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Do you play god with your blog's comments?

Well it happened today. I had one of my comments deleted here at Active Rain. Two and half years of leaving commens on other people's blogs, I guess it was bound to happen eventually. Don't get me wrong, I've deleted more posts on lenderama then you could ever imagine. But that's because they were comment spam, or contained innappropriate language, or simply had nothing to do with the conversation.

I think the reason why it's taken so long to have one of my comments deleted is that I always try to add to the conversation at hand. "Great Post" to me, is not adding to the conversation. "See my sweet deal on Costa Rican property" doesn't either.

However, if someone comes along and disagrees with me, Yahoo! A lively discussion on a topic! This is the whole point of web 2.0 as far as I'm concerned. That's why I was surprised today to see my post deleted. All I did was respectfully disagree. The post's author has left a note in his comments section that many posts were deleted due to personal attacks. I'm not sure if that applies to my comment or not.

Anyway, the post in question is not important. It just made me wonder how much control you all take over the comments section of your blogs here on Active Rain, or on your real blogs. What's your opinion?

Posted by Todd Carpenter on 10/07/2007 01:02 AM

Comments (18)

Post is included in group: My other blog is
Post is included in group: Misfits, losers and loners

18 Comments on Do you play god with your blog's comments?

OCT

2007

Ardell would disagree with you. She once stated that it is your blog and your consumers will read it; why not put your best foot forward? She also said that she'll do battle in public when her expertise is at stake.

I'm inclined to agree with her if you are blogging to consumers. If it's a discussion on a totally new topic (like Web 2.0), let it fly, I say! Nobody's an expert on that, yet.

Brian, the post in question was addressed to other members, not consumers. It was soliciting opinions. Apparently, just not opinions of descent.

But you make a good point. I would hesitate to give a dissenting opinion on a blog focused on consumers, especially if it was not solicited.

I deleted a comment once that said the commenter didn't even bother to read my (long) blog post because I had no picture posted at the time. I did plan to post one but I felt the comment was inappropriate and insulting because it's only focused on a photo that didn't exist and not the blog post itself. Otherwise I am completely game for a good debate!

I agree with you Joshua, I'd delete a comment like that as well.

I've deleted a bunch of comments from one ActiveRain member in my market. One comment he wrote that he did not read the post but the title offended him. It was a members only post but his comment was disrespectful to two large neighborhoods in our area. Like a number of his comments over a period of months the comment was just harassment.

When I deleted his comment he turned his comment (including the slur against the two neighborhoods) into a post about the fact that I deleted his comment, about freedom of speech and about me being a "bad realtor." Eventually ActiveRain told him to take down his entry and docked him 2000 points.

I deleted four comments on a Localism post last week. I have another recent Localism post with 18 mostly off topic comments last week. In the name of "reciprocity" some very nice, well meaning ActiveRain members feel like they are doing something positive by leaving comments on any entry. I hate that.

I also get fed up and delete the "Great Post, thanks for shariing it, I've bookmarked it to read later " type of comments.

A social network is different than a stand alone blogs, lots more comments, lots of reasons to delete comments. I delete, I've been deleted. It's the bloggers right.

I have only deleted comment spam so far, but I wouldn't hesitate to delete on my other blog if I feel it is not debate worthy. If it is members only and for the sake of discussion, I like counterpoints, when explained thoughtfully and fairly. If the comments are rude or inflammatory, I would delete them.

Todd, this has been an ongoing debate here on activerain for months. Personally, I think opposite opinions enpower a blog. I don't like nasty but opposition of opinions is good.

OCT

2007

Todd, opposite opinions well stated are the lifeblood of discourse and debate. Without them, the conversation drys up like the prospector in the Tucson desert. But it's a dry heat...

Mike in Tucson

OCT

2007

Other than spam, I've never deleted a comment. Guess I don't post passionate stuff.

But. I have emailed a commenter on my home blog to knock off the flamey stuff. He understood what I was saying, but has yet to leave another comment.

I generally think that readers are capable of making up their own minds about what is being said, and I love a great debate. The "great post" crap is just that, but it's revealing of the commenter so I leave that as well. (there are a few AR blogging buddies who jokingly leave "great post" on my posts, just our way of dealing with that)

OCT

2007

Todd and all: Yikes, I feel like such a misfit. Although I have only been on Active Rain for about seven weeks, I have made almost fifty blog posts. I cannot remember having to delete anyone's comment, and to my knowledge, I don't think anyone has ever deleted one of mine. I dunno... perhaps I am just a boring older chick. <g>

OCT

2007

Todd,

Some people are more sensitive to disagreement than others and it's everyone's right to use the delete feature whether warranted or not. Professional difference of an opinion should be tolerated, that's just widening one's horizons.

FEB

2008

Not at all.

Play?

I AM God of my blog comments.

PS -- I am working on being a more benevolent God.

FEB

2008

I've only deleted one comment... I had been called a "sodomite sympathizer" and told the sodomites & sympathizers were ruining the world, I'm going to hell, blah blah blah (in another blog). The same person then commented on the song I posted to cheer myself up... Love Shack. Rather than mentioning that I would have thought he'd be offended by all the "" and "", I just deleted him. Otherwise, I think you should be open to comments. I just didn't feel like negativity in a B52's blog... doesn't work. Chris

MAR

2008

I think I got into it with the same dude Chris did recently. A strange cat. I've not yet had to delete any comments to my blogs or posts from others on my group, but it's probably a matter of time. I did run across one guy who seemed to delight in name calling. There were a couple of dissenting comments on his post and I left one as well. All very nice, just differing opinions and he got personally nasty, made snarky references to information contained on our home pages, etc. I made the mistake of trying to reason with him but he just stayed on the attack. So we deleted our comments from his blog which left his thread going nowhere and sounding even crazier than it did before. That was fun.

MAR

2008

lol Gene - that does sound like my guy. I think I have 2 of 'em now.

Chris

MAY

2008

Old thread, but it hit a nerve with me. I love a healthy discussion as

long as personal namecalling is kept out of it. I just recently had a

comment I put a lot of thought into deleted just because it disagreed.

I don't mind it even on a consumer based blog. I think consumers

can appreciate differences of opinion as well as anyone else.

JUN

2008

Whomever deleted your comment just doesn't get it. Controversy sparks debate which creates conversation which involves others which creates more conversation which increases search rankings which leads to more business.

Debate is engaging. If you engage others, you attract connections, conversations, leads and more closings into your life. Once you run across someone who censors, don't waste time on them again.

JUL

I typically don't delete comments - but found myself in a position of having to do so because the person was being offensive.

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