tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11066657.post1430976701706826677..comments2024-02-08T09:27:27.492-05:00Comments on Canadian Magazines: Do comments add to or detract from the conversation?D. B. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959665689155236724noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11066657.post-42630459893038230862008-11-27T10:44:00.000-05:002008-11-27T10:44:00.000-05:00Perhaps food blogs are an exception to the rule. M...Perhaps food blogs are an exception to the rule. Most people who comment on my blog provide their name. The comments are often as entertaining or informative as the post itself -- which is either a credit to my readers or a testament to the unifying power of food. <BR/><BR/>I know Paul Wells turned off his comment function for a while because<BR/>things were getting nasty. He's talking politics; The Messy Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02231485575194758530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11066657.post-55252200225815053232008-11-25T13:16:00.000-05:002008-11-25T13:16:00.000-05:00I think Kim Pittaway raises an excellent point or ...I think Kim Pittaway raises an excellent point or three. Bloggers who want to attract ads need comments, and since few will comment under their own names (in order to protect themselves from cyber-harassment, as often as to be able to post scurrilous remarks without fear of consequences), moderation is a must. But if you moderate too strictly, you do wind up with an insider group patting each Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11066657.post-31710842144073758312008-11-19T13:42:00.000-05:002008-11-19T13:42:00.000-05:00The use of comments really depends on the site's p...The use of comments really depends on the site's purpose. YouTube, for example, is based on illicit videos, anonymity, and "ranting." Not a big surprise that they attract such horrible commenters. Vimeo.com, another video site, is based on user-generated content and fosters a community. Even as that site grows, it's comments have remained constructive and positive.<BR/><BR/>I think a better Matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02414107239396834990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11066657.post-1017440513740589362008-11-19T11:56:00.000-05:002008-11-19T11:56:00.000-05:00To build on anon's cocktail party analogy: there a...To build on anon's cocktail party analogy: there are some sites I've left because of the comments--like being at a cocktail party where the conversation starts out civilized and then degenerates into a bar brawl. (Though I'll also admit to sometimes watching the brawl with car-crash-spectator-like fascination.) And I think that experience points to an important question for brands: is a lively Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11066657.post-61590440267374918702008-11-19T10:49:00.000-05:002008-11-19T10:49:00.000-05:00I often post anonymously, both here and elsewhere....I often post anonymously, both here and elsewhere. I'm sometimes controversial, but usually polite. However, I will never post my real name--not because I'm scared, shy, or ashamed of what I post. But as a freelance writer whose byline is likely Googled from time to time, I have to consider the long-term. Do I want my blog posts immortalized on the web? What if I make a typo? :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11066657.post-22087913406164142762008-11-19T10:37:00.000-05:002008-11-19T10:37:00.000-05:00The tendency for "ordinary people to express thems...The tendency for "ordinary people to express themselves in a way that is loathsome" is called disinhibition and its causes have been quite well documented. <BR/>http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/disinhibit.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11066657.post-86689793767839487172008-11-19T08:40:00.000-05:002008-11-19T08:40:00.000-05:00Ultimately open comments will increase and sustain...Ultimately open comments will increase and sustain the traffic on the blog, and we need Cdn Mag Blog to enjoy a robust and healthy future. With comment moderation enabled, that seems like enough measure to keep the conversation civil. As for anonymous posture on comments, candid thoughts sourced from inside the biz are valuable. Considering the harsh climate and littering of comment sections on Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11066657.post-43347066207330382762008-11-19T07:02:00.000-05:002008-11-19T07:02:00.000-05:00Don't have time to go to many cocktail parties, bu...Don't have time to go to many cocktail parties, but aside from that, you're correct. About 70% are anonymous and we have chosen in the past to allow that for some very good reasons. But the question of anonymity was raised by me, since it's been top of mind at this blog. However that doesn't preclude reprinting a link to discussion by others who were raising an interesting -- if arguable -- pointD. B. Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13959665689155236724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11066657.post-11228590409462617452008-11-19T00:41:00.000-05:002008-11-19T00:41:00.000-05:00If pointing out an unwittingly sumptuous bit of ir...If pointing out an unwittingly sumptuous bit of irony is seen to add little to the conversation then what dreadful cocktail parties you must be attending.<BR/><BR/>I suspect one of the main reasons Canadian Magazines continues to allow anonymous comments is that they exhibit a lively readership. If no one is seen to be strongly engaged by the content (and that's what comments demonstrate), then Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11066657.post-63194947608540649612008-11-18T21:51:00.000-05:002008-11-18T21:51:00.000-05:00Comments are much like democracy - great in theory...Comments are much like democracy - great in theory, less than ideal in practice. (But probably better than the alternatives.)Kat Tancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03604043777428321706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11066657.post-24028212748222870622008-11-18T19:19:00.000-05:002008-11-18T19:19:00.000-05:00Well, your comment (which adds little to the conve...Well, your comment (which adds little to the conversation but abuse) seems to prove the thesis...D. B. Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13959665689155236724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11066657.post-17635800041425843142008-11-18T18:02:00.000-05:002008-11-18T18:02:00.000-05:00This is rich: bloggers musing on whether to let co...This is rich: bloggers musing on whether to let commentators weigh in. I thought bloggers *were* commentators. Excuse me, perhaps I should have written Bloggers...<BR/><BR/>Whatever, guys...<BR/><BR/>(Bet ya this doesn't get posted.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com