48 Comments to “Bloggy Question 42: Responding to Comments”

1. April 1st, 2007 at 8:12 pm
   Michel Fortin said

   Liz,

   This is something I personally struggled with for a variety of reasons.

   I recently decided to close older comments on my blogs in order to prevent spam, since 99% of them are spam (on posts over 120 days old).

   Since many people are subscribed to the comments, they, in turn, receive spam — either in their RSS feeds, or their emails (if they are using RSS-to-email services, for instance).

   One purpose of giving RSS feeds, for example (and unlike email), is to give users more control over their subscriptions. And that includes no spam.

   Sure, anti-spam measures do help. But not 100% of the time. A few slip in, here and there. And when this happens, all commentators of a certain thread, or subscribers to the comments RSS feed, will be notified.

   It’s annoying to them as much as it is to the blog publisher.

   So the rights, here, are not just those of the publisher, but also of commentators, readers, and subscribers.

   But to avoid stifling conversations, I have both a blog and a forum, and I encourage would-be commentators of older posts to continue the conversation on my forum — or any forum, for that matter, including their own blog via trackback.

   But to the question of ownership, that’s a different issue. The comments are really owned by the commentators — not the publisher, unless specified otherwise.

   As a copywriter, I’ve research copyright law enought to know that blog comments or contributions are owned by the commentators themselves.

   That is why it’s also a good reason to add to your legal notice page, privacy policy, or disclaimer page, somewhere on your blog, a notice that you reserve the right to delete, moderate, ban, edit, publish, reprint, etc people’s contributions to your blog.

   You need to, by law.

   (And no, I’m not a lawyer. Just a copywriter, and of course, a blogger So this is not legal advice.)

2. April 1st, 2007 at 8:27 pm
   Ronald Huereca said

   I do not turn off comments on older posts because those are the ones that get picked up on by search engines. I have a “door to door magazine” post that is still receiving comments and these comments are extremely beneficial and give the post credibility.

   I also have a “Recent Activity” section so that readers can keep up to date on comments on the posts if need be.

   I agree that I wouldn’t want someone to comment on a two year old post, but I think the blogger should be flattered that a post that old still intrigues people enough to comment.

3. April 1st, 2007 at 8:35 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Michel!
   It’s interesting. Does turning off comments really stop spam? I’ve been told by some folks who know that it doesn’t actually stop it at all. I’m just curious. Not doubting your experience in the least.

   I agree with your comment that a statement of reserving the right to edit etc. comments is important. I should make my own more visible than it is.

   Meanwhile I was taken by the fact that the blogger who made the original comment thinks that the contents of the comments are about him or her.

4. April 1st, 2007 at 8:36 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Ronald,
   That’s a good point. I do have posts — two today as a matter of fact — that received valid comments. Spam I get on everything at a rate of about 200 an hour I would guess.

5. April 1st, 2007 at 8:40 pm
   Ronald Huereca said

   About the blogger that thinks commentators are all about the blogger — That’s like a business owner expecting customers and scoffing every time one of them makes a purchase.

   my 2 cents

6. April 1st, 2007 at 8:47 pm
   Michel Fortin said

   @Liz:

   Yes, it does stop spam on those posts only. Again, you might have anti-spam measures in place for all spam, but I’ve noticed, at least on my blogs, that most of the spam (especially trackback spam, and not necessarily comments), were on older posts.

   I use a plugin called Comment Timeout, which lets you specify if you wish to close comments, trackbacks, or both, and how old. Also, if there are any comments of a certain age, to leave it open — for example, a post with a recent comment (say 120 days), to leave it open for another 120, until the last comment goes over that deadline.

   This way, if some older posts are getting comments, albeit a trickle, they can still stay open.

   Nevertheless, aside from the ownership issue and to the more philosophical side of your question, I think the comments are indeed about the commentator.

   If they’re making a comment about your blog, they are expressing *their* opinion about your post. IMO, the comment reveals more about the commentator than it does the publisher.

   Granted, the comment is a source of feedback about the publisher and/or the post. But to me, it allows me to “peek inside the mind” of my readers.

   Since I focus on my readers and try to give them valuable content on my blog, I am more of a sounding board for them than they for me.

   (In fact, I’ve gotten a lot of ideas for content, products, testing variables — I test web design a lot — and more just by observing comments.)

   Anyway, I agree with the other blogger’s premise. Comments, in the end, are about them more than they are about us.

7. April 1st, 2007 at 8:51 pm
   Michel Fortin said

   @Liz:

   Typo: I misread. I meant, I agree with *your* premise that the comments are about the commentators.

