Wait dance
Hey everyone! I’m sorry for all of the blog down time yesterday. The blog crashed the server, so the hosting company shut it down. My awesome web wizard was hard at work fixing the problem and making changes, and since I’m not techie at all (if I touch the blog, something catches fire and then it explodes), so all I could do was the wait dance until it was up and running again. If it ever happens in the future and you need a recipe or workout idea- tweet me: @fitnessista . I was tweeting guacamole and chocolate mug cake recipes last night 🙂
I also enjoyed dinner at Guadalajara Grill with the Pilot and Liv. It was during a monsoon storm, and the sound of rained paired with mariachis singing, catching up on our days, table-made salsa and chips made it quite a lovely evening.
Shrimp fajitas, rice, beans, guacamole and salsa for me
and the Pilot had a cauldron filled with fajita justice. I took a pic, but it was blurry :/
Some more recent eats:
Protein berry oats with an egg
I’m so glad I made a batch yesterday- the perfect portable snack.
So while the blog was down, you may have been wondering why at first it was redirecting everyone to a yoga page.
A couple of years ago, I installed a plug-in called WP BlockYou. Basically, what you do is enter an IP address, and if they try to visit your site, you can have them automatically redirected to another site of your choice.
When I first started the blog (4 years ago), I had a pretty strict comment moderation policy. I deleted disrespectful comments, but as part of the learning process that comes with blogging, I quickly realized that a blog is a conversation. Different viewpoints make blogging exciting and enables me to think more critically of situations and what I write- I think it helped me become a better blogger. Now, I love comments that don’t necessarily agree with me, especially when they’re expressed in a tasteful manner without attacking myself or other readers. I stopped deleting comments quite a while ago, let even the cruelest ones get posted, and just roll with the punches. Even so, after a while, I realized that there were a few people (I think there were 4 total over the span of a couple of years) whose comments were hateful every single time they posted. It had nothing to do with the topic or post, just an attack against myself, my husband’s job, my job, my family, etc. etc.
I figured that they could use some yoga in their life, installed the plug-in and had them directed to a site on how to begin a successful yoga program 😉
If you have a blog, what’s your comment moderation policy, if you have one?
Readers, what do you think when you see an obviously hateful comment? Do you wish it would have been deleted, or does it not really matter?
I’m off to test a couple of new recipes. Hope you have a great day!
xoxo
Gina
New Fashion post with a video from Meg!
If you’ve been wanting a LiveWell Luxx bag, they’re on promo today if you’d like to check it out
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I LOVE the reason for the yoga re-direct. 🙂 Just reminded me I need to make some cookie dough balls. Have a great day! <3
I don’t get enough comments that need moderation, but my policy is to let everyone post unless it is just downright inappropriate. The only reason I have them approved is so I can comment back or make sure to read them and not miss anything. People can say some seriously terrible things on the internet and just think that because they say it online it somehow isn’t as bad as if you said it to someone’s face, I mean I assume they wouldn’t say that stuff in person but you never know.
I think that if a comment is negative, but leads to good discussion, is thought provoking, or challenges you (in a positive way) then leave it. But if is hurtful and leads you to continue to think about and dwell over it it all day, get rid of it. If someone has serious problems with you, your family, your job, your husbands job, etc… they need to move on and just STOP reading your blog instead of being a troll. I know that I have definitely posted negative comments on a blog before, but never to be hurtful, just to show a different opinion and make the blogger think in another dimension and to reach out to different readers. Hope this helps. And I LOVE the idea of a redirect 😉
I love seeing your critics, especially the lady last week blasting your salmon salads!! So funny!!
I bet that’s really hard sometimes to have haters, but wow do your fans come to bat for you when anything negative is written :).
I think you do a great job, especially inspiring me to be a fit and active pregnant person.
Thanks, Gina!!
Since I just started blogging, this has been one of my fears. What will I do when I receive my first negative comment? How will I handle it? I have to say I have no idea yet–but thanks for letting me know about the plug-in, in case I need it! I read a lot of healthy living blogs, and I have noticed that for the majority of the time, this community is awesome. That’s why I wanted to blog as well!
