The Great Blaugust Comment Debate
This year’s Blaugust: Festival of Blogging has already raised a very interesting debate. An old one that habitually comes up when discussing blogs. Namely, whether a blog should or should not have “comments” enabled. However this time round there is a different slant on things. Rather than the usual binary choice of having comments enabled or disabled on your site, this time round there is a third option available. Leaving comments via email or a third party service such as Mastodon. Both of these additional options keep comments conspicuously at arms length from your website. Furthermore, the email option makes the comments private, instead of in the public domain. All of which puts a subtly different spin on conventional notions of blog comments and makes this ongoing discussion all the more interesting.
This year’s Blaugust: Festival of Blogging has already raised a very interesting debate. An old one that habitually comes up when discussing blogs. Namely, whether a blog should or should not have “comments” enabled. However this time round there is a different slant on things. Rather than the usual binary choice of having comments enabled or disabled on your site, this time round there is a third option available. Leaving comments via email or a third party service such as Mastodon. Both of these additional options keep comments conspicuously at arms length from your website. Furthermore, the email option makes the comments private, instead of in the public domain. All of which puts a subtly different spin on conventional notions of blog comments and makes this ongoing discussion all the more interesting.
Let’s see if I can marshall my thoughts on this matter into some semblance of coherency. First off, what is blogging? Google defines it as “the act of creating and publishing content on the internet, typically in the form of articles or posts, on a website or platform known as a blog”. Straightaway, that definition does not state that comments are in any way a mandatory part of blogging. However, posting an article online places it in a public and shared space. The internet is not a void. Quite the contrary. Hence, you may not have or want comments on your blog but by publishing a post that is open to all, you’ve stuck your head above the parapet. Thus you may attract comments, by hook or by crook. Other bloggers can link to your post and write their own reply. Similarly they can reach you via social media if you have allowed it. It is also worth noting that private email comments can be made public.
So there is an inherent social aspect to blogging, whether the blogger expressly desires it or not. If you’re truly blogging just for yourself, there is the option to make your blog private. However, few bloggers do this because most do have a desire on some level for their writing to be read. Therefore it is my opinion that this tangential move to have comments via email or say Mastodon, is a way for the blogger to have greater agency over the process. Because allowing comments on your blog can have negative consequences. There is scope for spam, abusive comments or for your writing to be derided. Not everyone copes with such things well. Plus, all of this can happen in a very public way. That in itself can be a negative factor for some bloggers. I believe that an element of this shift to having comments conducted offsite and possibly privately, stems from a desire to conduct such activities from a safe space.
I like feedback, constructive criticism and exchanging ideas. So I am happy to have comments on Contains Moderate Peril. I apply my own notions of etiquette and manners to comments that have been left and I have no qualms in deleting those that are insulting and unconstructive. I tend not to lay awake at night ruminating on negative feedback left by a few individuals. However, I appreciate that not everyone is wired the same way as me and some folk find these potential aspects of reader comments troubling. Hence, everyone makes a choice that they are comfortable with. If this newer approach works for the blogger in question then so be it. It has also been brought to my attention that comments have never been a cultural expectation with blogs on some subjects. Perhaps my social expectations regarding comments, comes from my gaming background.
I have always felt that my writing is to a degree, a prelude to a discussion. When writing a post, I sometimes won’t cover all available talking points, thus leaving scope for these to be explored in the comments. But again, not everyone holds such a view. I do feel that being confronted with opposite views to your own and then responding to them can be a useful experience. I’d even argue that deleting abusive comments can also teach a valuable lesson. However, the toxic nature of the internet means that some people may not want to countenance such things. Keeping bullshit at arms length is wise, especially if you write in a field that attracts hostility. Being constantly abused is exhausting. However, digging a virtual moat and pulling up the drawbridge has its own consequences.
