Got Web Ideas? Fishing for the Answers?
Think Outside The Code First!
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Facts, Thoughts, and Opinions About Web Development and Business Strategy
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I don't think it is any secret that the current trend on most content driven
Websites is to allow the public to comment about posts. Many consider this social
networking. However, many Websites with comment posting are too disconnected from
any one particular thing that holds the community together to honestly be seen as
a gateway for people to network, be it for personal reasons or business. And then
there is the constant negativity. Things that are seen everywhere often become a
standard of the day until they get overdone.
Obviously, I am an outdoors person. One of many outdoor activities that I pursue
is hunting. Of course I visit many hunting Websites.
Hunters are a highly opinionated, susceptible to argue group of people.
Opinions vary widely on many things ranging from State laws to what is acceptable
to harvest or not. Now throw in the amount of accessible hunting land that is disappearing
every day, which leads to more disgruntlement.
Over the years I have seen many hunting forums skyrocket to popularity only to come
crashing back down to earth. It is always arguing and postings of the derogatory
nature that start the downfall. Arguing divides the group and once a moderator boots
a user from the forum then that person's supporters usually follow soon after.
Open comment posting is not much different than a message board. The only difference
is you do not have to work as hard. Yet, I find the end result is very similar.
At times, it seems that the only reason to leave a Website wide open to comment
posting is to collect negative thoughts. Visit
DIGG
and see if you agree. Most (not all) of the topics covered generally result in a
lot of negative feedback. Many of the positive posts get buried.
A content driven Website owner must ask himself or herself one question -
do I really want that? The only way, in my opinion, to effectively allow
open commenting on a Website is to police it. That can be a lot of work.
You must make sure that you approve comments in a timely manner and you must
read all those comments to make sure they are relevant and not derogatory.
Finally, you must make a decision whether or not to allow the post on your
Website and if you don't then what kind of backlash will that have from users?
It may be best left off the Website.
You can still build a wonderful resource without allowing people to post comments.
It is your conent that is of the utmost importance and that is what people
truly want!
Of major annoyance are the numbers of Websites out there trying to build traffic
by posting brief topics that lack any beef as hopes of building a community. These
types of Websites are clogging Google and amount to a lot of time clicking in and
clicking out of them.
Like everything else on the Internet since day one, fads pass. It will not surprise
me if people start to get sick of seeing nothing but open discussion Websites. Thus,
a new fad will be spawned. Someone will find a better way to do it or it will simply
disappear in exchange for the latest craze. Just like message boards, which are not
as popular as at one time.
I believe that some have made a poor decision in leaving their Websites open to
comment posting. Do you see open comment posting on the very Website you are
on right now? I do not allow comments.
I don't feel like policing it, I do not feel like the overhead of a large database,
and, most importantly, I don't feel like running the risk of other people posting
negativity about my materials.
I have worked very hard for 11 years as an independent developer. I strongly believe
the things I say and have a wealth of experience in most topics. I may not always
be correct in what I present as situations do vary. But in my experience I have
this to offer ......
Why would I want to run the risk of damaging a potential business opportunity because
some schmo with a lot less experience than me contradicts something that I write?
Who is this person? Do they really know what they are talking about? Is there some
stipulation that says when I buy a domain name I must allow open comment posting?
It is just an opinion but I also feel it is very good advice for some. Don't get
blinded in to doing what everyone else is doing if it can hurt your own Website
over the course of the long haul. If open comment posting could be potentially damaging
then don't do it. |
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