Do Blog Comments Have Value ?

The surest way to get called names is to blog about something that people do or may disagree with. It doesn't matter what the topic is. It can be technology, sports, dancing, TV and probably something as benign as pizza.

The Hate and Noise to Content ratio seems to be increasing daily. The reality is, there is no such thing as a widely read blog without moderated comments that is profanity or hate free. Thats a shame.

So the question is, is it worth it to allow unmoderated comments ? Or is babysitting comments just part of the job of bloggers ? Or are comments just a waste of time under all circumstances ?

[alzcafe]

The problem with blogs is unmoderated comments. The fact that youtube does not take it seriously is beyond me. It brings the quality down and no wins. Even if we have love in our hearts we don not interact with every individual on the city street and blogs should be no different. +1 for intelligent conversation.

[mhinnewyork]

Babysitting comments has to be part of the job of bloggers. By pruning out off-topic and offensive comments, the blog itself becomes more useful. It is also a service to the people who make intelligent on-topic comments. No one knows everything, even on topics we know well, there is always someone who knows it better or has had different experiences. The comments of readers can be extremely useful, but only after pruning.

[jlsloe]

Allowing unmoderated comments can be detrimental to what your are trying to do with your blog. Typically, blogs are about your passion, your life, or what you enjoy. Unfortunately, there are individuals that want to discredit or sabotage you and/or your subject of interest. If you have a highly ranking blog, they may be hoping to get there agenda a high ranking on Google (just one disadvantage on not moderating your comments).

Working with bloggers, search engine optimization, and Internet marketing has taught me a key lesson, moderate your comments. Teaching about comment marketing and how it can be advantageous, when done correctly, will improve you ranking on Google. Comments are part of the search engine optimization process, whether for or against you. Make sure you moderate your comments.