I’ve been giving this some thought lately. It seems like every other blogger is closing their comment section, and I can see why. Sometimes, you get hung up with comment counts, with what the comments say, and whether they are new people or regulars. Someone once told me there is a weird sense of validation tied to them, and I agree. I often grade my writing based on comments.
I’m not sure how I feel about comments. On the one hand, it feels great to have nice comments come in, and I love to see who is reading my blog. But, the fact remains that the majority of people who read my blog don’t comment. My first thought is, of course, that they don’t like me or my blog. But, then I wonder…would they keep coming back if they didn’t? Maybe comments are superfluous to the whole experience. I’ve never written a letter to a magazine or newspaper. And, unless I hated the piece with every ounce of my being, I doubt I would. Maybe this is the same thing?
I suspect, but can’t be sure, that closing the comments may make me a stronger writer. Well, maybe not stronger. Certainly more willing to take risks with my content. I have seen so many bloggers get lampooned in the comment section, and I admit to holding off on many of my opinions just to avoid hurt feelings, confrontation, or a riotous comment section.
And so, because I am phenomenally indecisive, I am asking you to weigh in on the debate. In general, which do you prefer? And for my blog? What say you? Please answer my little poll below, and if you are up to it, let me know the reasoning behind your answer.
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Hm. The thing about blogs, however, is that relationship the reader feels like they have or can have with the writer, via commenting. I think it would make many readers feel like now you, too are like a distant magazine which makes the ability to relate and be involve cease, and therefore some of the interest.
However, I totally understand the problems with comments. Writers are more prone to censor or judge themselves, and that’s creatively stifling. Maybe there can be a compromise? Maybe in the posts you don’t want the riots on you can close the comments, however the very angry ones could always go to another post to comment – but then if all the comments were closed they could still send unpleasant emails, so that problem could never be completely solved.
So I vote no to closing the comments! Though yes to deleting disrespectful and aggressive comments if and when they happen, because you nor your faithful readers want to see that crap.
Ameya,
Those are all good points, and the problems I see with closing comments. I have to admit, at the blogs with closed comments, I always wonder how people are responding to a post I really like. Did they find it as funny? Did they love that picture, too? Do they have a similar story?
One blog I am thinking of (C Jane) closed comments. She later did a poll because people were complaining, but the funny this is that in the end more people voted to keep comments closed.
I read your blog and enjoy it immensely. I don’t comment because if I have nothing of substance to say why write just to write. it’s the same way i feel about pepole who talk with nothing to say.
I do find a lot of comments on a lot of blogs mean spirited which seems to be the tone of a lot of people these days. There is no censorship of words before putting them out for all to see.
Bottom line, the decision is yours. I would find it hard to read mean, rude comments about what I wrote.
Mary,
I have been lucky in that no one has ever said anything very mean or hurtful to me in my comments. That’s either because I am very lucky, my readers are very nice, or I’m just too boring to be worth stirring up trouble! :)
You have some very good points. As a blogger, comments make you feel like a success or a failure. This post is a perfect example; don’t you love engaging with the readers? You’ve had no problems with rude comments, and everyone here loves your writing style. I say keep the comments open, and write what you want. IF comments become a problem, then you can reevaluate.
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Ironic that I would comment after having voted to close comments.
My son (22) recently started a blog and after a few posts got a negative comment. He hasn’t posted much since that comment. While I hope at some point he is able to take both the good and the bad with a grain of salt, I do wonder if he would be posting more if he hadn’t gotten the negative com-ment.
I think the fear of critisism can limit expression so I voted to close your comments so that you feel more free to express yourself.
I’ve been a reader for approximately 5 months and have never commented; trust me, I don’t hate you. Just don’t like leaving my opinion. I will now though…
I understand your reasoning for closing comments, and will support you no matter what you decide. To me, comments aren’t the reason you blog, but the fruits of your labor. And anyone who comments are evil are evil people. Just don’t close off all communication, as I feel it’s a vital part to the blogging process.
Oops. I voted “no” (not to close it) but accidentally also voted “no” about leaving my name! ;) Got a little overzealous with my NO. I have gotten trapped in the “no comments means no love” thing…but you know what? It’s all good. I remind myself that my blog is for ME. If others like it, fine…if not? Go somewhere else! :D And sometimes I get some much needed encouragement just at the right time!
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Please don’t close comments, but if you do I respect your opinion. I read comments to get inspiration, and discover other great blogs.
You are such a talented writer. Your eloquent humor is such a joy to read and I don’t think you are a mean spirited woman who is out too purposely offend. You aren’t Perez Hilton.
I think that you should keep the comments, if only for the reason of maintaining a relationship between you and the readers. If a blog doesn’t allow comments, it creates an impression of “my opinion matters, yours does not”. Not that you’ve suggested that at all, that’s just a feeling I’ve picked up from other blogs that don’t allow comments. I think your writing is wonderfully funny and heartfelt, and I genuinely enjoy visiting here each day to read it. That being said, I would absolutely respect your choice to discontinue comments. Have a great day :)
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I think this would be totaly up to you.
I have been reading your blog for a long time but rarely comment.
I have my own blog but have the comments so I have to approve them before they show up.
Personally I just dont have the time to put much stock in comments.
