In It’s Nice That’s first weekly discussion they have invited their digital partner With Associates, to comment on commenting. Online comment has become a medium in its own right, but when the general consensus is that most comments suck, why do we continue to add the functionality to websites?
feh
Oct 2nd, 2009 / 1:57 am
the quality of comments is in direct response to the quality of the blogpost ;-)
Oct 2nd, 2009 / 9:06 am
I find myself drafting up comments on a lot of blog posts that I read but before submitting, I tend to just close the window.
On one hand, I question whether or not my comment will just add to the noise of the internet. On many blogs, I’ve seen the thoughful comments get lost in a sea of noise and I don’t want to be burying valuable comments nor do I want to feel that I’m writing something that contributes and just see it get lost too. I feel we spend too much time letting people know what we think and not enough time absorbing what is said and then engaging with it. Comments could be as important as blog posts themselves if people did consider them more.
Seems like there are three types of blogs: The first is the blog where readers just love everything they read and comments are largely positive and only occasionally constructive. The second is like the first, but has gotten to the point in popularity where the comments are both love and hate for the post and therefore even more noise.Finally, there are sites like Design Observer where the content is a bit deeper and does inspire deeper engagement in the comments.
Maybe it does come down to the level of content served by the writer. Tumblr sort of has it right for its market; its users are largely posting things they deem ‘cool’ which is so subjective and won’t benefit from comments. Of course, so many people judge the popularity (and credibility) of a website based on the level of commenting that posts generally have. The blog authors probably get motivated by comments to continue what they do (sometimes, maybe this is a bad thing).
I think a ‘click to appreciate’ button (like on behance) is a great little idea that does a lot. First, it’s a way to allow people their positive feedback. Second, it keeps the comments less noisy for people who do want to say something or truly engage the content. Finally, it gives the author their own feedback, knowing that there are people actually reading what they’re doing.
Oct 2nd, 2009 / 10:38 am
no really – feh
Oct 2nd, 2009 / 11:41 am
I like nearly all the comments on my blog – I don’t think any of them suck at all!
I do like blogs where people make an effort to go into detail with their comments and aren’t just loving and agreeing with everything the blogger says in each blog.
I like healthy and respectful debate/discussion arising from a blog, it’s always the most interesting.
I think the best blogs are those that are able to provoke a proper discussion rather than just small responses only.
Oct 5th, 2009 / 4:58 pm
I don’t think two comments could sum up the diversity of this issue better than those here of ed and bryan.
The near anonymous throwaway quip vs the insightful and worth while discussion piece. But if we can’t have one without the other, then so be it : )
One very interesting point that came from the comments on this first It’s Nice That post though was the idea of an Editor, who’s job would be like that in the old ‘letters to the editor’ column, essentially redirecting the responsibility back at whoever opened the question, to curate the responses and conclude them.
INT are trialing this tact and personally (although clearly with some bias…) I think it’s proved pretty successful so far.
Oct 7th, 2009 / 5:39 pm
FAke!!1
Oct 8th, 2009 / 6:20 am
Please don’t use that green again.
Oct 30th, 2009 / 1:58 pm
Haha.. You are hilarious Vianos!!!
Nov 7th, 2014 / 8:23 am