators like me would prefer not to see.

1. Getting Huffy When We Debate in the Comments

Something that I like to reiterate from time to time is that my features are meant to start the discussion, not end it. I obviously believe in my point of view – I’m not about provocative hot takes that I don’t actually agree with – but my opinions are not the definitive word on the matter. With that in mind, it’s important for content creators to be open-minded to disagreement and dissenting comments. To that point, if you’re engaging with anyone who is commenting politely, you should match that friendly energy. It’s why I try to choose my words carefully when I reply to comments, as I don’t want my tone to come across as aggressive, and inadvertently shut them down.

Of course, sometimes simply replying and continuing to advocate for or explain your stance unintentionally comes across as condescending, or an attempt to silence your audience. Again, this can come down to unfortunate word choice, but just as there are content creators who hate to be questioned or contradicted, some people in comments sections can be overly-sensitive to debate, even if it’s amicable. Admittedly, this may be due to a perceived power imbalance. After all, creators do have the ability to ban users, delete comments they dislike, and present their views as the unchallenged and undisputed “truth”. In short, we should all check our egos when we share opinions!

2. Completely Off-Topic Comments, Ignoring the Content

If you’re creating content and you’ve opened up the floor to comments, not only do you presumably want the interaction and feedback, but also accept that people are going to say what’s on their minds. Once again, that includes critical and contradictory opinions; there’s no guarantee that content creators will receive the comments they’re hoping for. However, sometimes even polite comments can come across as rude or annoying! This is especially true of completely off-topic comments that are using the content as a means of contacting creators. A fictional example would be asking me where to find a mod for NBA 2K25 on an in-depth retrospective of NBA Live 06.

Now, I realise that in the real world and online spaces alike, we all have different ideas about what constitutes good etiquette. To some people, niceties are part of a polite conversation and a gateway to other topics, whereas other people find them to be phoney, instead valuing directness to the point of being blunt. Needless to say, in online communities, these differing philosophies lead to some culture clashes! With that being said, if you’re going to ask creators a completely off-topic question in the comments on their content, you’ll likely get a nicer response if you lead with an on-topic remark, or at least let them know you enjoyed reading, watching, or listening.

3. Nitpicking the Subject Without Acknowledging the Work

Similarly, nitpicky comments that are sort of on-topic, but not really about the content at hand, are annoying to receive. In other words, rather than commenting on the actual topic and acknowledging the work that’s gone into the content, a person’s remarks are about some minor detail that’s beside the point. Imagine spending hours on an article, or a video essay that explores an interesting basketball gaming topic in-depth, only for someone’s lone response to be “ugh, he’s wearing the wrong accessories!” It’s not that the person is incorrect in their observation, and the opinion itself is fairly benign and not directed at you anyway. All the same, it’s like…really? That’s your takeaway?

Much like off-topic comments, barely on-topic remarks are frustrating for content creators because it makes our hard work feel unappreciated. It’s basically treating the comments sections on videos, articles, and podcasts as a convenient method of asking a question, making a request, or airing grievances, without even a token response that touches on the topic at hand, or complimenting the creator’s efforts. Granted, we can all get caught up in our pet peeves, and hey, at least that person paid attention to what you created! Nevertheless, it’s missing the forest for the trees, and hardly encouraging for content creators when the comments on their work are just tangential nitpicks.

4. Negative Comments Only

A while back, we had a podcast listener who only seemed to comment when they had something negative to say. They were frustrated that we didn’t have an email for the mailbag; we created one, promoted it, and of course, they never contacted us through it! When Dee discussed statistical accomplishments, they doubted it with great snark. They even took exception to the fact that Dee mentioned playing basketball games with his brothers on more than one episode, as if it wasn’t relevant to the topics at hand! This person never commented about enjoying an episode or topic, or shared an anecdote related to our conversations. It was only ever negativity and complaints.

Quite frankly, such comments grow extremely tiresome, and not just for content creators! While I’m proud of the community that we’ve been able to build here, to be candid, there have been a few people over the years that undoubtedly drew some private groans whenever they posted or replied to a topic. In the interest of fairness, it’s also important that content creators don’t get mired in negativity, as that gets old and thus less enjoyable to read, watch, or listen to. In any case, if you’re only bringing negative and snarky comments to the discussion, then you’ve become “that guy” at the party. And believe me: you shouldn’t ever want to be “that guy”, in real life or online!

5. No Comments!

So, it’s somewhat awkward to finish up on the point that some of the most annoying comments are the ones that never come, because people can’t be bothered (or in the worst case scenario, feel they can’t speak their mind). Indeed, after the first four points I’ve outlined here, it may seem like leaving comments for content creators requires one to walk on eggshells! That’s the last thing that I want, and I’m confident that most other creators would agree. It’s not about strict written and unwritten rules, or always agreeing, or anything like that. It’s about mutual respect and good conversations with people who share our interests. And yes, content creators need to remember that, too.

A majority of people consuming content online don’t take the time and effort to leave comments for creators, even when they’re enjoying their work. It’s the 1% rule, also known as the 90-9-1 principle. The truth is that while it’s awesome to see lengthy and thoughtful comments that spark and continue a discussion, even a quick “thanks, I really enjoyed that” is most appreciated. It’s why I make a point to leave comments on work that other content creators produce, because I know how good it feels to hear that something you worked on resonated with your audience. A kind and thoughtful remark, a Like, and of course sharing it with others, makes the effort feel worthwhile.

Having said all of that, what encourages you to respond to content? Do you find it difficult to engage with content creators in comments sections, and what would make them more approachable? In the spirit of the topic, have your say in the comments, and as always, feel free to take the discussion to the NLSC Forum! That’s all for this week, so thanks for checking in, have a great weekend, and please join me again next Friday for another Five.