To Allow or Not Allow Comments

Hello Silentblast Blog readers. I get asked this question a few times whenever I get into discussions about blogs. Do I allow comments or not allow comments? I usually follow-up their question with further questions to get a greater sense of what they are trying to achieve with their blog, what is the focus or theme of the blog, do they have time to respond to comments and maintain the blog beyond just placing articles?

Blogs I think are great for many reasons. They have allowed the common person to express an opinion or view on literally anything and publish it at very little cost for the world to see. With expressing an opinion I still believe one has to take responsibility mind you but even still there are very few boundaries that have not been transcended by blogs.

I manage a couple of blogs actually. I manage this one and one that is part of a professional association where there is editorial, opinion, notification of events and so forth. With the Silentblast Blog there was a decision made to allow comments from people who visit the site and on the other blog I manage a decision was made to not allow comments.

While in essence the media; blogs, are the same. The message or theme is different. If your posts are written as such that invite commentary I think to allow comments can be positive. Ultimately you will pick and choose which comments to allow or disallow. No different really than mainstream media that allows comments to news.

If your blog is more informational in such things as specific products, services, or educational seminar details or courses, then allowing commentary is in my opinion a coin toss. Some have argued and commented on other blogs that a blog is just another website if comments are not allowed. But to me that is like saying a book is not a book unless it has a cover. Yes not quite complete by the definition of what we all know a book to be but still arguably a book. I would counter that a blog is absolutely on the web, and absolutely a site by virtue of a specific URL; so in essence a website. How that website interacts with its audience should be up to the discretion of the owners.

Some argue that by allowing comments it becomes a measuring stick to the popularity of your blog. Actually I would tend to favor the web statistics on the back end as the measuring stick. Others argue that if you don’t allow comments you are doing nothing more than preaching to the masses. My opinion on that is if you speak to something and you can captivate a live audience or a virtual one, it is in essence preaching.

Ultimately the final decision is up to the individuals or organizations that have incorporated a blog in either their web development or business strategies.  For Silentblast the strategy is primarily providing content that speaks to the many different facets of business and how the internet and having a web site can be more than just slapping up your virtual billboard on the net. Blogs can help your website presence with search engine optimization by providing relevant links and content to your customers and potential customers.

But a blog is also a medium of communication and if you use it for nothing other than virtual link farm than I believe the essence of blogs and blogging go completely out the window. I think you have to as a blog owner, stand in your audiences shoes at times and really think that despite the positive strategies and techniques for search engine rankings there can be down sides. I would personally not open a newspaper if for example every 10th word or so were highlighted in bright yellow or pink.  That would be annoying as… well you can add whatever word you feel is best. You probably wouldn’t bother reading papers ever again suffice to say. Personally and in my opinion the same applies to a blog.

Admittedly I do “some” back-linking into the main Silentblast website… look… I just did it. I use it sparingly. SEO purists would comment I don’t do enough. I won’t argue with that. I know from an SEO perspective I don’t provide maximum potential back-linking but I also believe a blog is a strategy that goes beyond pure search engine optimization.

Ultimately the decision for strategies on blogs and in particular to allow comments or not allow comments is up to the persons or the businesses operating a blog. I believe in blogs for business especially because of one thing and actually the most important thing in business.

Communicating with your customers.

Silentblast Interactive - Toronto Web Design and Development

Canadian owned and operated, Silentblast is a professional web design and development company in Toronto serving small and mid-sized companies in the GTA, Brampton, Vaughan, North York, Markham, Mississauga, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Scarborough and Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Silentblast also develops mobile web site design and development and mobile applications for the iPhone and other mobile phone platforms.

Website – www.silentblast.com

Silentblast Blog – www.silentblast.com/blog

Twitter – http://twitter.com/silentblast