The fact that I’ve managed to write as much as I have on this subject shows the scope of the discussion surrounding it. Your approach to blog comments is ultimately entirely up to you and you should make your choice accordingly. If you have a static site and integrating comments requires incurring a further cost, then that in itself is a good reason not to have them, if you’re working within a budget. The most important factor is to be content with your decision. I shall make one final point regarding blog comments. Not having them on your blog doesn’t stop people commenting on your writing. They will just discuss your material elsewhere, which is something you have far less say in. The reality is that if you blog publicly, then you cannot truly avoid criticism. Perhaps that should be the first lesson of blogging.
Blog Comments
Leaving comments on a post is a perennial talking point among bloggers. A good comment is often encouraging, provides valuable feedback and is also personally rewarding. However, allowing them on your site is also an invitation for assholes to talk bollocks. Setting aside the overall debate, comments per se just seem to be in decline these days. I find that people will respond to a post on Twitter, where they saw the initial link to begin with. Although this is pleasant it doesn’t leave anything permanent associated with the post. But such is the nature of social media. And of course another major stumbling block to leaving comments are the foibles of the various websites and platforms themselves. All too often a site will just ignore or reject your comment. This itself then acts as a future disincentive.
Leaving comments on a post is a perennial talking point among bloggers. A good comment is often encouraging, provides valuable feedback and is also personally rewarding. However, allowing them on your site is also an invitation for assholes to talk bollocks. Setting aside the overall debate, comments per se just seem to be in decline these days. I find that people will respond to a post on Twitter, where they saw the initial link to begin with. Although this is pleasant it doesn’t leave anything permanent associated with the post. But such is the nature of social media. And of course another major stumbling block to leaving comments are the foibles of the various websites and platforms themselves. All too often a site will just ignore or reject your comment. This itself then acts as a future disincentive.
As it’s the New Year, I decided that as I read my Feedly RSS feed each morning, it would be “chummy” to leave comments and to try and reinforce that sense of community that only seems to come to the fore during writing events. Hence this morning, I left a few positive words on one website and everything worked just fine. I believe I logged in using my Twitter credentials. However, when I tried to do the same thing again on another blog, I couldn’t login and post anything. The process ground to a halt during the validation stage and after about two minutes, I got bored and moved on. It’s not the author of the blog’s fault. This just seems to be a random issue associated with some platforms. Even if you opt for a different method of logging in, such as Google or Facebook, the problem can often persist. And then if you wait for 24 hours it will work fine the next day.
This also happens on my Blog. As a host, Squarespace provide some useful functionality but this really isn’t the case with comments and “likes”. I will sometimes notice that a post has been “liked” several times but have absolutely no idea by whom. Which kind of makes the process somewhat redundant. Some folk have found leaving comments “problematic”, although I can never determine whether there’s a common factor to this. Thus, this is the current status quo. I am trying to leave more comments, something I’m usually really bad at doing but the circumstances are conspiring against me. I could leave a similar comment on the Blaugust Discord server, assuming that the author is active on that server and will see it. Not the best solution but the best I can come up with at the moment. Certainly want to maintain the positive feedback ethic, as I feel it’s needed at present.
Newbie Blogger Initiative 2016 - Should You Allow Comments on Your Blog?
Comments have been an integral part of blogging since it became a popular activity in the late nineties. If you have a self-hosted blog or use one of the many free services, then by default the ability to leave comments is often enabled. Whether you want this option is another matter altogether and one that poses a potential headache for all bloggers. Allowing comments on your site has both pros and cons and as ever it comes down to you as a blogger to make a decision that you are comfortable with. If you are currently pondering this issue, then here are a few things to consider.
Comments have been an integral part of blogging since it became a popular activity in the late nineties. If you have a self-hosted blog or use one of the many free services, then by default the ability to leave comments is often enabled. Whether you want this option is another matter altogether and one that poses a potential headache for all bloggers. Allowing comments on your site has both pros and cons and as ever it comes down to you as a blogger to make a decision that you are comfortable with. If you are currently pondering this issue, then here are a few things to consider.
