The Pileon = Facebook Comments now restricted to Followers

This is about a change of policy for Comments on my Making A Mark Facebook Page. It's also a reminder about what is and is not OK when commenting on my Facebook posts.

Last night at 6pm I published my review of the Commission episode called "The Winner's Programme"  at the end of the current series of Landscape Artist of the Year.

Before I went to bed last night, I had to add a comment to the post because of the incessant negative comments on my review made by people who, it appeared to me had:

• neither watched the programme
• nor read my review
• nor explained the reasons for their negativity.

I remember names. I know when people have commented before. Having written on social media for the last 20 years, I also know when people have no interest in art and/or are just trolling.

In short, my post was experiencing "a pileon" and I was starting my response....

This is the comment on my Facebook Post about the Commission

It then occurred to me, I'd also received more ignorant comments than usual on my review of the Final Kim Day wins Landscape Artist of Year 2026 as well.....

What is a "pileon"?

I checked out definitions for Pileons on Google. It's not a recognised word in the Oxford English Dictionary. I'm not even sure I'm spelling it right however Google AI recognised the colloquial term and was able to provide some informative context.

For me, it is synonymous with what I would characterise as the "ignorant comment" expressed by:

• those who know nothing about art "but they know what they like"
• those who don't stop to watch (the programmes) or read (the reviews) or, more importantly think.
• those who like joining in commenting onslaughts
• the plain old communal garden troll

My Comments Policy

A very long time ago (20 years) I developed a commenting policy for my blog and have largely applied it to my Facebook Page too.

You can find it here in my Comments Policy. It was based on something called The Living Room Doctrine which was identified to me by Lisa Williams.

Bottom line, I have no problem with anybody disagreeing with me and wanting to say so. Just so long as they behave on my blog or Facebook page as if they were sat in my living room i.e. I am going to query their response if they don't want to explain themselves properly in the first place. Or I am going to eject them if they continue to be rude and offensive.

My response to the trolling comments

I want to start by saying I've also had a lot of extremely informative comments from followers of various outlooks who have explained their reasons for their views very well.

I'd like to make a point of saying THANKS to all those who go to the trouble of being a thoughtful person - and thinking before they write!

I have absolutely no problem with dissenters. 

I have a problem with TROLLS and people who behave like YOBS.

This is what I have done and will continue to do:

• Stated Comments Policy: My initial response was the comment at the top of the page on the Commission Post
• Blocking the Accounts of Trolls 
• Last night I blocked one person. 
• I blocked another two this morning. I will be keeping the situation under review and will continue to block people if necessary.
• Hiding Comments - I'm hiding some which I think are unwise rather than mean or without meaning
• I have also started to Filter the Comments.  Basically on any post attracting (or likely to attract) ignorant / inane / offensive comments I have now limited them to:
• comments ONLY by those who are followers of the Page 
• and ONLY after you have been a follower for 24 hours

Can I emphasise that all those providing 

• well informed (you watched the programme and read the review) comments 
• which disagree with my view will continue to be published....
• so long as it expressed in a decent way and explained properly - it will always have a place on the Making A Mark Facebook Page as a dissenting voice.

However, I am also asking people "why?" a lot when they express a view without reasons. 

In other words I'm asking people to think before they comments. 

Be prepared to provide reasons!