"Disabled Comments" - Talking to a Brick Wall

The whole post disabling feature is pretty interesting.  Seth Godin's blog doesn't allow for comments, but you can do a trackback, which would allow you to mention his post on your blog, thus providing a link to his blog and potentially more readership.

Smart marketing move?  Who am I to question this.  I guess I am a smaller fish in the big sea of blogging.  I know his way might be more lucrative.  For me, I like to read and respond to my readers on my posts. If they were to take it a step further and mention what I am writing about on their posts, wow, that's just the cherry on a sundae.

Now that I've thought about it, I can see many reasons why it would make sense to disable comments.  I suppose another option would be a disclaimer stating - go ahead and comment, but I'm not going to respond.  Maybe we should all try it for ourselves and see what it's like! 

Rich,

I don't get it. Is it because it is just so much trouble to delete the comments sent to your Browser? Are people really that shallow? Or is it because they know it all and don't think any envolvement is neccessary. After all those comments they recieve would probably be all incorrect anyway unless they agreed with the author.

Disable comments. Blah! Move on then. Go somewhere that you wont be bothered. Leave the rest of us to be social.

Rich,

I will stop disabling comments when the system allows me to moderate before publishing.   Too many instances of people putting links (comment spam) to themselves, leaving stupid or disrespectful comments have lead me to disable comments on my posts.  Miss the intereaction, but I don't have time to hawk my blog to see if someone did one of the above...

Rich -- it would be so much more beneficial if AR enabled comment moderation, allowing us the ability to moderate comments before they are published...  

Rich - Yes, I think it might cut down on the number of readers, but I would still read a blog where the comments had been disabled if it looked like it had valuable information.  I just wouldn't have that feeling like I hit a brick wall after reading the post and all the comments only to find that I couldn't add my voice.  It is truly the strangest feeling on a blog to find that you have been blocked from commenting.  There's a frustration and emotional component that was so strong that it surprised me. 

I now avoid the blogs of people who disable comments to avoid that experience because it is so unpleasant. 

I Recently wrote simple blog about my pet peeve.  Nothing, I thought that would provoke anyone. The Lady in Red made a teasing comment. Low and behold an outsider picked up on the blog and was very unkind to Teri. I emailed Teri to ask her if she would like me to delete the blog, or disable comments. She voted to keep on. Teri and I managed to carry it off, then the outsider apologized to Teri. Teri wrote a featured blog stemming from this ordeal. My point--By not disabling comments, or deleting anything we rose above the problem and solved it together. Disabling to avoid conflict may stunt our character growth.

Rich,

You know that I disagree with you.  Managing a blog effectively requires active participation in the comments section.  Sometimes, success in weblogging spikes your business, which limits your ability to effectively manage the comments.  For me, it's a choice of excellence; if I can't effectively engage in a conversation, I won't do it.

Ms Kennedy and Mr. Roberts,

Most consumers won't comment on my weblog because of the "clubby" industry atmosphere the comments thread is- it intimidates consumers.  While I welcome your participation, I can't afford to have it eclipse the message to consumers.

I apologize that many of you feel your "rights" have been "taken away" but my Active Rain blog helps to feed my family, pay my daughter's tuition, and satisfy the litany of creditors who line up monthly.  When faced with those choices, I , regrettably, side with my customers (and subsequently my family) over the membership.