Reader feedback:
Bloggers do not thrive in a vacuum and crave feedback. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Monitoring your website traffic and statistical data can be of use but comments offer the promise of tangible feedback. Comments can potentially shed light upon whether your writing is being well received or not. Plus everyone likes to have their ego stroked to a varying degree. However the reality can be potentially quite different. Several years ago I posted an article that over a period of a month got read 35,000 times. Yet despite the relatively high level of traffic, it only garnered four comments. Feel free to work that out as a percentage. Plus you often find that a lot of the comments you receive on your site, may not be the kind that you want. I'm not talking about trolling but well-intentioned but ultimately meaningless platitudes. For example a simple "awesome", although complimentary offers no real value or insight.
Starting a dialogue with your readers:
A lot of gaming blogs are centred on discussing ideas and sharing common experiences. Posting an article based around a single question is a great way to start a debate going and attract comments. It presents an opportunity to see alternative points of view, to learn and even make new friends. If you write about MMOs for example, the comments system can act as an extension of the in-game chat. I can think of several well-known fan sites that over a period of time have become the de facto source of information for the games the support. They often play a pivotal role in their particular community. So if you have aspirations to achieve something similar or simply want to have some semblance of a dialogue with your readers then comments are essential.
"Your hide would make a fine Poncho..."
Stating, not debating:
You can write a perfectly effective blog without openly engaging in discussion. Your blog may be a source of data or provide "how to" guides. Or you may want to write a blog where you write an editorial as you see in the newspapers, where you simply state your point of view. Both these approaches don’t necessarily need reader comments and as a writer you may not consider everything you type as being open to or worthy of debate (although there are plenty of people out there who will happily do so). If that is the case, then comments are not essential and your readers will return because they enjoy the benefits of your guides or identify with your persona and particular outlook.
Sticking your head above the parapet:
The moment you write your own thoughts and put them in the public domain, then you are inviting criticism. Some folk just delight in leaving the most poisonous comments for no good reason. Let us not bother cataloguing every sort of comment than may occur. Let it suffice to say that there is plenty of scope for unpleasantness. Plus there is the separate issue of automated spam comments that can plague a website. If you decide to allow comments on your blog then you need to have thick skin. That's actually a lot harder than what you think. Every now and then there'll be one negative comment that really gets under your skin. Remember that you are dealing with gamers and they are not known as being the embodiment of reason or decorum. Also ensure you have some sort of anti-spam plugin that automatically detects bogus comments and deletes them.
Work, work, work:
If you find yourself in the fortunate position of running a blog with a healthy readership, then you may on occasions write a post that provokes a substantial amount of comments. If they are good, then it is wise to respond to them and engage with your readership. If they are bad then you may wish to crush such stupidity with a witty reposte or simply delete them. If you have elected to moderate all comments then you'll have to trawl through them one by one and see if they are suitable. All of these processes require a degree of work and time. As any blogger will tell you, the latter is a finite commodity. Choose wisely.
The esoteric art of generating more comments:
If you do elect to enable comments then you may wish to specifically write material to solicit them. This is fine if done in a sensible and measured fashion. However, like the pursuit of web traffic, this can easily descend into an unhealthy compulsion. The post that tackles a difficult issue and poses a question can be a good thing. The post that just aims to shock, offend or troll for no reason are of no real value. Plus writing like that just paints you into a corner. I find that the best way to encourage comments is to regularly do so yourself on other people’s blogs. Another tip is not to cover every angle of a debate in your post. Always allow scope for further discussion. Give your readers a reason to comment.
With regard to comments, I’m personally happy to allow them. Sure I'd like more but most of those that are left are a positive contribution. Those that aren't I’m still happy to leave. The rude, crass and malicious posts often say far more about the person that left them than anything else. It is also good to remember that your blog is not the same as a forum. Forums are created as specific platforms for public debate. I have always felt that a blog is more like running an open house. Although you have invited people in, there is still an expectation that they will conduct themselves in a civilized fashion. IE wipe their feet and flush the toilet if they use it. Therefore police your blog comments with that in mind, if you see fit to allow them.
Finally, whatever choice you make there is always scope to change it at a later date. It usually just involves checking a tick box in the blog's control panel. So if you have just started out blogging and have just made this decision, I'm very curious to know what choice you made. Feel free to leave a comment.