If you have a way to check your stats to see how many visitors come to your blog then that would validate just how many come here on a daily basis.
How funny that the response here has been so opposite from what I have seen! Of course, it’s only been a few hours. :)
If I closed comments (which I don’t know that I could) I would hope people would email me instead. I very much like talking to everyone who comments and love to read all the opinions. I would be too afraid of losing that with closed comments.
I try to email people back personally instead of leaving comments on my own blog. I once read that to make your blog seem bigger and more exciting than it is, you should comment on your blog to each individual comment. You know, to inflate the comment number. I immediately thought: ICK. I’ve made a point not to do that, and usually only comment on my blog when there are several comments to respond to or, frankly, I’m just feeling lazy.
I enjoy reading comments on other blogs, and on my own, the comments often rival the content for enjoyment (or maybe it’s the other way around).
I always feel bad because I intend to reply in some fashion to every one of my comments, and in my usual way, I often don’t get it done.
As for closing yours or not, I’ll vote to leave them open, but ???
I visit your blog almost daily and have only commented once….mostly because I never have anything particularly clever to say. You, however, are VERY clever and your writing is fantastic. If you wrote a book I would buy it. Seriously. Keep the comments section open and I will try not to be such an invisible lurker in the future.
Thank you, Amy. {blushing}
Just so we are all clear–I am not trying to bully people into commenting by threatening to close the comments! :) I just noticed so many other people doing it, and was thinking maybe it was something I should do here. The readers on the other blog actually preferred comments closed, so I though you all might feel the same!
I aim to please, you know. :)
As a blogger, I have thought about this so many times. I feel that I get too caught up in what other people are saying and thinking and it distracts from the purpose of writing. I censor myself at times because I care about the comments and I don’t want to do that. On the other hand, I have had great conversations with people and blog readers because of comments they read that spurred on great chats. So….I’m really no help, because I have no idea…….
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You said you would hope people would email you their comment instead. I am a person that leaves comments and I don’t think that I would email a blogger to give her my one or two lines of thought. There’s something less formal about using the comment box – you’re allowed to leave tiny bits of thought that somehow would seem silly to email.
I have never left a negative comment on any blog, though I have had MANY negative thoughts. If I’m that bothered by the blog, I just don’t follow anymore.
I hope you do leave your comment box open, if only on some of your posts. I like interacting with my favorite bloggers or providing feedback.
I haven’t noticed anyone closing comments on the blogs I read, so perhaps it’s a genre-related thing?
I hate when blogs have closed comments. It says the writer doesn’t care what anyone else thinks about their content. It makes is more of a personal journal and not a blog to share with others.
Having comments makes it feel like the readers have more of a relationship with the author.
Moderated comments are fine, and is a good way for blog writers to squash spam or inappropriate comments.
Most readers of a blog will never (or very rarely) comment. It doesn’t mean we’re not reading, it just means we don’t have anything worth adding to the conversation.
I would probably never bother to email my comments to a blog author who didn’t allow blog comments. It’s too much work when I had already been given the impression that my opinion is not welcome. Blog comments are not written just for the blog’s author, but also for other readers of the blog. ^_^
The only time I could see it being a good thing to close comments would be if the blog were under attack from a persistent troll, or if the comments only ever consisted of “first post!” and the like and nothing at all of substance.
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I believe it is really up to you. If you think you are holding back due to potentially critical comments maybe you should close it. Your writing shouldn’t suffer. I like comments when I read a piece and like reading people’s opinions especially when they are opposite of mine.
I love your blog and like many others have said before me, I simply have nothing special to say. I love your writing, hearing about your boys, and I applaud you on your journey of weight loss.
I rarely leave comments, and it’s not because a blog hasn’t inspired me or delighted me. So I say, leave it open…let the world explore you and leave the tunnel open for them to communicate if they do decide to. Besides, it keeps this whole blogging world a little more human! :-) http://www.denmarkstateofmind.blogspot.com
I love your blog. You’re honest and open and share your heart, but without being a complete troll about it. Some things just don’t need to be all over the internet, and you have seemed to have found that happy place.
But I am sure you get some catty comments and I cannot blame you for wanting to remove that particular bit of pain from your life. It’s like the Rock n Roll Mom but all up in your blog. Who the heck needs that!
You keep going. You are something else! :)
I closed the comments on my blog a while ago – I have gotten a few sad emails since, but overall, it’s been pretty liberating (and my traffic has jumped. Not what I expected, but maybe it’s the freedom from any sort of obligation to formally respond.)
I think blog is such a broad, catch-all term for an incredibly diverse medium – there seem to be as many different types as there are people, so any fixed idea of what a blog should or shouldn’t be is completely subjective. Some blogs are conversations, some are indexes, some have lots of words and some have no words at all. It’s a completely malleable medium. You just have to do what your heart tells you, and continue to shape this space into what you want it to be. For what it’s worth, I always like reading about your adventures, even if I rarely comment.
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Jules, I have just recently stumbled upon your blog via another blog which I read religiously. I felt compelled to vote and also to let you know how much I have enjoyed your writings. I am not entirely sure a closing comment section is necessary or if you could just simply remove mean comments but I voted to keep the comments because you never know who might write you with something to say. I LOVE your honesty and openness and will continue to read regardless of closing comments. :O)