Friday
Jul092010
To Comment or Not To Comment?
Friday, July 9, 2010 at 08:00AM
By definition, a blog is just a website with a particular format (entries listed in a chronological order). When it comes to tone or design, blogs and websites are pretty much the same. The difference comes down to comments.
So should your blog have comments, or should you disable them? Check out some of the pros and cons.
For some bloggers, this isn't even a question. Blogs should have comments – how else would people be able to leave feedback on your posts that you've worked so hard to write? Without that feedback loop, a lot of blogs shut down. We've heard tons of stories of new bloggers closing down shop after six months because they didn't receive a single comment.
With some really popular blogs, the comment section can often be as entertaining and lively as the blog itself. It can function as a community if its own around a shared thing -- your blog. But it takes time and energy to get there. It's not going to happen overnight. And if you have a really boisterous comments section, instituting a comment policy is probably a must to keep things civil.
On the flipside, bloggers may choose not to have comments because it can be a burden on actually producing content. Comment spam is ubiquitous and can overtake your blog. And even if you take steps to counteract spam through the use of plugins and filters, it can still creep through. Also, according to Michael Gray of Graywolf's SEO Blog, it can even negatively impact SEO.
So which is the best thing to do? Well, it depends on your blog. You could also take a hybrid approach when it comes to comments. Here are some examples of what I mean:
Do you have comments on your blog? If so, why? Or Why not? Let's hear your comments.
So should your blog have comments, or should you disable them? Check out some of the pros and cons.
For some bloggers, this isn't even a question. Blogs should have comments – how else would people be able to leave feedback on your posts that you've worked so hard to write? Without that feedback loop, a lot of blogs shut down. We've heard tons of stories of new bloggers closing down shop after six months because they didn't receive a single comment.
With some really popular blogs, the comment section can often be as entertaining and lively as the blog itself. It can function as a community if its own around a shared thing -- your blog. But it takes time and energy to get there. It's not going to happen overnight. And if you have a really boisterous comments section, instituting a comment policy is probably a must to keep things civil.
On the flipside, bloggers may choose not to have comments because it can be a burden on actually producing content. Comment spam is ubiquitous and can overtake your blog. And even if you take steps to counteract spam through the use of plugins and filters, it can still creep through. Also, according to Michael Gray of Graywolf's SEO Blog, it can even negatively impact SEO.
So which is the best thing to do? Well, it depends on your blog. You could also take a hybrid approach when it comes to comments. Here are some examples of what I mean:
- Start your blog off without comments, and then, when you get enough of an audience or build a big enough brand, open your blog up for comments.
- Require people to join your site in order to leave comments. Many newspapers do this to prevent trolls from getting out of hand, plus it makes it easier for them to moderate comments.
Do you have comments on your blog? If so, why? Or Why not? Let's hear your comments.
Reader Comments (6)
#bwa2010 – New Post: To Comment or Not To Comment? http://goo.gl/fb/zipKA" rel="nofollow">http://goo.gl/fb/zipKA
This comment was originally posted on http://twitter.com/blkweblogawards/statuses/18112590055" rel="nofollow">Twitter
Comments are what fuels my blogging. Unlike a lot of other bloggers, I don't write to express myself, I write to provoke discussion and when my comments section gets quiet I lose motivation.
one of my favorite blogs doesn't allow comments at all. I often wonder why but it never stops me from going there regularly. It's the blog of a famous author Seth Godin. It may be to avoid sycophantic comments and discussion or maybe he simply couldn't care less. I work in the advertising industry and most of my readers are afraid to comment publicly, I guess for fear of dissing an agency they may one day work for. But the emails... oh my the emails I get are epic. People go off behind the scenes and I would never betray their trust, but if I could my blog would be riotous.
To Comment or Not To Comment? http://bit.ly/94Bkh9" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/94Bkh9
This comment was originally posted on http://twitter.com/blkweblogawards/statuses/18366874406" rel="nofollow">Twitter
RT @blkweblogawards: To Comment or Not To Comment? http://bit.ly/94Bkh9" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/94Bkh9
This comment was originally posted on http://twitter.com/mrfactoid/statuses/18367398326" rel="nofollow">Twitter
Comments are very satisfying, fulfilling and of course interactive. We love reading comments, especially if they include questions, spark a discussion or bring up counterpoints.