August 17, 2007

On the Changes at Sunni Sister

Umm Zaid had a recent post about several changes at her blog: a new (old) background (she's back to her "veryplaintxt" theme), turned-off comments, and no blogroll. She asked, "Should I turn comments back on? Return the links to normal?" but then neglected to turn the comments back on for that particular post. These are some of my thoughts regarding her changes:

For long-time readers, backgrounds don't matter and will probably become even less important as more people switch to RSS feeds. I've got over 30 blogs linked to Google Reader now, which keeps me updated far better than if I visited each blog separately. Google Reader doesn't show me the background for any blog, just the contents of the posts. And that's what's most important to me anyway, the content. Not whether you've got your cartoon pirate showing up or not. Still, for the first-time or casual reader, a nice looking background may be important.

Likewise, I think blogrolls will become less important over time due to RSS feeds. Still, they're important to maintain over time. For me, the blogroll is an indicator of the company a blogger keeps. Who do you read? Yes, I do judge bloggers by who's on their blogroll (especially if they write often about religion or politics).

As for comments, I can't really imagine not allowing comments except under special circumstances. I don't have a problem with bloggers who censor comments coming onto their blogs; I do it myself. I don't have a problem with people who turn off comments for specific posts. I can even understand why a blog like Islamophobia Watch keeps their comments off all the time; I'd probably do the same if I had a similar blog. But to shut comments off willy-nilly? No, not my style. I don't know about Umm Zaid but I want to encourage a community of people visiting my blogs, to read and comment about my posts. To cut off commenting for no good reason is a slap at the readership. "Sorry, I don't care what you think!" No, that's definitely not my style.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Salaam 'Alaikum

I recently read an article that was not pro-commenting. I thought it raised some good points. You can read it here: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/07/20.html
I would not say that was the impetus for turning off comments, however. It just raised some points that were bouncing around in ma cabeza.

Seeker's Digest has no commenting at all. I don't view that as a slap in the face to readers.

Most of my comments these days are spam. Maybe there is still a problem with the database, I have no idea if it's been fixed yet or not and only spammers are able to get through. Or maybe people don't want that idea of community and ongoing discussion. To me, it seems as though the MozBlog community has changed or altered dramatically in the last six months.

A lot of people still don't do RSS; I get a lot of comments or e-mails about the blog themes when I change them. I went out somewhere the other day, and someone came up to me and said, "I want the pirate back!"

But the original question was:

Did you remember that which will end all of your pleasures?

-- UmmZaid

Anonymous said...

Salaam 'Alaikum

Also, I dislike the word "willy-nilly" as it relates to me. What makes you think that I did not think long and hard about ... that or anything else I do with the blog that I own and pay for?

JDsg said...

Seeker's Digest has no commenting at all. I don't view that as a slap in the face to readers.

When a blog doesn't have commenting, that's not necessarily a "slap." When a blog that's long been known for allowing comments (and has many people who comment there), then shuts down the commenting unexpectedly on all those people who expect to be able to comment, that's a "slap."


Most of my comments these days are spam.

I understand; that's the nature of the beast for a WordPress blog. I don't suffer as much with a Blogger blog, but I do have one tiny WordPress blog that I still keep up and, yes, I get the occasional spam comment that needs to be deleted. A guy I know with a WordPress blog regularly announces whenever his blog goes past the latest 10,000 spam milestone (he recently passed the 120,000 spam comment mark). So I know it's a problem. But until WordPress improves the software well enough to slow down the amount of spam coming through, as Blogger has, then that's the price you're going to pay for using that software.


Or maybe people don't want that idea of community and ongoing discussion.

I very seriously doubt that.


To me, it seems as though the MozBlog community has changed or altered dramatically in the last six months.

There's always going to be change in any community, online or real. The other day I visited a internet forum I had been a regular at for four years; yet, two years away and most of the names have changed.


A lot of people still don't do RSS...

I agree; not yet, but they will when they discover the convenience of RSS.


Also, I dislike the word "willy-nilly" as it relates to me. What makes you think that I did not think long and hard about ... that or anything else I do with the blog that I own and pay for?

You can do whatever you want with your blog. You're right; it's yours and you pay for its maintenance. Nor did I say that you didn't think "long and hard" about the decisions. But...

First, you asked for comments, and I gave you an honest critique. That the critique came in negative has caused you to feel hurt, as I gather from these two comments.

Second, you have a history of bouncing around, changing themes often and, IIRC, this is not the first time you've cut off commenting like this. That behavior strikes me as "willy-nilly."

Third, I assume that you are motivated by the desire for other people to read your writing. If you aren't, you can always make your blog private; Blogger certainly gives us that option. Commenting is one of the strongest methods to use to build a community of readers. So, who are you writing for: yourself or for an audience?

JDsg said...

BTW, your first and last pictures on My Kind of Day are really great...

...but I couldn't tell you that on your blog because you've closed your comments.