Why No Commenting?

All conversations are not created equal.

There was a time when the conversation on blogs was robust and valuable. The comments would generate deep discussions and conversation that didn’t and couldn’t really happen anyplace else. I believe that time is over. In September of 2014, after ten years of allowing commenting on my blog and website, I disabled commenting.

3 Reasons I Disabled Commenting:

1. Reader Sophistication – Today most of my readers are savvy with social media and have their own personal brands and networks online. They no longer need or expect me as the author of a blog to host an entire conversation because they have many other ways to get in touch with me directly or carry on a conversation online.
2. Growth Of Social Networks – As social media has grown, conversations have steadily moved off of blog comments and into those networks.  Almost every blogger I know has seen a big decline in quality comments on blog posts, as those increasingly move into social media.  It is understandable since most of the time, readers reasonably prefer that their thoughts and comments can exist in a place where their own network can see and discuss them more visibly.
3. Comment Spam – As genuine and thoughtful comments have declined, the incidence of comment spam and unscrupulous scammers hoping to elevate their Google rankings through link baiting has increased. More than 50% of my comments at the time that I disabled them were spam – and I know this ratio is not unique among other long standing bloggers with established sites.

So the obvious question this raises is, how will we continue to have a conversation with one another?  The good news is, there are still three great ways we can continue the conversation without using blog comments

How To Converse Without Commenting:

1. Respond with content – If something I write sparks an idea for you, create your own content around that and link back to my site.  Not only is it a much better way to share your point of view than just posting a comment – it has the added benefit of helping you build a strong (or stronger) platform for yourself.
2. Engage directly – From email to the social network of your choice, there are plenty of ways to get in touch with me directly and I encourage you to do so. I would love to hear from and converse directly with you!
3. Share with your network – One of the most popular ways to comment is by sharing content in social media with your point of view.  Whether you choose Twitter or Facebook, or another platform – this is a great opportunity to add your voice and thoughts to a published piece, and inspire that conversation to happen online

Want to connect directly with me right now?  Feel free to email me at rohit@trustimg.com or tweet a message to me at @rohitbhargava.