Blog Comments Are Like Cash

Because this site hosts the answer to the five year question, “Why in Sam Hill is Daring Fireball Comment Free? Who does John Gruber think he is anyway? Doesn’t he know that a blog should have comments?” I get quite a few trackbacks from all accross the web when folks write their own post about why they think they should or would or could or will or won’t or might or might not disable comments on their own site.

A lot of those people are having a hard time making up their mind. They just don’t know what to do with their comments section. Well, let me tell you something dear reader, dear reader…

Comments are like cash—they make a horrible master but a wonderful slave.

If you have comments then leverage them to make your site better. You can use the comments to thicken up the content and engage with the design of your blog. Don’t let the comments rule your site, but rather let them support it in the direction you want to go.

This analogy breaks down when you realize that a lot of comments doesn’t always mean your site has obtained Donald Trump status.

Shawnblanc.net Sans-Comments

Since launching shawnblanc.net I have not once regretted my decision to disable comments.

It has opened the door for stress-free site maintenance and publishing in a way I didn’t understand until experiencing it. When I hit publish - I’m done. The article has now been completed. It’s off to print. That’s all she I wrote.

If you’re not sure if you want to enable or disable comments on your site here are a few reasons why I have disabled them here.

1. More Time -
   One thing I love about having comments disabled on shawnblanc.net is how much time, energy and thought it frees up for me. I don’t have to check akismet. I don’t have to moderated, edit, or anything. Once I hit publish I’m done.
2. A Gift to the Readers -
   If you’re a regular reader of a weblog there is this unspoken pressure that you ought to say something. (Did someone say national de-lurker week?

   But on a site with comments disabled there is no pressure. Once you’ve read the article that’s all. The author requires nothing of the reader but to enjoy the content. There are no awkward expectations. The article is a gift.

3. More Personal Communication -
   By not having comments it encoureges more genuine communication from the reader to the author via email or instant messenger.

   In the six weeks I have been publishing shawnblanc.net I have already gotten more emails from readers than on The Fight Spot all year long. And each of those emails were from readers offering something. Some noticed typos and/or misspellings (which are a dime-a-dozen around here). Some were offering links to articles they thought I would find interesting. Some were just saying ‘hello.’ Every email (save one) has been kind, polite and personal.