Stop Gaying Up My Blog
Posted on January 11, 2007 - Filed Under Blogging | 11 Comments
To a large degree, a blog is only as good as its readers. Given the interactivity at the heart of new media, a blog with shit comments very often means a shit blog. With this in mind, I want to make some suggestions here about posting comments on this site. These are of course only suggestions since I don’t know how to ban people from visiting here, and in any case I don’t like censorship (this is not censorship, it’s a series of guidlines).
Let’s start with what’s welcome. Anything that is relevant to the post, anything funny, anything interesting, or anything that you think I might like to know about but can’t be bothered emailing me about, will be considered a valuable contribution to this blog. Also, anything written with a sense of outrage often makes for a good comment. Disagreement with whatever opinion I express is very welcome as well.
Everything mentioned on the list below is unwelcome.
1. Anything resembling consoling advice.
2. Smileys
3. Unwarranted, fawning complements (not much fear of that, thankfully)
4. Complements generally
5. Vague, shit comments that get posted soon after the blog is updated and then deter everyone else from commenting.
There’s probably a few more types of comments that annoy me, so I’ll add them as they occur to me. I’ll finish with an example of a what I consider a good comment, courtesy of Anthony:
“Fuck you. I take offense to this. You have to give as good as you get. And if you’re not willing to make any effort then why should anyone else. People can’t hold your hand and always come running to you…”
This is good because it is what could be termed ‘robustly argumentative’, and also makes a point. I think it would be rude to single out bad comments, so I won’t.
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11 Responses to “Stop Gaying Up My Blog”
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I take offence to your offence. An internet blogger should be grateful that anyone takes the time to comment, let alone read what he has written, given the enormous amount of choice out there. Has it occurred to you that shit responses may in fact be reflective of a shit blog?
Either way, being so sure of yourself that you feel you can dictate (offer “guidelines” or whatever vaguely diplomatic way you wish to put it) the responses you would like to receive is indicative of immense confidence in yourself for which I can only COMPLIMENT you. : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : )
For someone who recently wrote a post entitled “The Incomparable Importance of Humour”, this blog’s been rather humourless lately. Granted, it’s not a comedy blog, but I don’t think it was set up as a complaint blog either. Yet look at the last three posts. You say a blog with shit comments often means a shit blog? What does a blog with indignant comments mean? I’m well aware that in the last post I posted what could be considered a case example of the factors you consider to be an ‘unwelcome’ comment. I’m not going to apologise, even if I did it could be considered conciliatory and therefore unwelcome. I know myself it wasn’t the greatest comment ever, but hey, what the hell was I meant to say to that particular post?
Brian hit the nail on the head with his point on people taking the time to read and comment on your blog. Anyone who has ever left a comment, ‘welcome’ or not, has contributed somehow to it, and none of them should have to keep in mind “guidelines” if they ever choose to do so again in future. Freedom of speech is important after all.
I see what you’re saying Cian, it is nice to have your hard work and witty word play truly appreciated in some better way then a half arsed emoticon that any half wit could bang out on their keyboard. Expecting a lot from your readers is all well and good just take things at face value not everyone has the time to come up with some haiku praising your genius and so you should accept their kudos (is kudos a noun?). But you’re completely wrong, I’m with Jason and Brian on this. Blogs in general aren’t the hallowed focal points for wisdom and knowledge so trying to implement a set of rules to try and stamp some extra degree of intelligence is somewhat vain and, dare I say, pretentious? If you start trying to impose guidelines upon us, your readers, then why can’t we do the same to you?
“If you start trying to impose guidelines upon us, your readers, then why can’t we do the same to you?”
Fire away, if you have suggestions as to what would make this better.
“…I don’t think it was set up as a complaint blog either.”
It’s whatever I want it to be.
“what the hell was I meant to say to that particular post?”
You don’t have to say anything.
“Has it occurred to you that shit responses may in fact be reflective of a shit blog?”
Don’t read it if you think it’s shit.
The reason I put this up is because I never want to see another comment along the lines of: “awww, cheer up, we all feel down sometimes *hugs*
”. I do not need such advice.
If you announce that your New Year’s resolution is to get new friends, I think you’ve gayed it up yourself.
‘Sngl 20yo male looking for long term commitment with an older, mature man, GOSH a definate, must drive and be able to aford my lavish brooding lifestyle’
I’ve always thought it was a comedy blog
What the hell does “GOSH” mean or stand for?
Glans of superior hardness?
Or a Good Sense of Humour, but misspelled? Who knows?
In my haste I typoed GSOH. Although we all know cian has a love of the superior hard glanses.