Categories: Articles

A Comment On Comments On Blogs

The concept of whether or not a Blogger should allow comments on a Blog is one of the oldest in Social Media. In the interest of full disclosure, it took years (literally) until I opened up the comments on this Six Pixels of Separation Blog (for various reasons). The well-worn story is that it’s not "really" a Blog unless it’s open for others to comment.

What piqued my newer thoughts around commenting on Blogs happened after reviewing the Advertising Age Magazine Power 150. The Power 150 ranks the best Marketing, Communications and Advertising Blogs in the world (currently, I’m ranked at #92, thank you very much), and while some question the formula that is used for the ranking (we’re still griping at Twist Image because there seems to be an issue with Bloglines), guess who comes in at number one?

Seth Godin.

Seth, in case you were not aware, does not allow comments on his Blog. Seth does enable trackbacks. So, you can "comment" on anything Seth has to say by Blogging about it on your own space and linking it back to Seth’s post (err.. a trackback). So, the number one Blog in the world – in my niche – does not allow comments. Now, more often than not, I’m noticing that most Blogs do not have trackbacks enabled but one can comment (the common reason is trackback spam). It’s definitely a mixed bag.

Why is this?

"I think comments are terrific, and they are the key attraction for some blogs and some bloggers. Not for me, though. First, I feel compelled to clarify or to answer every objection or to point out every flaw in reasoning. Second, it takes way too much of my time to even think about them, never mind curate them. And finally, and most important for you, it permanently changes the way I write. Instead of writing for everyone, I find myself writing in anticipation of the commenters." – Seth Godin – Why I Don’t Have Comments.

Simply put, he just wants a place when can put his thoughts. Thankfully, all of us reap the rewards of his kindness. On top of that idea, I’ve noticed something unique on this Blog. The more comments I get (and they have been increasing month over month), the more I feel like my own thoughts are being drowned out, misrepresented, completely agreed with, or open to interpretation. The comments force me to focus more, rethink my positions, respond, and sometimes even disagree with what I Blogged about in the first place. Re-reading Seth’s post from June 2006, I can empathize with his position.

It can be a good thing.

It can be a bad thing.

It depends.

I happen to like Seth’s approach and for years, one of the main reasons I did not open my Blog up for comments was because my thoughts and feelings were not open for others to comment on (should they ever be?). Sure, you can feel free to read. If you agree, great. If you don’t, that’s fine too. But, lately I think the big change is that Blogs have gone from personal online journals into media channels. Maybe this Blog is not about my personal thoughts anymore but rather a collective on the Digital Marketing landscape and how your Personal Brand fits into the world, where I’m the spark and the community helps me to create fire.

It’s fascinating to watch the Blogosphere evolve. I’m fascinated by people who have Blogs. I’m fascinated by people who comment on this Blog. I’m fascinated by the feeling I get when I comment on another Blogger’s Blog. I think the conversation around comments on a Blog is not growing old at all. In fact, I think it will heat up again as Blogs become much more polarized between the traditional online journal and the new media water cooler.

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.