You will cry. And then you will get drunk. And then you will feel super proud to have gotten someone so worked up. 😀
I don’t moderate comments at all. I read them all, but I haven’t had a lot of negative comments yet. I’m sure when (not if) I start getting them, I’ll regulate, but until them, I’m happy to even get comments. Oh, the joys of starting over in blogland =P
(My old blog was Salt Sweat Sugar, btw, if you remember!)
Olivia is getting more beautiful everyday.
I think you know what’s best when it comes to your blog and you seem to do a great job!
I think if there is a downright hateful comment, I would personally delete it, but if it has relevancy to the topic and sparks some thinking it’s alright to stay up. There is a huge difference in disagreeing or a difference in opinion, and being disrespectful.
I think that’s awesome that you had them directed to a yoga page 🙂
I agree 100%!
That is the best idea anyone could have! I should print a card that has the moves for sun salutations and hand them out to people I see who seem stressed…specifically those sharing a work space with me! 😉
Ha! I love the story behind the yoga site. Tell those haters Namaste Bitches. 🙂
Bahahaha! That is the most genius idea ever! Fighting fire with OM!!!
Love it!
“namaste bitches” just made my day haha
That’s a great idea (re: the redirect to yoga)!! I think hateful comments should be deleted. If it’s a piece of criticism that may have some truth in it, the ok maybe it’s fine for the purposes of a conversation (ie other commenters going back and forth debating an issue) but if it’s a blatant attack on a person and uses hateful language and has a really hurtful tone, then I think bloggers are fully within their rights to delete it. After all, no one is MAKING them read your blog!
So happy the blog is back Gina! I love your hair in that picture of you and Livi! I am a newer blogger so I appreciate your talk on disrespectful comments! I luckily have yet to receive any..knock on wood…so I don’t yet have a policy and am not quite sure how I would handle it yet, but I know that it would likely bother and I would probably have the same initial reaction you did so I appreciate you explaining your thinking! I’m curious to see what everyone else has to say too!
I LOVE blogs such as yours, where when I post, I know it is getting posted, and if you choose, you will delete it. I really dislike the ones where I post and I get “comment waiting to be moderated” or whatever the message is. On another very popular blog, I have posted things that were respectful, yet disagreeing with the blogger, and it never got posted. To me, it makes the blog seem so fake. I agree with you that comments are there for discussion, and by cherry picking which comments to allow in (usually the ponies and rainbows comments, while deleting anything remotely less than I LOVE YOUR BLOG!!! posts) makes me stop being a reader.
As for reading an outright nasty comment, I totally understand if it is just a personal attack and it makes you feel better, delete it. On the other hand, one nasty person may write it, but hopefully it is followed up by 100 comments from people disagreeing with the nasty person. KWIM?
Great pic of you and Liv!
“Haters gonna hate” has always been my motto. There will always be readers who are going to try to put you down, even in the virtual world. As a Fitnessista reader I tend to just ignore those kinds of comments when I’m reading the blog. We’re all on your side no matter what anyway!
What actually bothers me more is when a reader gangs up on another comment when that comment is a legitimate opinion or suggestion and not antagonistic in nature. Sometimes I feel like there are fellow readers out there who are looking not to put others down, but to assert their own superiority upon others.
I very much agree with this comment. I know lately there has been a lot of comment on another bloggers blog where readers were confused and asking questions, almost all of them were polite and respectful and yet some fellow readers jumped on them and defended the blogger and put the commenters down and it seemed totally unnecessary.
I always completely respect the way you handle differing opinions or flat out negativity Gina. I have a blog but it’s only a small one and if I got some of the awful things said to me that I know you or other bigger bloggers have had to deal with then I’m not sure how I’d handle it, I’d probably cry lol xx
Agree! I was just reading another blog that shall remain nameless with a pretty darn controversial post today, and multiple people wrote in to disagree with varying degrees of politeness but SO many of the other comments were quite rude “defender” comments along the lines of “don’t read it if you don’t like it” or anyone who has a negative comment (which I think basically means disagrees with the author) must have nothing going on in their lives. It really bothered me! If I see something I think is wrong or dangerous, I point it out whether it is on line or in real life, and I think everyone else should too!
That is a clever way to deal with haters! I approve. I also approve of the hair style you’re currently sporting. Very cute!!
