Comments on: No comments please?

By: .: a scripted life :.

.: a scripted life :. — Tue, 07 Jun 2005 23:47:32 +0000

Amit Varma – Dual Intent ?

Am I seeing double? I happened to stumble on this blog this PM. WOW!!! Amit Varma; aint he the very same guy who outed me a few months ago. It so happens that the as Dina Mehta puts it, “a…

By: Gaurav

Gaurav — Thu, 19 May 2005 19:23:11 +0000

Before taking the decision, I did agonise on the points you mention. I also wondered if the readership would drop because of de-commenting. Eventually I decided to do away with the comments, because even though it gives me a kick that so many people read my blog, the blog was started for me. And if I am not comfortable with the crap some (small minority) readers write, I should get rid of the comments.

As it turns out, the comments didn’t really have a lot to do with the readership, because it kept growing. And the feedback didn’t stop either, because I keep getting good emails about what I write.

By: Pajama Pundits

Pajama Pundits — Thu, 19 May 2005 15:54:31 +0000

A to Z Linkfest #6 AmbivaBlog: I've Changed My Mind... about Social Security. She makes a point worth pon...

By: amit varma

amit varma — Thu, 19 May 2005 09:26:25 +0000

Alpha, thanks.

Also, Sumanth, thanks for the support. Actually, though, I don’t see this as people ganging up on me. Patrix is a friend, though I’ve never met him, and I wouldn’t be here otherwise. We respect each other’s views, even if we often disagree.

I crossposted my post elswhere, btw, with comments, ahem, enabled. There’s an interesting discussion there: http://indicubed.blogspot.com/2005/05/on-comments-and-blogs.html

By: Patrix

Patrix — Thu, 19 May 2005 03:13:23 +0000

Sumanth – Noone is offended, at least not me. However I fail to understand why would you think that ‘everybody’ is ganging up on Amit. I voiced my opinion on how his blog could be better (according to me) and he countered with his explanation. Everything was civil in nature.

By: sumanth

sumanth — Thu, 19 May 2005 02:06:28 +0000

Ok. this may end up in me fielding a few brickbats..
Weren’t blogs started out as weB LOGs? So wasn’t it gonna be a personal extension of your thoughts on paper..or rather the web.. So if it is an extension of my thoughts..which i can choose to veil or not..don’t i have the privilege to see what i choose to do with those thoughts..a peek into my thoughts has made you happy or sad is secondary to me.. What mattered is that i have got an outlet for my thoughts..
If comments was such a big deal..aren’t groups/forums the better option??? So, it looks like starting a blog has become more of a public awareness program than just to vent out your thoughts.. If awareness is all that one craves for, and setting up a network, then maybe you need your “comments”..but still doesn’t a group/forum fit the bill??
Having comments is upto the blogger..why should the argument”this is my space” be thrown out the window.. when I have started this out for myself..and just to put my thoughts on the web..why do i have to let somebody spoil my party??
“No comments”(please?) may be a rude ay to say..”I don’t care for your views”..but what is wrong with that?? at the end of the day..isn’t a blog one’s personal space.. can’t i choose, if i want it cluttered or clean?
And for the ones who are really moved(?), they are the ones whose views count(if any), they can always drop a mail..

I am sorry if anybody feels offended..but it just irked me to see everybody ganging up on somebody who was looking to exercise his right.and keep his personal space to himself..

By: Patrix

Patrix — Thu, 19 May 2005 00:56:35 +0000

Alpha – Ditto Gabby.

Gabby – Thats what Amit needs to know. Sometimes people in between meetings cover for you by responding to comments meant for you.

By: Rhyncus

Rhyncus — Wed, 18 May 2005 23:50:41 +0000

Do podcasts have bleeps yet? If not, let us patent that, alpha, I’ll settle for West African marketing rights.

By: alpha

alpha — Wed, 18 May 2005 22:41:45 +0000

Gabby, also time to change your grey colored lenses.

By: Gratisgab

Gratisgab — Wed, 18 May 2005 22:10:03 +0000

Alpha …oops i mistook your comment to patrix as meant for me..see this is what happens when you rush back to your cube to blog between meetings…my wires are getting all crossed…

By: Gratisgab

Gratisgab — Wed, 18 May 2005 22:06:27 +0000

Alpha, you ARE accepted, on your blog. Where you are the queen and and people love the queen they’re accepting alright. But the question here is why is Amit not accepting us on his blog on our conditions (i.e, no email, people want to leave comments as it’s more convenient TO THEM)…that’s the part I have a problem with..

By: alpha

alpha — Wed, 18 May 2005 21:15:11 +0000

Patrix, you talk like my dad. “accept people as they are” will be retorted with a ‘why can’t people accept me as I am?’

