David Galbraith knocks the use of comments in blogs (Link via Evan Williams). He is of course entitled to his opinion, but I would like to highlight a case where a comment made here was quoted at The Volokh Conspiracy as an example of how comments can add value to the original post and even take it in a new direction.
The Dusty Baker controversy post is here, and has been updated with links to Eugene Volokh’s post referencing JT’s comment. I would say that is a powerful argument for comments.
I think the only real valid argument against comments is that there is a level at which the number of comments become overwhelming. Excluding non bloggers by eliminating comments and keeping trackbacks seems very clique-ish. Wizbang is in no danger of being overwhelmed or that self absorbed anytime soon…
The moral of the story? Sometimes the comment becomes the story!
Update: Kate has a good point. Just to be clear on my opinion, I agree with her. If you don’t want or can’t have comments on your blog it’s entirely up to you.
Speaking of “comments”…
If you’ve read the new site in the last couple of days, you’ll see some comments debate-between me and my stupid template. I think I want comments and it thinks I don’t. If you have any suggestions or “Getting-comments-to-work-for-idiots” step-by-stupid-step instructions, I’d sure appreciate it. I’ve already tried to do Blogout, YACCS, some Spanish thing and enetations. I’m about to start mass mailing S.A.S.E.’s to the world….or beating the hell outta my computer. :-/ (lol)
And speaking of comments — what a shame that The Volokh Conspiracy doesn’t have comments. I wanted to respond to several of the posts over there. IMO, a blog is only half a blog if it doesn’t have comments.
While I like to use trackback for significant comments to someone else’s post, many comments are not worthy of their own post. Plus trackback hasn’t been integrated well enough in most blogs for the distributed comments method to work well right now.
Comments make your traffic grow, give you a core readership, and add so much to the blog, that people find you from what is in your comments.
I found you from a strange search. Do you have the Evelyn Hernandez autopsy report?
I have a blog with a crime forum on it, and get anywhere from 100 to 400 comments (or more) per post because of the subject matter.
Apparently, though, for the huge traffic blogs comments take up a friggin’ ton of bandwidth.
Kevin: The interesting thing to me about David’s post is the Technorati-based trackback. I know I’ve seen that done on a blog somewhere. Do you have any idea how to make that happen–perhaps a project or post for WizBang tech? Obviously, one could put a link to Technorati on the post line but how to make it generate a unique search based on the post’s individual archive URL?
Adam Kalsey already has a plugin to do this
here.
Comments becoming overwhelming? I should have such problems.
Whatever reasons others have comments, I enjoy the feedback. I like to hear other’s opinions on the matter at hand. (I also like to hear people tell me I’m right. heh)