8. April 1st, 2007 at 8:53 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Michel,
   That comment plugin sounds fabulous! Thank you for mentioning it. It certainly seems like the best of both worlds where I come from and man, do I get hit.

   I’m with you on comments being about readers, and in fact everything on a blog being about readers. I do the same. We sure learn a lot by listening than we do by talking.

9. April 1st, 2007 at 8:55 pm
   ME Strauss said

   No worries about a typo here, Michel. Thanks for letting us know.

10. April 1st, 2007 at 8:57 pm
    Michel Fortin said

    Here’s my post about it:

    http://www.michelfortin.com/how-to-get-more-comments-less-spam/

    (Please delete if it’s inappropriate, here.)

11. April 1st, 2007 at 9:00 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Thanks Michel,
    I appreciate the link. It makes life easier for everyone.

12. April 1st, 2007 at 9:32 pm
    Jen / domestika said

    Spamming, SE freshness, and copyright issues aside, I’m floored by the original question - that of the comments being “about me”; that is, about the blogger. Wow.

    Yes, sure.
    About as much as a conversation is “about” the person who happened to bring up a particular topic at a particular time… in their house.

    To my mind, the blogger (metaphorical homeowner) has the right and possibly the obligation to moderate the conversation under his/her roof - no hate-mongering, please! - but does he/she have the moral right to terminate the conversation out of hand? I don’t know, it just doesn’t seem right somehow…

13. April 1st, 2007 at 9:39 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Jen!
    Welcome! Floored what a perfect word. That’s exactly how I felt when I heard about it. My blood sugar dropped to my feet. I thought, “What arrogance!”

    I don’t think the conversation in my house is about me.

    I wondered why it wasn’t at least “about my writing,” which still would have bothered me.

    Turning off the comments doesn’t bother me nearly as much as listening to them with this “about me” mindset does. Though I agree, it is bothersome. . . .

14. April 1st, 2007 at 9:50 pm
    Vincent said

    I think the comments are about you if you have a personal journal type blog. But for other types of blogs it’s a dismissive and slightly insulting way to refer to peoples feedback.

    I would prefer to see all comment on new posts where more people can participate, while I don’t turn comments off (yet) I can see why it’s a good idea. If you have an old post that is still getting a lot of readers and comments it may be worth writing an updated post and trackbacking to it to try and generate a new discussion and find readers who might have missed it the first time.

15. April 1st, 2007 at 9:55 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Vincent,
    Got a point, if the blog topic is you, the comments would be about you. Makes sense.

    It’s a great idea to move the discussion forward with an updated post. I’ve been doing that with my 200 blogs search and it keeps it moving and in the chronology at the same time.

16. April 1st, 2007 at 9:57 pm
    Jen / domestika said

    @Liz, thanks for the warm welcome. I’ve been lurking a while but couldn’t resist putting in my 2 cents on this one… I’ve just been off to read Michel Fortin’s post on the subject of turning off comments - it seems like a dandy compromise to address the spam-comments issue. (Too bad there’s no plugin yet to adjust an overweaning “about me” attitude!)

17. April 1st, 2007 at 9:59 pm
    Michel Fortin said

    @Jen:

    Great analogy. But I’m not so sure about “terminating an out-of-hand conversation” not being right. It’s not only your house, but you are also the host. And like, for example, a host who is responsible for the well-being of all her guests, sometimes terminating a conversation is best.

    I’ve struggled with this, too. But I’ve come to the understanding that, in my mind, moderating also includes terminating conversations when they’re detrimental to the rest of the community.

    It’s your right — if not your duty — to protect the rights of others in your community, including other people subscribed to the conversation.

    Using your example, there’s more than just one person in your house. In fact, you have several people in your house, and several conversations going on in several rooms in the same house.

    If people impede not just one but several conversations (i.e., go back to my previous comment about subscriptions to comments), you might need to terminate the conversation.

    That said, nothing stops you from resuming the conversation at another time — in the same way, nothing stops you from posting a new post to continue the conversation.

    I agree, it’s a dilemma. But I don’t think it’s an issue of right or wrong, but one of choosing between the lesser of several evils.

    My 3 cents.

18. April 1st, 2007 at 10:00 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Jen,
    I love your plug-in wish! I’m so laughing.

    You are NOT a stranger here — no way. You fit right in.

19. April 1st, 2007 at 10:02 pm
    Andrew Flusche said

    Hi Liz,

    As always, you’ve got a thought-provoking post here. Actually, I’ve got this topic on my “to blog” list.

    I don’t close comments, and I have no plan to start. It annoys me when I come across a post and want to comment, but comments are closed. Some popular blogs close them after a week or two. That’s crazy! Even I have several posts that are a few months old that still receive good comments. I value that reader feedback & interaction.