(Wrt your response to Gabby)

By: Patrix

Patrix — Wed, 18 May 2005 19:39:06 +0000

Chetan – I’ll second your opinion on Typepad…gives good value for money.

Alpha – I guess the blogosphere would lose a lot if you shut off comments and you are right about the continual insight that we gain on the readers through their comments…its all about making it informal. Instapundit is too big to lurk on my blog although he does lurk on Amit’s blog.

Ravages – most comments I get give me a shot in the arm and sundry other anatomical parts…now now, here we are talking about spam being more ‘useful’ for you. Can I forward all those ‘uplifting’ ads I have been getting in my email? :)

Amit – Thanks. I still disagree but guess, we can agree to disagree on this one.

Rhyncus – If you come up with an alternative, don’t forget to patent it :) what Alpha suggests with ‘voice activated comments’ is called podcasting (Do audio blogs have audio comments?)

Gabby – Socializing can have a much wider connotation here. You can identify like-minded peers through their writing; more specifically their ideology or principles through their writing. But then again, you give me the “his blog” argument…so in that case, I am free to comment on anything ON MY blog, right?

By: Gratisgab

Gratisgab — Wed, 18 May 2005 17:46:47 +0000

I have to point out here that Alpha’s preference to “I like chocobar” to “Nice post” is exactly what I was trying to say. SOME people are in this for the interaction, they would LIKE to know more about their readers but NOT ALL. Patrix, you saying we’re all in this for the socializing is not true. Some writers WILL and CAN have the attitude of “I’ll write. I don’t want to really know what you have to say.” Or “If you care enough then get off your ass and email me!”…Why such a hue and cry about this? It is his blog, lets respect his decision to do whatever…!

By: alpha

alpha — Wed, 18 May 2005 17:41:25 +0000

Amit, your blog rocks and so does your naked forearm..I really enjoy reading it and was impressed with your efforts during the Tsunami. It’s also cool that your wife is a curator.

Phew, now with that out of the way, Patrix, could you lure Instapundit here and have him lurk around so that I can have my say.

Rhyncus..try voice activated comments with expletives censored with a *bleep*

By: Rhyncus

Rhyncus — Wed, 18 May 2005 16:38:50 +0000

Well, alpha, I guess what is coming out here is the ratio of irrelevant (I won’t object to nasty ones, all comments cannot be positive, they better not be) comments to the relevant ones. As you say, one ‘off’ for so many ‘on’, may not be a bad thing. I think each blogger would have his/her own benchmark as to how much they can take of the arbit stuff. When it goes beyond, the time comes to say no. Yes, you are shutting out the good with the bad, but if it is mostly bad, then so be it. And yes, emailing is not a great alternative, especially for us lazy ones. But that is the compromise which the blogger is making. I assume they have weighed the gains (cleaner discussions, less time wasted) and losses (enriching their posts with diverse views) before taking the step.
So what is the alternative to emailing comments (I never get around to doing that)?

By: amit varma

amit varma — Wed, 18 May 2005 10:50:27 +0000

Here’s my promised post on the subject: http://indiauncut.blogspot.com/2005/05/on-comments-and-blogs.html

I must clarify that I agree with most of you when you speak of the value comments can add. But that is offset, in my view, by the other stuff one has to deal with. More in my post.

By: Ravages

Ravages — Wed, 18 May 2005 07:54:59 +0000

Comments are good. They give you a hsot in the arm. In fact most comments I get give me a shot in the arm and sundry other anatomical parts. I don’t like them, but they keep commenting.

What do i do? Make it difficult for them to comment. They persist. What do I do?

By: alpha

alpha — Wed, 18 May 2005 03:56:45 +0000

thanks for the mention buddy! I for one, love comments ..it keeps me going. What’s one nasty comment for the many nice ones (generally bloggers/blurkers are nice people)? Not a big compromise at all.

Rhyncus, cow-ments are the ones that help me get to know the reader better..instead of saying ‘nice post’ if someone says- ‘I love chocobar’ I know more about the guy even though my post had no inner meaning involving chocobars.

I felt bad that I couldn’t comment on Amit Varma’s blog too…esp on some of his well written articles. I can see his point though. Too bad I am lazy to email. Heck, I am lazy to even fill out that extra detail on your comment box.

By: Chetan

Chetan — Wed, 18 May 2005 03:47:56 +0000

Blogger as a service is what I meant when I said Blogger is the lowest common denominator. I’m straying from the topic, but I guess, no harm in discussing better tools when we talk about Comments.

As you said, I think Typepad does a very commendable job in a hosted solution. I recommned TypePad a lot to those who are inclined to blog seriously, but don’t want to get involved in below the bonnet stuff.