Please don’t spam and please stay on topic.
This weekend Elliot Silver posted about commenting on his blog and restrictions on what “name” you can use in the comments. (Your name is optionally linked to a URL.) Elliot threatened to remove the URL of anyone who used a spammy keyword name to link to a web site.
That’s a nice first step but doesn’t go far enough.
I used to measure the success of my posts by the number of comments, but then I realized that many comments are just spam or off topic.
Commenting is a valuable part of the blog experience and I don’t want to curtail legitimate comments in any way. Comments should be made in the interest of adding value to everyone’s experience.
So I’d like to outline ten rules to commenting:
1. If you use a spammy keyword name and link it to a web site, I might delete your entire comment.
Often times the comments tied to these are actually spam comments from bots or paid linkers. So when in doubt, I’ll assume these comments are spam.
Now this doesn’t mean you can’t use your site name in a comment. For example, if Elliot wanted to comment on my blog and made his name “Elliot’s Blog” instead of “Elliot Silver”, that’s fine. Or you can link to your SEO service, blog, mini-site company, etc. But if your name is “Best Teeth Whitening” and you link off to some affiliate site, your link/comment will be deleted.
2. I use ‘no follow’ not on principle, but because of what happens if you don’t use it.
WordPress enables ‘no follow’ links in comments by default. I considered turning it off once. But did you know there are services out there that collect URLs of blogs that don’t have ‘no follow’ turned on? Yeah, and they even have services to spam those blogs.
3. You don’t need to use your real name.
Even though I don’t want to see “teeth whitening” as your name, you can use a pseudonym or pen name if you want. Just remember that your criticisms are taken more seriously when you use your real name.
4. But you do need to use a valid email.
Otherwise your comment will be deleted.
5. Never use a URL shortener for either your name link or in-comment links.
URL shorteners present two problems. First, I have to actually visit the site to see what it is. Second, the redirect can be changed at any time. So please use the full link.
6. Don’t link to a parked page.
I don’t know a single parking company that will let you create links to parked pages, so don’t do it here.
7. Don’t make off topic comments.
I had one guy who would make a grievance about how he felt a particular company ripped him off every single time I wrote anything about that company. On topic discussions about the subjects of a post are fine, but if you make the same comment each time like this it detracts from the overall experience.
8. Don’t say I deleted your comments when I really didn’t.
Here’s a scenario that happens all the time that pisses me off. Someone will post a comment that lands in moderation or spam. They don’t see their comment so they immediately comment “why are you deleting my comments”.
9. If you Astroturf, I’ll call you out on it.
Every once in a while I’ll get a comment defending or promoting a company that is made by someone at the company. They try to hide their identity and act like a third party. Don’t do this.
10. Don’t use profanity or racial slurs.
Here’s my commitment to you: as long as you don’t run afoul of these guidelines, I welcome all comments whether or not I agree with the opinions. In fact, I prefer to hear differing opinions.
If you’re reading this post and considering it, then this post really isn’t targeted to you. There are only a handful of people who ruin it for everyone.
Nicco Schaal says
Big brother GOOGLE was the first to restrict this and to muffle that, showing only what they think we like to see. And now you guys and many other sites, including pay sites from BBC to the New York Times putting on the squeeze and restrict access. A free and open Internet? No more.
mansour says
Andrew,
I am disappointed to read your article, as once in a while I make comments. This article is by far your largest, and unfortunately it details what and what not you will accept as a comment. You are underestimating the intelligence of your readers, and like all of us, when we get bigger, we start being choosy and when we get choosy, people realize that the truth is not all told. I have noticed that you promote some of your domain names. Most of the time you are real but sometimes you are self-serving. I love reading your daily articles, but I would like them to be complete with the comments that intelligent people write and also those who are not as intelligent. I read them all and I make up my mind. Those that you think that are not fit to publish, may be the ones that everyone wishes to read.
Best Regards, Mansour
Andrew Allemann says
Mansour – nowhere in this post am I saying I’ll censor comments. If you read all ten items, the only things related to the subject of the comment that I’ll delete for are profanity, racial slurs, and if the comment is completely off the topic of what the post is. If you interpret something differently please let me know.
Once you’ve deleted 10 comments in a day that are merely promoting someone’s domains for sale that have nothing to do with a post, you get kind of tired of it.
Ms Domainer says
*
Andrew,
YOU are the owner of your blog, and you have every right to delete name-calling and spamming comments. In fact, if you wish, you are entitled to delete idiot comments as well.
Private blogs are not a democracy; they belong to individuals. For all you spammers and whiners who want something for nothing, too bad.
In that case, create and develop your own blogs–then you can spam and name call all you want. That is what an open internet is all about, the freedom to set up your own shop. It doesn’t give trolls and parasites to post junk on someone else’s blog.
*
Uzoma says
Hi Andrew,
I was one of those that pointed a finger at Elliot for his elitist post, I don’t know if you read the dyadic dialog between us (Elliot & I), if you did, it will take much more than a simpleton to distill the gist of the debate.
