A Blog Without Comments Is Not A Blog?

[Cedric]

A lot of bloggers tend to get really de-motivated when they found out that their blogs have no comments and I even came across rants like, "A blog without comments is not a blog, I've been blogging for quite a long time and I still have no people commenting in my blog!"

It is undeniable that comments do play important role in blogging. But I do not agree with the fact that blogs without comments are not regarded as blogs. I always see blogs like online magazines, you read people's articles so sometimes, people who do not comment in our blogs doesn't mean they do not READ. I've come across some silent readers who later confessed to me that they just felt LAZY to comment.

In addition to that, some bloggers even go on disabling the comment section. Some think that "This is MY article, if you like it you better agree with it, otherwise shut up and don't whine in my comment box!". Whatever it is, I hope that people do not always get de-motivated just because people do not comment in their blogs.

That's like, I have a piece of blank paper and if I do not draw anything on it, it's not a paper anymore?
What do you think?

[jlee]

I definitely think a blog can be a blog without comments. I blog whether I get comments or not.

[t(-.-t)]

Plenty of successful blogs don't have commenting enabled. daringfireball.net for example. If your content is good enough people will read it regardless of whether or not they can comment on what you posted.

[Oliver]

A blog is about sharing your thoughts, originally it was thought of as an online diary, now you wouldn't let your friends write in your diary would you. I put the comments system up on my blog mainly because I ask a lot of direct questions so I need an easy place for them to reply.

[ses5909]

I think a blog should have commenting enabled or encourage feedback of some kind from their readers, otherwise it is a journal or an article site.

Now if you just don't get comments but have them enabled... of course it is still a blog. You welcome discussion and encourage it.

[BigMooch]

This really is a semantic argument. I think a blog has to have comments.

To me what makes it a blog is the conversation, not the structure or the tool used to produce it. I think we get too wrapped up in a tool based definition. There are sites produced by Blogger that I wouldn't call blogs.

I think the tool centered definition is a bit odd because we don't refer to the tool to talk about other websites. With the notable exception of FrontPage sites, the plague they are. We don't have "Dreamweaver" sites or "Aptana" sites or "Joomla" sites, they are just websites. Instead we talk about "brochure" sites or "resource" sites.

In the same way I think a blog should be defined by the purpose not the tool, and conversation is a vital part of that purpose.

[Oliver]

But if you want to discuss everything you might as well run a forum.

[Cedric]

The reason why it would actually sound bad to me is because I saw my friends, one by one decided to stop blogging just because their blogs have no comments or occasionally one or two comments. Sometimes they are just too comical because they just started blogging for weeks and they are starting to expect too much!
t(-.-t) pointed out that many successful bloggers do not have the commenting part enabled, which is quite true because if you know you are influential enough, let's just make it as you're the one who's doing the talking and the rest just listen! Kinda reminds me of a quote in Simpsons "I was elected to lead not to read."

However, like I said earlier, this will raise different arguments, while jlee, Oliver and BigMooch emphasize on the basic of blogging - You write an article in your blog and you invite readerships, don't stress too much on the interaction part, ses5909 made a point that a blog should have comments to encourage feedbacks which is what I agree as we all know that we are imperfect and we only know how to improvise when there's a constructive criticism.

I won't say that we should enable or disable comments but I would rather make a stand that don't let comments affect the motivation for us to blog and remember the root of blogging. Thanks for replying, people.

[BigMooch]

I should have been more specific and say a blog without comments enabled. It's not important to me that you actually get comments, but that you allow them.

But if you want to discuss everything you might as well run a forum.

I would say a forum and a blog serve different purposes. A forum is a place where you don't care to direct the conversation. A blog is a place where you do.

A blog post is different than starting a forum thread. A blog post could stand on it's own without comment, but is often enhanced by the comments around a post. While a forum thread is rarely useful without further discussion.

That isn't to say you have to actually get comments for you post to be valuable. It is to say that your post often, though not always, becomes more valuable when people comment. If you're not open to adding that value they you aren't blogging. You could be writing great content that is very useful, but I'm not going to call your website a blog.

[3plus3]

I don't think it would bother me if my blog had no comments, I agree with Oliver in that if they want that much conversation why not open a forum about it instead of a blog?

[ses5909]

I would say a forum and a blog serve different purposes. A forum is a place where you don't care to direct the conversation. A blog is a place where you do.

A blog post is different than starting a forum thread. A blog post could stand on it's own without comment, but is often enhanced by the comments around a post. While a forum thread is rarely useful without further discussion.

Very good summary!

[Cedric]

Damn right, if a forum has NO discussions... It'll become useless. :)

[doorlight]

That's funny. I disagree.
Of course, it's still a blog with/without comments.

Lame.

[dojo]

I have the comments turned on .. if they comment, it;s Ok, if not .. OK again. I think a blog is not a blog when it has crappy copied content for instance. The ability to comment or not doesn't make me hate a blog or consider it to be less

[aquariancore]

Plenty of successful blogs don't have commenting enabled. daringfireball.net for example. If your content is good enough people will read it regardless of whether or not they can comment on what you posted.

Exactly. Good content is the key. What is good is a blog where idiots only put in mindless comments.?

[BigMooch]

The discussion isn't about what makes a good blog, the discussion is what is a blog. I define comments as an essential part of a blog, others do not.

Also many comments are helpful, if you have only idiots and mindless comments that doesn't mean all comments are bad.

[dreamr802]

Of course a blog is still a blog even if it doesn't have comments on it. Just like you said people probably do read it, they just don't comment on it...

[tater03]

See personally when I get my started I would enjoy reading the comments myself. I love getting comments from all sides of an issues. As long as they are stated in an opinion type way and not a bash fest on one person because of how they may feel differently.

[Cedric]

Actually it's also part of the habits too have comments in blog, I would feel rather strange if my post has no comments. So it's important to connect with your audience.

[goldfries]

not all the posts attract comments. :) some people just don't wish to leave comments, others leave a lot.

to me, it's most important that the blogger is happy doing it. # of comments doesn't mean your blog is worthless.

i get a few hundred visitors each day but i don't get comments every day.

[samwoodfin]

A blog without comments enabled is insecure (which isn't a criticism).
A blog that is simply without comments is lonely. :(

[pbradish]

Of course a blog is still a blog even if it doesn't have comments on it. Just like you said people probably do read it, they just don't comment on it...

I wonder what the ratio is like. I supposed it varies from blog to blog.

[goldfries]

I wonder what the ratio is like. I supposed it varies from blog to blog.

varies from post to post too.