I haven’t gotten many negative comments, but I keep getting this one spammer, so I delete those. I LOVE your yoga redirect – you are brilliant! 🙂 I think you handle the negative in stride, and of course you get WAY more positive than negative. Do you ever dwell on those negative comments, or are you really able to let them go? I’m so impressed when bloggers can handle the bad without letting it influence them!
love love love the yoga re-directing!!
I have a very laise faire comment policy, and I think it’s because I have yet to receive something really hateful (I know this won’t last forever). I leave anything, unless it’s spam!
I think your yoga redirect is brilliant! I wish people that had time to write really rude things about others would find meaning (or something to do!) in their own lives…gosh, I have about 17 things I could use help with at any given time. I wish I could give them half of my to-do list to keep their idle hands busy with work, not typing out rude or mean-spirited comments!
Love love love Guadalajara Grill!! Can’t to eat Mexican food again, especially chips and guacamole, after my competition this weekend!!! Going to have to make some of those Ballz too!!!
It doesn’t bother me to read negative comments. However, it should bother the person who wrote it. They’re the ones who come off looking like a major A-hole! There is a huge difference in commenting a disagreeing point in a tasteful manner and just attacking you/ your family/ lifestyle. That is rediculous and uncalled for! The absolute worst that I will NEVER forget was that comment a while back about Livi looking odd or something like that. WTF?!?! That one was hard to read. I was livid. Clearly the people who leave those types of comments are either jealose or have some serious issues.
It’s pretty hilarious that you can redirect people to another site. Yoga is perfect. They for sure could use some inner peace!!
Oh. My. Goodness. Guadalajara Grill was my FAVORITE restaurant when I lived in Tucson! That post just made me sooooo homesick. Loved the food so much.
I don’t think it really matters if a hateful comment is posted. Clearly, everyone else can see that the poster is hateful/disrespectful and pays no attention anyways. I mean, sometimes comments must be removed (racist or homophobic slurs, that sort of thing) but for the most part, it shows the realism of the blog – not everyone is going to agree with the writer, and are going to be mean just because they can. Such is life.
However, your redirecting policy is pretty brilliant in itself 🙂
I definitely don’t get enough comments on my blog yet, but I am very cautious about how people express themselves. I try to never be mean and I expect that from others. I am the same on Facebook…I like discussion but bashing one another just to bash has no time of day in my book. I always overlook mean comments, but it can be hard when 50 people feel the need to right the ignorance and hatred of one stubborn person.
I love your yoga-redirect! That is one of the many things I admire about you and your blog. You keep it real and let conversations happen if someone else disagrees, respectfully. Hopefully you have learned by now too that if someone does attack you in a negative way, your readers come to your defense pretty quickly and fiercely 🙂
ooh, i love the nasty comments! then again i love all sorts of scandalous trash:) i actually like that you leave all of your comments up, there was one fashion website i used to visit and the blogger had SO many rules on comments! she even had examples, templates almost, of approved and not-approved comments. it got old fast.
Hateful comments are just inappropriate and I find them useless in what blogging is all about. THat being said, I do occasionally see critical comments that I find can show a different side to things and teach us how to do things better. But I am very sensitive and if I got a negative comment I know I’d take it pretty rough. My little blog doesn’t get a ton of traffic so I haven’t dealt with that issue. Let’s all just say a big “Oommmmmm” for those haters who want to hate.
I admit that I have posted comments that “challenge” a writer’s opinions, but NEVER in a hateful, disrespectful way. I think it is exciting to have HEALTHY debates on a blog, but never anything that is a blatant “hate comment” against someone.
I love that you had haters redirected to a yoga site — they must need some peace in their life!! Also, i do think it is important, that if you disagree with someone, to express it in a tasteful manner!!! The world would be BORING if everyone agreed about everything all the time but there is absolutely no need to be mean just for the sake of being mean.
The yoga redirect is awesome! Hateful comments don’t have a place in the blogosphere if you ask me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but part of being an adult is learning how to voice that opinion and defend it without using personal attacks. People out there are different in so many capacities, I can only imagine how difficult (and lonely) life would be if I started attacking everyone that thought differently than me. Keep up the good work, Gina!
