The Entitlement of the Comment Section

No Paywall, No Gratitude

Recently, a new subscriber started commenting on my posts. I tried to be friendly, but I found it increasingly difficult to keep that up—and this post is about that experience. The truth is, I’ve been a bit lost on what to write about lately, so I decided to reflect on this exchange that happened in the comment section of my last post. There had also been an earlier exchange on a previous post, where the same subscriber left similar comments that I mostly ignored. This time, however, I decided to respond. The end result? They blocked me.

It strikes me that people often misunderstand what the comment section is for. I agree that it can be a useful space to raise awareness or challenge ideas the writer might have overlooked. But, if the comment section is open and free, why use it to argue rather than engage with a bit of appreciation or respect? If you disagree with the content, why not just move on?

The subscriber went by the moniker “ACAB,” which, as many know, stands for “All Cops Are Bastards.” It’s meant as a signal of someone who questions authority. But if you truly question authority, wouldn’t you do that by asking questions rather than acting like an authority yourself? This person came across as someone who believed they knew best. They didn’t like supplements and wanted me to know it. I already gathered that from previous comments, so I wasn’t sure why they felt the need to remind me.

At one point, ACAB asked if I grew my own food—apparently assuming I didn’t because I had mentioned supplements. Here’s what I said in reply:

I like growing my own food, but right now there’s nothing growing. I am making some sauerkraut, though! I’d like to get back to gardening sometime soon.
In the past, I’ve had both laying hens and meat chickens, which I slaughtered and butchered myself. Someday I hope to return to that—maybe without the laying hens this time.
I think people often turn to supplements as a kind of middle ground. Many use them as alternatives to pharmaceuticals. Ideally, we’d get everything we need naturally and avoid supplements altogether, but many people face chronic health issues, and supplements can help.
In Super Gut, Dr. Davis shares examples of people who were able to stop using pharmaceuticals by following his methods. Maybe one day those same people will move beyond supplements too. In the end, everyone must find their own way.

I felt my reply was considerate and gentle, but it didn’t please ACAB, who then continued insisting that I was misguided about supplements. She even asked whether I used the feathers from the chickens for pillows or something else. I tried to keep the conversation lighthearted, replying:

I didn’t do anything special with the feathers—just threw them away. The eggs were the best I’ve ever had! Chickens are so much fun to have around. And yes, great bone broth too. I’m not convinced that supplements are the same as pharmaceutical drugs. Comparing proton pump inhibitors with probiotics (even in capsule form) makes me fairly certain that one is far more helpful—and far less harmful—than the other.

But ACAB wanted to keep debating. She repeated that “we can agree to disagree” and warned that supplement companies are owned by pharmaceutical corporations. While that’s true for some brands, it’s not true of all—and I chose not to engage further on that point. I also didn’t understand why “agreeing to disagree” had to be such a focus. I wasn’t trying to “agree” on anything. So I said:

I don't know. But if all pharma has to do to get you to not use supplements is buy the companies up, then maybe that's worth it for them. I'm not convinced shit will hit the fan in my life time.

shit hit the fan

She kept pushing, insisting her view was correct and others were wrong. I replied:

People are not going to stop buying supplements or taking pharmaceuticals. That much is clear to me.

When she said people needed to be educated, I responded:

People don’t like or want education.
What harm is curcumin doing to people, exactly?

"we don't need no education"

She had no specific examples. Ironically, the article she was responding to was quite conservative about curcumin use. It even mentioned:

Dr. Davis notes that curcumin should not be taken long-term. As a natural antibiotic, its ongoing use could disrupt microbiome balance over time rather than support it.

But ACAB kept repeating “we can agree to disagree.” So I finally said:

The comments section is a place more so for questions in my opinion, or complements to the author, or maybe something thoughtful, not somewhere to bring in your authoritarian style education. It's disrespectful of you to make the comments you have made. I spent valuable time writing the article. If you don't like what I'm saying here then maybe it's not a good place for you to read. You act as if I am causing a problem. I'm just sharing information. You say you're against authority, but your attitude is authoritarian because your tone is as if you know what's best.

She accused me of being authoritarian for saying that. At that point, I’d had enough, and I told her:

You didn't challenge me. I'm only telling you how you come across to me. It sounds like you think you know what is best. I'm just providing information. Why not go challenge a police officer instead of someone who is writing an article to provide information? Just because you disagree with the information does not automatically make you correct. When you ask what I do with feathers it comes attached with judgement. If I don't use every part of the animal I'm not living up to some standards you have set for yourself.

That was where the exchange ended. I can no longer see any of her comments—either she deleted them or blocked me—but honestly, I don’t care. After all of that, I did think, “Why am I even doing this anymore?” But then again, I doubt I’ll stop. So instead of quitting, I decided to write it all down—for whoever might find it worth reading.

Thanks for stopping by,
Renee