*laughing* Everyone is afraid to leave a comment! ;-) Alright, I have a big mouth and will go first then.
Well said!
I think the things I dislike most when it comes to comments are the "anonymous" ones. If you have something to say, at least be willing to stand by what you say. Or don't say it.
Of course, if everyone lived by my dad's rule you wouldn't have to have written this post. "If you can't say something nice...." Oh, if I had a dollar for every time I heard that!
Angela <
Danny
· 7 months ago
Yes, they are a bind. Although usually the anonymous commenters are generally flamers, so maybe it's not too much of a surprise?
iGoMogul
· 7 months ago
Danny, I think it really depends on the motivation of the commenter. Some people are just looking for traffic and so perhaps fire off the first thing that pops into their head. Sometimes a flame comment can drive more traffic than a non-value "Great post" comment. Others, companies or representatives of companies (like myself) are more likely to be a lot more conscious of what they say--they want to be part of the conversation but understand the infinite nature of the Internet's memory--and so, are careful of what they send out into the ether. Regardless, it can be difficult to glean meaning from blocks of texts and meaning is often derived more from the reader's perspective rather than the writer's intent. When in doubt about how your comment might be perceived, leave a smiley face. :) Sara @ iGoMogul
Danny
· 7 months ago
I agree, smiley faces always help.
The thing I find a lot about flame commenters is that many get bored if there are no responses. I had a post a while back where the comments were taken over by flamers and, with the exception of correcting a fact, I let them moan about me and have their moment.
At the end of the day, no-one can please everyone all of the time, and I know people will get pissed at me for some of the stuff I write. It's why I like an open comments policy - it allows instant views and people their voice, even the dissenters.
And often, if you can turn a dissenter into a "lover" through reasoned conversation, it makes the comments all the more worthwhile.
Cheers for stopping by, Sara, appreciate it :)
Ari Herzog
· 7 months ago
While implied, you failed to outright mention that Google changed its indexing processes a few months ago whereby if you run a Google Alert on a keyword, business, name, etc., comments will appear alongside blog posts themselves.
Case in point: I run ego Google Alert searches on variants of my name, website, etc. Nine times out of ten, moments after I post a comment (like this), I receive an alert.
The warning signs for reputation come into play if a negative business comment is written by an employee, vendor, client, etc.
Danny
· 7 months ago
Good point, Ari, and thanks for bringing it up.
There's a future post in the works about blogs and their relevance to brand reputation (personal and business) and why Google isn't the only name in town to be concerned about.
Tim Jahn
· 7 months ago
While I don't enjoy people bickering back and forth (which happens from time to time), I do enjoy when comments take the post beyond the original topic and evolves the discussion into something new. For me, that's the conversation flowing naturally.
There have been many a time where I've found greater insight in the comments of a post than in the post content itself. And I'm not saying the post wasn't amazing. The conversation it generated was even more amazing.
Danny
· 7 months ago
Agree 100% with you, Tim - I've often found inspiration for a new topic from a comment made by a reader. As you say, a post in itself can be great, but a comment and subsequent conversation can lift it even higher.
pbadstibner
· 6 months ago
I think it is important to always acknowledge that both sides have good and bad.
I think Steve may have made some good points as you bring out Danny. I also think that. I think he error began when David went personal I think comments are great if they inspire and encourage to write more. I agree with Tim Jahn that they make a post more intresting.
But, as always Danny you hit the nail on the head with stating we need to be careful and think about the comments we leave.
Thankx again for another insightful post, for making us think
Congrats on the win
Danny
· 6 months ago
Hi Pat,
I agree - comments often lift a post to another level (and I know I've gained inspiration for follow-up posts from the comments left on some of my posts).
I guess the trick is tempering what you want to say in a way that makes a point without potentially leaving the wrong impression.
All Comments
Well said!
I think the things I dislike most when it comes to comments are the "anonymous" ones. If you have something to say, at least be willing to stand by what you say. Or don't say it.
Of course, if everyone lived by my dad's rule you wouldn't have to have written this post. "If you can't say something nice...." Oh, if I had a dollar for every time I heard that!
Angela <
I think it really depends on the motivation of the commenter. Some people are just looking for traffic and so perhaps fire off the first thing that pops into their head. Sometimes a flame comment can drive more traffic than a non-value "Great post" comment. Others, companies or representatives of companies (like myself) are more likely to be a lot more conscious of what they say--they want to be part of the conversation but understand the infinite nature of the Internet's memory--and so, are careful of what they send out into the ether.
Regardless, it can be difficult to glean meaning from blocks of texts and meaning is often derived more from the reader's perspective rather than the writer's intent.
When in doubt about how your comment might be perceived, leave a smiley face. :)
Sara @ iGoMogul
The thing I find a lot about flame commenters is that many get bored if there are no responses. I had a post a while back where the comments were taken over by flamers and, with the exception of correcting a fact, I let them moan about me and have their moment.
At the end of the day, no-one can please everyone all of the time, and I know people will get pissed at me for some of the stuff I write. It's why I like an open comments policy - it allows instant views and people their voice, even the dissenters.
And often, if you can turn a dissenter into a "lover" through reasoned conversation, it makes the comments all the more worthwhile.
Cheers for stopping by, Sara, appreciate it :)
Case in point: I run ego Google Alert searches on variants of my name, website, etc. Nine times out of ten, moments after I post a comment (like this), I receive an alert.
The warning signs for reputation come into play if a negative business comment is written by an employee, vendor, client, etc.
There's a future post in the works about blogs and their relevance to brand reputation (personal and business) and why Google isn't the only name in town to be concerned about.
There have been many a time where I've found greater insight in the comments of a post than in the post content itself. And I'm not saying the post wasn't amazing. The conversation it generated was even more amazing.
I think Steve may have made some good points as you bring out Danny.
I also think that. I think he error began when David went personal I think comments are great if they inspire and encourage to write more. I agree with Tim Jahn that they make a post more intresting.
But, as always Danny you hit the nail on the head with stating we need to be careful and think about the comments we leave.
Thankx again for another insightful post, for making us think
Congrats on the win
I agree - comments often lift a post to another level (and I know I've gained inspiration for follow-up posts from the comments left on some of my posts).
I guess the trick is tempering what you want to say in a way that makes a point without potentially leaving the wrong impression.