I’ll give you an example, you wrote above “Mansour – nowhere in this post am I saying I’ll censor comments. If you read all ten items, the only things related to the subject of the comment that I’ll delete for are profanity, racial slurs, and if the comment is completely off the topic of what the post is. If you interpret something differently please let me know”, and nobody will argue with such a reasonable statement; the way Elliot’s comments came off, and by extension, yours, is tantamount to people gathered in your house for a party, and you stand up, ask the DJ to turn down the music, then asked all fat people to leave your party, or another maligned group; as a decent person, I will find it offensive, even though I am 6’4″ well built athletic handsome guy, I will get up and leave your house, or your blog, or whatever. Yes, simply because it offends my being. You may have a thriving party, you must still be polite, I don’t think that any of these blogs are undergoing a menace of junk comments, or spammers. I have witnessed these parties, and there are no menace of fat people in them. Thanks for hearing me out. (I like your blog, and Elliot’s)
Andrew Allemann says
Uzoma, Akismet caught 50,000 spam comments on Domain Name Wire over the past two months.
I don’t think this is similar to asking all the fat people to leave a party. This also has nothing to do with intelligence. I’m saying don’t spam the comments, and don’t write about stuff that’s completely off topic. When one guy posts the same comment 10 times on posts about a certain company, that’s off topic.
Chris says
ahh – the good old 10 commandments of commenting.
I dont understand why people try to spam a no follow blog – makes no sense. Maybe its because you get a ton of traffic people think they will get link juice.
Personally I believe that akismet does a fantastic job of blocking out the BS/SPAM comments which is why I use a do follow blog.
I also require someone to check a box before posting a comment which also helps deter bots from spamming the hell out of posts.
SO I think I passed all 10 rules – do i win?
Andrew Allemann says
Chris, you pass!
I’ll tell you this — when you write a thoughtful comment and include a link to your site, you will get lots of click through traffic from comments. I’ve seen some sites get 50 visits in a day just from the link in their comment.
Steve M says
Good decision, Andrew.
Wish everyone did the same.
Maybe more will.
Quality over quantity.
Elliot says
@ Uzoma
Using your analogy, at my party, it would be like kicking out the drunk random people who show up harassing my friends and friends of friends. People are more than welcome to come to my party, dance, drink, converse, and have fun. They just shouldn’t be annoying to the other guests with inappropriate antics. 🙂
Andrew Allemann says
@ Elliot – much better analogy, thanks.
Uzoma, can you point to one of the 10 guidelines that you think is unfair?
Acro says
In my opinion, there are several layers of rules:
1. Common sense rules (personal behavior)
2. Industry rules (professionalism)
3. Rules of the medium (spam, links, etc.)
When two out of the three are violated, the comment doesn’t belong where it was posted, unless its owner doesn’t give a sh*t 😀
jp says
@Andrew
I agree. I’m just one person and all but the quality of most domain industry blog comments has gone so down hill from two years ago (IMHO) that I have actually stopped commenting as much at times because I don’t want to see all the follow up emails and I know I’ll be too lazy or a while to simply unsubscribe to the post, and I don’t want to Comment without notifications because what’s the point of saying something without caring to hear what others think you have to say.
Josh says
I usually dont even bother reading other peoples comments.
Andrew Allemann says
@ Josh – only about 1%-2% of people comment on a post, and I suspect about 5%-10% read any of the comments.
Kevin M. says
Interesting who has issues with common sense and perfectly legitimate posting guidelines.
Uzoma says
@Andrew
It’s not that any of the comments is unfair, my problem with the announcement is two fold:
A) I believe that it is unnecessary. If say a blogger is violating known blog rules, and I believe the rules are universal and a known phenomenon, then, there are tools at the disposal of the admin blogger to tackle it quietly;
B) But more importantly, you and Elliot are avoiding this part, and that is the part that denies a poster “follow”; Elliot specifically admonished every poster that just garnering knowledge from his blog is all he was willing to part with; he (Elliot) emphasized that he is adamant about not letting his posters get a follow. Now, how can one value a “follow” over a coveted “knowledge”? The way I see, a “newbie” will profit more from “follow” and SEO considerations over “knowledge”. And, Elliot is a friend of mine, and he is very knowledgeable, but, the characteristics of a jovial person, as far as domains are concerned, is one who pays you back in traffic and “follow”, because that is the Currency of the internet.
Now, one more component to this Andrew, we can’t start measuring bloggers by the sanity of their comments; if an end-user appears on these blogs, and posts silly, perhaps stupid comments, but buys domains from domainers, I think that end-user is more valuable than a loquacious, knowledgeable domain blogger that never purchases domains from sellers.
Again, the way you put the question to me, is sanitized when compared to the original issue; therefore, no, I don’t have an issue with the 10 commandments as you decreed it up there. I will comply ut dictum.
SpammyName says
deleted for invalid email
Emil@Medialogy.com says
In my blog, I don’t make any rules about commenting, it’s simply denying “possible” customers.
Though I don’t approve any unrelated post or spammy comments.
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