    Take care,
    Andrew

20. April 1st, 2007 at 10:06 pm
    Jen / domestika said

    @Michel, so sorry, I’ve committed a Canadianism and confused the issue: “terminating a conversation out of hand” = to do so quickly, perhaps without sufficient forethought. Terminating an out-of-hand conversation, on the other hand… I’m with you on that. Heck, I’ll hold the comment door closed while you lock it.

21. April 1st, 2007 at 10:06 pm
    Michel Fortin said

    @Andrew:

    Great point. I know it can be disconcerting. But about resuming conversations, I’ve seen this strategy used on some blogs, where they add an “update” at the bottom of the blog post, with a link to the new one, where th conversation continues.

    This is also another reason why adding links to “related posts/entries” at the end of your post is a good idea.

22. April 1st, 2007 at 10:08 pm
    Michel Fortin said

    @Jen:

    Lol! No worries. (Hello from Ottawa, by the way.)

23. April 1st, 2007 at 10:11 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Andrew,
    I hate it too, when my thoughts are shut out — especially since I’m kind of shy about commenting on a new blog in the first place.

    On the other hand, I hate to comment when the conversation is weeks old. Call me finicky Morris, the cat.

24. April 1st, 2007 at 10:13 pm
    ME Strauss said

    @ Michel and Jen,
    You wouldn’t know, but we have a saying on this blog that Canadians know everyone . . . and you’re proving it again.

    I do like the idea of that plug-in a lot. I can see the metaphor working when you think of that last party person who needs to go home so that we all can clean up.

25. April 1st, 2007 at 10:35 pm
    HART (1-800-HART) said

    Liz .. it’s not just a saying .. it’s true - We Canadians really do know everybody. For instance, my wife’s cousin went to different schools than Michel did in Ottawa, while my own cousin drove past a farmhouse similar to Jen’s farmhouse out near the Eastern coast a few years back!

    Oh .. what’s that saying everybody used to say .. “A blog publisher who turns off his/her comments is just a website publisher”.

26. April 1st, 2007 at 10:57 pm
    ME Strauss said

    HI HART!
    I needed your comment just about now. Thanks for stopping to write it.

    Just a website publisher. . . .

    You are the best!

27. April 2nd, 2007 at 2:44 am
    candice said

    To be on the other side of that coin, though*, I get a fair amount of creepy dude comments, hitting on me. Always on later posts, after the regular commenters have gone home. You may yet be misinterpreting the words of the poster.

    *(and I only turn comments off on heavily-spammed old posts, for what it’s worth.)

28. April 2nd, 2007 at 5:27 am
    Kian Ann said

    Hey Liz!

    I personally think we can safely leave comments open for all posts. The older posts are usually the landing pages for search traffic, and if there is an opportunity to get to know another reader, why not?

29. April 2nd, 2007 at 6:57 am
    Robert Hruzek said

    Interesting, Liz. I’m with you on the “all about me” phrase - it’s usually a “red flag” sort of thing that indicates a whole ‘nother bag of kittens that needs to be dealt with.

    But on the other hand, after this long thread, I can kinda understand it better. Maybe the use of the phrase caused ME a problem, not them. (Is it about me, after all? Aack!)

    And thanks, all, for bringing up the plug-in; it sounds like a possible solution to a problem I didn’t even know about! I love learning about new stuff!!

30. April 2nd, 2007 at 6:59 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Candice,
    If that’s what the original blogger is talking about — commenters hitting “her,” then you bet I was not hearing what was being said. Whoa was I off.

    (It’s worth a lot to know that.)

    This thread is becoming most informative.

31. April 2nd, 2007 at 7:02 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Kian Ann,
    I have one post on this blog that if it gets a comment, I am willing to bet my $1000 against your $100 that the comment will be spam. Will you take that bet? If I lose you get my $1000. . . .

    You have to stay in the game for 10 bets.

32. April 2nd, 2007 at 7:04 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Robert!
    This thread has gone places I never expected. I love the ways that bloggers find to teach me new things.

33. April 2nd, 2007 at 7:34 am
    Sanne Roemen said

    I love it when I get a comment on an age-old post. Sometimes it triggers a new post, or it makes me reflect on myself and on what I wrote. Any relevant comment on any relevant post is worthwhile to me. I don’t know how I would react if I had tons of comments though…

34. April 2nd, 2007 at 8:34 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Sanne!
    I still love to get comments on old posts, but the plug-in that Michel mentioned in the earliest comments here, doesn’t turn off the comments until 120 days after the last comment and resets when a new comment comes. Sounds about right to me.