It doesn’t bother me to read hateful comments, but I sometimes have to refrain myself from commenting back telling them to take a chill pill and stop being so mean. I tell myself that maybe they are just having a bad day, got some bad news that’s really affecting their mood, are just naturally mean-spirited and always will be, or they are just unhappy in their own life therefore are jealous of others and only want to put them down (which makes me feel sad for them).
I love the redirect!!! Hysterical! 🙂
Redirecting haters to a yoga site is the perfect way to handle haters. I haven’t had to deal with a lot of negativity in my comments since I’m a new blogger, but I will probably keep the yoga trick in mind 😉
I think your comment moderation philosophy is great. I leave up the negative comments if they have constructive criticism or are simply asking if they did something wrong in a recipe. I’ve had one time I had to take one down where the person was just downright hateful and added nothing to any discussion and wouldn’t be reasoned with. But on the whole I think if it stirs a good discussion or gives another opinion as long as it’s not derogatory or attacking someone personally I will leave it up.
Cool yoga re-direct!
I think hateful comments just come from people who are internally suffering….and might not know it. Poor things.
I have a teeny little blog so I’ve been fortunate to only receive thoughtful, pleasant comments so far. I am definitely nervous about receiving a hurtful comment some day – I know that it would upset me. I have seen a few very mean-spirited, disrespectful comments on your blog before and they always make me so angry! I’m glad when other readers respond and let the mean-spirited commenters know that their remarks are not appreciated and are uncalled for. I just don’t understand why people bother to put effort into making disparaging comments – no one is forcing them to read a particular blog!
What! Hateful,comments against u and the pilot!! ….so hard to believe!!!
Livi has such a curious pretty face!! I can easily see her imitating yoga poses when u practice. 🙂 can’t wait!!
I’m still relatively new to the blogging world and haven’t gotten any negative comments luckily. I think honestly is always the best policy and like you said, it’s a conversation. I’m happy to respond to comments, negative or positive as long as they’re not harmful or disrespectful.
I don’t comment too often, but read almost everyday! I love your blog and am a big fan. You have a very positive outlook on life, and are an inspiring person! I love love love all your recipes, fitness tips/reviews, workouts, and everything else you write about. Just wanted to say that; keep on doing what you’re doing, because your readers love you!! 🙂
I agree that differing opinions about workouts, nutrition, etc are valuable, but there is just no reason for anyone to post attack comments on your or your family.
I love that you are probably the only one of the bigger bloggers that actually lets negative comments go through. Of course, I wouldn’t expect you to publish any comments that are downright rude or disrespectful towards you or your family, but it’s always nice when a blogger is willing to have an open discussion with their readers – instead of just deleting anything that involves a different opinion.
I have received some negative comments, and I let most of them through. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and the world would be a boring place if everyone agreed with me! However, I have got a few really nasty ones I deleted. I don’t think calling me a b*tch or a sl*t is really relevant to my exercise-related posts!
This was really refreshing to read right now considering Mama Pea is completely ignoring her long time readers asking in the comments about her drastic lifestyle changes, and Kath is blocking people who question her left and right.
I appreciate your honesty very much. Thank you.
Hi, Krista,
I agree that Gina’s stance on the matter is very refreshing, but as a reader of Peas and Thank You also, I was wondering what drastic lifestyle changes of Mama Pea you’re referring to. I’m just genuinely curious – and maybe oblivious…I really haven’t gotten that sense at all from her blog. Are you talking about the focus on her faith/the #SheReadsTruth posts?
She was a hardcore vegan, preaching about animal cruelty and wouldn’t take her daughters to a zoo. Now her diet has changed with little explanation and she won’t explain why her stance on animal welfare seems to have changed as well, considering she brought her kids to a rodeo.
And perhaps I shouldn’t have mentioned names because my intent really wasn’t to turn the conversation to other bloggers. I was just sharing my frustrations with two of the big ones right now. Sorry, Gina!
I thought Mama Pea explained in a post that she stopped being “hardcore vegan” because of health reasons.
What a great idea of the redirect. Everyone needs a little “ommmmmm” in their life. I have a small blog, with few commenters and all have been very friendly and encouraging. I can’t imagine what I’d do if I received a hateful attack/comment. Probably roll into a ball and cry. I am all for conversation and constructive criticism and opeb discussions, but when they viciously attack your family on sucha personal level…. well, you are amazing the way you deal with them.
