On Comments
Fascinated by Manuel Moreale's take on blog comments.
I'm not a fan of comments in general and I think commenting on something should be done in one of two ways:
Privately via email or via direct messaging
Publicly by posting a reply on your own website
This is interesting as it has literally worked; look at me posting my reply here.
The beauty of independent publishing means there are no rules other than your own. There are any number of reasons not to allow comments. Maybe your blog is just your way of shouting one way into the void. Maybe your software of choice doesn't support comments. Maybe it's spam, trolls, monsters. It could turn a fun thing into a chore. And who wants that?
I allow and encourage comments, always have. Back in the day before the socials became a thing, commenting was a way to foster a little community of like minded individuals. Those halcyon days of Dave2's posts that could garner 30+ comments. It was a fun way to discover other blogs. You interact with them, they interact with you, you find an audience.
But here in 2024, with trackbacks and pingbacks still being a thing, I'd say Manuel has a good point. Maybe replying on your own site is also a decent way to engage with other kindred spirits. I'm going to give it a try.
The problem with comments is that so few people actually make them any more. Back in the day when I could get upwards of 50 comments on a post, I loved the interactivity of it all, because the conversation could continue to build are more people chimed in with their thoughts. Now it's just not a factor much… at least on my blog.
I don't even remember how I stumbled across your blog all those years ago. Glad I did. And you're right about how those conversations gave a whole new extension to your original post. It is a shame that the socials changed blogging engagement forever. Still, glad those of us who remain are still into it.
I see what you're saying, everyone should feel free to make their own choices. I just find that not having comments feels a bit standoffish?Unless he hasn't approved it yet, doesn't look like his site supports the display of pingbacks?
I wouldn't say it screams as standoffish. As I mentioned, there are a million reasons why you might not want to have them. Sure, I get a little disappointed when I read a super interesting post and can't add to the conversation. But perhaps that's not what everyone wants for their own blog? These days I try not to overthink it and yuck over anyone else's yum.
I agree with Dave2 that commenting isn't done enough anymore. Well, not in a positive community building manner anyway.
Trackbacks are still a thing??
Yeah commenting isn't done enough anymore thanks to the diaspora to the socials. But I do encourage everyone who remains in this independent sphere of ours to keep doing so.
Trackbacks/pingbacks are still a thing in WordPress anyway. In a post a couple months ago Matt Mullenweg was encouraging their use.