35. April 2nd, 2007 at 11:17 am
    Dave said

    Liz,
    Up until about three minutes ago I didn’t realize it was normal to get comments on older posts. I just got a comment this morning on a post from about two weeks ago and it shocked me. I kept checking the url and comment to make sure it wasn’t spam. Maybe I’m paranoid. So I learned something today from this conversation.

    I think Candice brings up a good point.

    On the Canadian point… I don’t know Michael and Jen…yet! Eh!

36. April 2nd, 2007 at 11:20 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Dave,
    That’s blogger synchronicity — you find this conversation when you get that comment. It’s very Zen . . .

    On the Canadian thing Sssshhh you’ll get yourself kicked out of Canada if you say that too loud.

37. April 2nd, 2007 at 11:37 am
    Nolan Matthias said

    I think there are several reasons to leave comments active. The first is, you never know who is reading your blog, and how far back they are going. If they leave a response, you know they are reading.

    In addition, blogs are all about sharing and thus any comments given on your blog are part of what makes readers want to return.

    Openly sharing is a huge benefit.

    Nolan M

38. April 2nd, 2007 at 11:41 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Nolan,
    Welcome! It’s true. You never know what page brings someone into your blog, people enter in virtually any post. I am, like you, biased toward readers and wanting readers to share their thoughts. I’d rather have the burden on me to remove the spam comments.

    However, the plugin the Michel describes seems a nice alternative for a blogger who gets hundreds of spam comments to go through.

39. April 2nd, 2007 at 12:23 pm
    Chris Cree said

    2 cents from a non-Canadian, non-spammer.

    Perhaps the comments on that particular blog really are about that blogger. I’d be surprised, but I can see it as in the realm of possibility.

    As far as having the right to stifle the conversation, the site owner certainly does have the right to do that or even take down the entire site if he or she wants. That right comes part and parcel with ownership.

    Most times I wouldn’t think it is a good idea. I probably wouldn’t do it myself except in some extreme cases.

    But I can see cases where it makes sense.

40. April 2nd, 2007 at 12:41 pm
    Jen / domestika said

    @Dave, never mind, we’re probably related…

    @Chris, your 2 cents (USD) is right in line with my thoughts:
    The right to delete/curtail a comment/thread is indisputably the blogger’s own, but is it always wise to exercise that right? In extreme cases, as you say - yes, certainly. Cost-benefit analysis, first, though.

    As Nolan points out, comments add their own value (on many levels). Gold among the spam… Until the cost of the spam (in blogger labour, aura of negativity, etc.) outweighs the value of the golden content, why not let it ride?

    Of course, easy for me to say - not served 800 spam with my morning coffee!

41. April 2nd, 2007 at 1:36 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Chris!
    You are sensible. Every point works and makes sense. I knew there was wealth of reasons that I wanted you around here. You make this blog look so intelligent. I feel myself geting smarter.

42. April 2nd, 2007 at 2:56 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi jen
    Thanks for saving Dave’s Canadian citizenship. I’d hate to have it be in doubt.

    I agree that comments add value to the overall blog content. That makes want to pan for gold rather than delete or stop the contents from coming.

43. April 2nd, 2007 at 5:17 pm
    cooper said

    I shut off comments for posts over thirty days old; it does prevent a lot of spam.

    I am not quite clear on how shutting or not shutting off comments to older posts would make the blog about me or not about me.

    I have found that on my more serious posts the comments tend to be about the people who post them not me. That is probably why they comment in the first place.

    If it didn’t work so well to stop six hundred pieces of spam a day I’d turn them back on.

    I’m just not clear on how it makes a difference.

    (I got here via My Blog Log.)

44. April 2nd, 2007 at 6:14 pm
    Dave said

    wheww. I’m glad I checked back here. I was getting ready to run to the nearest embassy for assylum. I was starting to feel neglected,insignificant, polite and overshadowed…. hang on a second… that almost proves I’m Canadian. (tongue firmly in cheek)

    Sorry Liz.. completely off-topic comment.

45. April 2nd, 2007 at 9:31 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Dave!
    Please don’t ever feel neglected. Nothing you can say in the comment box here about you is off topic.

46. April 8th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
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47. April 29th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
    Whoa said

    So what if somebody has a new point of view own a subject you wrote a long time ago? What if they just discovered it and have a question about it, not answered anywhere on your blog?

    What if, like me, they cannot response when the subject is “hot”?

48. April 29th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
    ME Strauss said

    HI Whoa!
    That’s the beauty of the blog. The conversation doesn’t rely on everyone being in the same time and space. I’m here again after you have been and your words are here for those who come long after we are gone.

    We are writing history in real time.