<3
Your hair seriously looks so pretty! Livi is so cute; I can’t get over her gorgeous eyes. I would rather not read nasty comments altogether; it serves no purpose and I feel like the commenter will not be positively affected no matter how you respond. I LOVE that you redirect them to a yoga site, though. Haha.
I don’t have a blog, but it irritates me when I see other readers attack the you (or whoever), as well as other commenters. Really is life that horrible that you have to try to bring other people down, that you dont even know! If I was a mean commentor like that, I’d just feel like a horrible person! I don’t know why anyone would ever be mean to you Gina! 🙁 You’ve helped me a lot over the past 2 years with so much into my clean eating & exercising lifestyle 🙂
It takes a strong person to open yourself up to criticism from commenters…good for you for being so brave! I remember the first comment I ever made on a blog was to politely disagree with the author of a very popular lifestyle blog. I even prefaced it by saying “hey I love your blog and you are great, but…etc” before stating my opinion. I was so shocked when she gave me such a nasty response, especially I assumed she would be a super cool girl based on her blog. It really turned me off to her and other big blogs out there because I felt that she thought she was above constructive criticism. This particular blogger does so full time so she is making money off of every click to her page by a reader, so I thought “this is your business…how can you think that treating a ‘customer’ like you did is ok?” I’m not sure if she got a big head due to her blog fame or what, but the fact that you can handle a criticism makes me respect you even more. In any given day, most bloggers receive numerous daily positive comments over their lifestyle choices (I.e. “I loved your workout/recipe/advice!”) so to be too cool for an opposing view is very childish in my opinion.
I tend to agree with you, except if a reader made a comment about a child…children of bloggers are not fair game in my opinion. And anyone who attacks a child on a blog (or says something negative period) must have no soul.
I love that you are the bigger person and sent them to a yoga website! I’m going to have to look into that plug-in. I also agree that blogging is like having a conversation and as long as the comments aren’t mean spirited they can stay up. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with me, as long as your comments are constructive and not MEAN!
I’m fortunate enough to have never received hateful comments on my blog, but I do manually approve all comments for now. The reason for this is I receive a lot of “spam” comments that I don’t want clogging up the real, genuine discussion 🙂
I like to yoga re-direct thing. Great idea. I’ve had 2 people comment pretty negative things about me that really hurt, I don’t know why they do this and actually don’t know how to moderate it. I like that you allow for discussion to happen even if people disagree with you, as long as they aren’t disrespectful to anyone. That’s what I strive to keep for moderation in my comments. I also had a quick question for you about doing a personal training program. If I’m looking to get into personal training as a serious job, do you think its best to do it through NASM or one of those programs, or actually get a degree from a specific program in your area? Just curious on your thoughts! And I think its about time I make some balls:) I’m not aloud to eat when I work, so I can usually sneak some bites of those in at some point!
LOL, when I got the redirect,I thought I was randomly blocked!
I raged for a while and went for a walk around Central Park. Then my rage was redirected to the tourists that were consistently in my way, RAAAAARRRR and I checked Twitter.
It’s too bad about your troubles last night, but Guadalajara Grill always rocks my socks (and obviously your socks too), so now I’m raging because I miss a part of Tucson. RAAAAARRR jk jk.
Mmm, shrimp fajitas…haven’t had them in ages! I think there’s a time and place for constructively critical comments (go alliteration), but *never* hateful ones. If you seriously have such an issue with the blog, then stop reading. Honestly. The drama is never worth it. It only makes you – the commentor – look bad if you’re openly offensive. There’ve been a few blogs I’ve stopped reading over the years, bc they made me uncomfortable/I didn’t agree with the blogger, but I just quietly stopped. Never sent any hate mail! I really like the way you handle those kinds of commentors, Gina. I definitely don’t think you should be expected to tolerate attacks on yourself/your work/your family.
P.S. Been eating gluten free the past two weeks to see if it helps w/ stomach issues. Amazing how many cookies/sweet baked goods I automatically pass up bc of the gluten! Heh…now the ice cream cravings I’ve been satisfying are kinda countering that. 😉