Comments on: Applying a comments policy

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:28:04 +0000

Well. This is a good approach. I would add “PC” comments. I mean no offensive ones.

By: AlastairC

AlastairC — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:35:13 +0000

authors should feel free to have editorial rights over the comments. If inappropriate or in violation of a policy — published or not — delete.

I agree, I just want people to know what my criteria are – transparency.

By: Mike Cherim

Mike Cherim — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 05:21:18 +0000

I must say I still appreciate comments on my blog and I usually get enough good insights from them to warrant any hassles. But the good news is that there aren’t any hassles for me so far (at it for a couple of years now).

I don’t have a commenting policy and haven’t yet seen a need. But then again, if I did have a need, I doubt the miscreants causing problems would: 1) read them; or 2) follow them.

I generally don’t use my own blog to respond to someone’s post or article. Unless I have a lot to say or want to spread [the word] something. For the same reason: the overhead investment. I typically feel it’s warranted, relevant, and appropriate to post my remarks in direct response to the post… using their comments feature.

Personally I love comments. Usually they’re valuable and they help me write what people want to read (even though some stuff I write is for me only). This last bit I can get from stats, but I like the human element.

But each to their own. It is as it should be: completely up to the author. I don’t think the author should feel obligated to support commenting, just as readers aren’t obligated to comment. And to take it one step further, authors should feel free to have editorial rights over the comments. If inappropriate or in violation of a policy — published or not — delete.

By: AlastairC

AlastairC — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:24:53 +0000

Hi ADAC,

It may just be a gesture, but I think it’s a necessary one where you might be removing or altering someone’s comment. It’s just a transparency thing.

Thanks Eric, I hope you don’t mind me adding the link to your comment

By: Eric Meyer

Eric Meyer — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:02:06 +0000

Thanks for the compliment, Alastair. I've just published an article on this topic that was, in large part, inspired by your post and those to whom you linked.

By: ADAC

ADAC — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 22:57:55 +0000

While a written comments policy is a friendly gesture, it seems to me to be rather unnecessary.

Spammers will not read the policy, and will not care. For the most part someone who has read your post, if they are inclined to comment should have more to say that “you Rock”, even if it is just why they fell that way.

Personally I like sites that allow comment better, it give more of a community atmosphere, you often learn as much from the comments as you do the initial post.

By: procommenter.com » Applying a comments policy « AlastairC

procommenter.com » Applying a comments policy « AlastairC — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:18:05 +0000

[...] Applying a comments policy « AlastairC [...]

By: Maaike

Maaike — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:38:22 +0000

Of course it’s up to every blogger to decide for themselves whether they allow comments or not. But I personally like it when they do and I tend to visit comments-enabled blogs more often. Not necessarily because I want to add something myself, but because I prefer conversations to monologues and I’m interested in different opinions on a subject.
I think your comments policy makes a lot of sense, but of course it won’t put off evil spammers.

By: JackP

JackP — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 22:39:40 +0000

Ben makes a sound point: you do have an authoritative tone. It’s like “look, I’ve investigated this, and these are the results”, as opposed to “this is what I think”.

That’s not a bad thing, though; it’s just a particular personal style.

And I’ll clarify what I meant: I don’t feel bloggers should feel obliged to allow comments either.

However, I think it’s reasonable to inform people that if they don’t, then it may give the impression to some that they are issuing proclamations, because it appears they want people to listen to their opinion, but are unwilling to listen to the opinion of others.

Not everyone would take it that way of course, but some would. It has to be the decision of the site owner. Me, I like the two way conversation, but I don’t expect everyone to be the same as me either…

By: Ben 'Cerbera' Millard

Ben 'Cerbera' Millard — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 22:01:55 +0000

I don’t think bloggers should feel obligated to have comments. And if you do have comments, bloggers shouldn’t feel obligated to privide a comments policy. This is a blog, not a Republic.

But if you choose to have comments and choose provide a policy, that’s cool.

Your writing style is kind of What Alastair Thinks of This. So I read each entry and usually learn something useful. There’s not much I can add — they are a statement rather than a question. They are valuable just as reading material, imho.

Entries on 456 and other sites usually have a very deliberate “but what do you think?” at the end. Entries like that on sites covered in adverts always feel a bit slimy to me.