Blogs With Closed Comments. Bonus?
One of the better things I read lately is the new hype to shut down comments on blogs. Comments like spammers shut them down because they don’t want to share link juice? No, better even.
Comments shut down because the blogger considers her/his entries much better than regular content… a bonus for the reader.
If you’re a regular reader of a weblog there is this unspoken pressure that you ought to say something. (Did someone say national de-lurker week?)
But on a site with comments disabled there is no pressure. Once you’ve read the article that’s all. The author requires nothing of the reader but to enjoy the content. There are no awkward expectations. The article is a gift.
What gift if you don’t allow interaction? Even not to tell you what I liked most about an entry?
The bonus because you think that your content is that great, but doesn’t merit, need any feedback. Or the bonus that you’re the all-knowing master of blogging and your voice is THE only way things are supposed to be. Interaction excluded. Interaction not allowed or welcome.
No public criticism allowed, unless you get some external link juice. Sadly at the same time it means you exclude the angry mob bonus from helping you when you have things wrong and someone points this out. But reactions are not allowed. How poor is that?
Pretty poor bonus if you ask me. Wait, what was the bonus actually? Oh yeah… great content. Whatevah. That’s why I have a feed reader. To not see comments, and miss out on the great reactions in comment avalanches.
Long live the era where everyone has something to say on everything. No matter if they make sense or not. Even comment free entries don’t keep me from sleeping. And entries with thousands comments don’t make me ejamaculate either, but I believe in the power of interaction!
And if one day I leave a comment on an entry, it means that I think I can add something to your conversation. The comment is a gift.
What do you think?