The surest way to get called names is to blog about something that people do or may disagree with. It doesn't matter what the topic is. It can be technology, sports, dancing, TV and probably something as benign as pizza.
The Hate and Noise to Content ratio seems to be increasing daily. The reality is, there is no such thing as a widely read blog without moderated comments that is profanity or hate free. Thats a shame.
So the question is, is it worth it to allow unmoderated comments ? Or is babysitting comments just part of the job of bloggers ? Or are comments just a waste of time under all circumstances ?
Do Blog Comments Have Value ?
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(Page 1)2. On my blog I babysit the comments for the following: spam, dirty words, personal attacks and hate speech. Everything else makes it up there and I find value in much of it, even ones that are nasty toward me every now and then. The hard part for me is trying to find the time to respond in comments. Sometimes, I will write a separate blog post to do so.
Posted at 8:51PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Steve Rubel
3. I think it's fine for a hugely popular blog like this to disallow comments - anyone who really wants to respond can start their own blog, after all. I allow comments on my blog since I have so few readers that the amount of effort I need to put into it is negligible.
Posted at 8:59PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Ben Fulton
4. It really depends - but there is one thing. If your site depends on ad revenues to stay up you better have them, because if you don't have comments I'm never going to the site itself, I'll just read it in the RSS feed.
Of course, if you don't have an RSS feed I'm not reading you anyways, and if you only have a partial one and you're not on my list already I'm extremely unlikely to add you.
Posted at 9:03PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Skip
5. It would seem to me that it depends on your level of sensitivity. If inappropriate comments bother the blogger they need to moderate.
I do think there are thoughtful comments, but probably not as often as one might think. If it's a thoughtful comment, it's probably going to end up to be a post on somebody's blog with a trackback.
BTW: your last mile post was excellent. Until government considers the internet to be necessary infrastructure, the U.S. will fall hopelessly behind other technologically advanced countries. Sweden has 16 mbps, S. Korea 45 mbps, China 60 mbps.
Since Kentucky has the model for "broadband" access, we are in a heap o' trouble.
Posted at 9:05PM on Nov 21st 2007 by GoingLikeSixty
6. Moderating comments--Yes. Censoring comments--No. Hopefully, that fine line is achievable by the honest blogger. If not, no comments is the way to go. Unfortunately, unmoderated comments can lead to readers being exposed to hateful and sometimes profane statements by anger driven people......and readers can find that elsewhere should they need to, not on your/my blogs.
7. I don't give a shit about peoples comments ... this is the 1st time I've left a comment and I've been reading for years. I could care less what other people have to say if i wanted to know what they thought I'd read their blog in my Google reader.
Posted at 9:08PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Mike K.
8. www.kennysia.com , is the most popular local blog where i come from, he can get some 400-700 comments on a single post. Some hate and some love. Kenny's approch is to just let people say what they like.
I think it is this approach that makes him so popular.
For most parts, he speaks in the post, and lets everyone else speak in the comments.
9. I LOVE DIRK NOWITZKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE HIM LOVE HIM LOVE HIM! HE'S HOT!!!!!!! i've always wanted to meet him
Posted at 9:31PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Ana
10. Mark, there is a vast difference between "garbage" and "dissent". I have had a few of my posts disappear into the ether, even after I have verified it's authenticity. Nothing I have ever posted would be considered profane, off topic, or full of hate. It has been in the spirit of honest discussion.
When you decided to nix my various posts, you created animosity. At that point I wrote off your blog and kept away from it for a while. I am only back because you posted items which I found entirely offbase.
If you delete this, that's fine. At least we'll know where you stand with open discussion....
Posted at 9:36PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Brian
11. Do what gawker does. That'll clean up your trash fast.
An excerpt (taken from http://www.fuckedsuit.com/?p=33 ): "Any of you ever tried [posting a msg]? heh, I was surprised. They have this deal where you post one message (it’s moderated, course) and they review it to make sure it’s good enough. If it sucks (you do not pass the rehersal) you don’t ever get to post again and can just do the mundane community stuff. Right. As if I want “friends” on gawker."
13. Blog comments are worthless tripe. Anyone with something intelligent to say would have their own blog.
Posted at 9:58PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Dom
14. Great stuff mate!!!!
check out my blog:
termsandconditions1.blogpspot.com
Posted at 10:13PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Tom
16. If you can't deal with comments, then just email what you would write on your blog to your friends. Its called the 'world wide web' for a reason. Everyone in the world can access it.
Having a blog and getting mad at comments its sorta like going to the mall and getting mad at the kiosk people trying to sell you stuff. You know its a possibility, so why get mad in the first place?
17. There is already one service called Disqus that will moderate comments for anyone with a blog. Seems to me like this could become more common, a bit like spam filtering services.
Posted at 10:24PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Bruce McL
18. Is this coming from the same guy who calls people idiots in the media?
Gotta love the irony
Posted at 10:34PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Calvin
19. It's a no win situation. Moderate comments? People think you are choosing only good things to publish, and unfairly weeding out the negative. Don't moderate? Every idiot on the planet jumps in. No comments at all? In an instant gratification society, where people NEED to feel validated, comments, in a strange way, offer that.
Posted at 10:38PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Drew
20. Your blog has no value.
Posted at 10:44PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Jeremy
1. I talk on YouTube about a lot of controversial subjects, and I have a lot of subscribers, and here's my policy: if it's not bot-generated spam, I don't moderate it. It's just not my cup of tea. Let the people have their say dude ;)
-Robert
Posted at 8:48PM on Nov 21st 2007 by Robert Taylor