The question of whether blogs should be open or closed to comments is really a question of the nature of blogs. Are blogs collaborative, interactive and egalitarian, or are they in fact a modified form of the traditional media one-to-many communication style?
In his rather excellent appraisal on blogs and blog culture, Geert Lovink argues that blogs do not have a strong comment culture. Lovink acknowledges that ‘users are tired of top down communication,’ but states there is, ‘nowhere to go’[1]. Blogging is consequently defined as an ‘amputated existence’[2]. On the ability to comment on blogs, Lovink writes, ‘users are guests, not equal partners, let alone antagonists’[3] – thus dismissing the ‘power’ of comments because they can always be moderated by the blog author.
This analysis challenges a variety of utopian visions of blog comments that have been floating around since the turn of the 21st century. Representing the basic themes of the ‘optimistic perspective’ is a chapter from Kayz Varnelis’ ‘Networked Publics’. The book asserts that through blogs, ‘the top-down, one-to-many relationship between mass media is being replaced… [by] networked collectivities for producing and sharing culture’[4]. These collectives, it is argued consist of ‘comment communities’, which operate (presumably) under egalitarian philosophy.
Assessing the variety of music review blogs, it is Geert Lovink’s analysis that is vindicated. Spending an hour trawling though wordpress reviews, the most engaging comments I could find were a few scatted emoticons, and the very occasional ‘lol’. Persevering, I broadened my search beyond wordpress to the established online music review industry. The trend continued.
The most heated discussion I could unearth was two angry ravers on Pitchfork.
The review itself for the new Pendulum[5] album seemed begging for attack, giving a dismal 4/10 score (not to say I disagree…) and running with the provocative by-line, ‘Coming to a field near you. Just remember to not look back as you’re running far, far away[6]’.
Ayerock: Hadouken? Don’t make me laugh
Liacasino: You are an old fashioned tosser of the most idiotic kind.
However, this perspective of a non-existent comment culture is limited by the niche I am assessing. A review is, almost by nature a definitive judgement, and as such is not a genre particularly susceptible to ‘community collectives’. This is partially explained by the power imbalance that exists between reviewer and reader. Reading a review, the reader (at least most of the time), has no experience with the product.
But this analysis doesn’t answer the question of whether blogs should have comments open or closed. Obviously, this needs to be addressed by individual bloggers.
John Gruger, the blogger behind ‘Daring Fireball’[10] presents an interesting argument as to why he allows no comments on his blog[11].
‘It’s totally egotistical. I want daring Fireball to be a site you can’t skim if you’re in the target audience for. You say, ‘Oh a new article form John. I need to read it,’ and your deadlines go whizzing by because you have to read what I wrote. If I turn comments on I feel like its two different directions.’ |
As for the opposing side, blogger Georgina Laidlaw recently questioned the decision by tech gadget blog Engadget to turn off its comments. While concluding ultimately that it is a personal decision, Georgina writes that her first reaction was almost aggressively critical.[12]
When I first read about Engadget’s move, I thought “this looks like a step back to the traditional publication model, where the publisher controlled what was said. It negates the notion of free speech – of free broadcast – that the web was lauded for putting into everyone’s hands.” |
As for Youwillbejudged (despite the post title), I will be keeping the comments feature. I have a few reasons for this.
Firstly, politically I subscribe to the view that you need no reason to give people rights, but a damn good reason to take them away.
The downside to having comments is the curse of the ‘zero comment’, but besides that there is no reason to take away the feature. Since beginning this blog, I have enjoyed posting a few comments on others blogs. I have rarely been ‘blogged back’ but I have roused some interest in what I am writing about.
This is not to say that I cannot see the downside. Degenerating, puerile, back-and-forth trash can be seen in the comment sections of thousands of YouTube video’s, Failblog entries and online newspapers. Blogs may not have a strong ‘comment culture’, and the structure of blogs may hinder collaboration but that doesn’t mean one has to bow to the inevitable and disable comments. Well at least not until Viagra spam starts flooding my comments…
[1] Geert Lovink, ‘Blogging the Nihilist impulse’, 2007, pp 18.
[2] Geert Lovink, 2007, pp 12.
[3] Geert Lovink, 2007, pp 20.
[4] Adrienne Russell, Mizuko Ito, Todd Richmond and Marc Tuters, ‘Culture: Media Convergence and Networked Participation’, in Kayz Varnelis (ed.) Networked Publics Cambridge, M.A, 2008, pp 43.
[5] Pendulum Myspace, www.myspace.com/pendulum
[6] Pendulum Review, http://www.nme.com/reviews/pendulum
[7] Pendulum Review Comments, http://www.nme.com/reviews/pendulum/11321#comments
[8] http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Benjamin_Disraeli
[9] Geert Lovink, 2007 pp 13
[10] Daring Fireball Blog, http://daringfireball.net/
[11] Shaun Blanc Blog on Daring Fireball, http://shawnblanc.net/2007/07/why-daring-fireball-is-comment-free/
[12]Web Worker Daily Blog, http://webworkerdaily.com/2010/02/04/are-blog-comments-worth-it/