Kind Words
I've been pondering the gradual reduction in the number of comments posted on this site recently. Steve Newton of Delaware Libertarian offers a plausible explanation as part of his rant about the decline of blogging in Delaware:
Ironically, Tommywonk covers a lot of the same ground, but does it in his usual calm, intellectually honest fashion. Maybe that's why he doesn't get a lot of comments. These days, you've apparently got to fling shit far and wide in the DE blogosphere to get a conversation going.There is little that compares to praise from those who hold different views. I don't measure the success of this little blog by the number of comments generated, but by whether my postings stand up a day, or a week, or a month, or a year later.
posted by Tom Noyes at 9:46 PM
5 Comments:
Tommy,
On m own blog, I've noticed that the only posts that got a good amount of comments were those that were angry, mean, and full of bile, not the ones that were well-reasoned, informative, or kind.
Having few comments should be a badge of pride, and if that's the real pattern, you deserve less commenters.
The old saying, “sex sells” somehow can be equated to trash talk sells on the blogs.
Myself aka Kilroy, I do take my blog posts to the extreme but they just flows out of me and are more or less reflective my emotions. However, I’ve toned the four letter words down because, I want people to at least read (hear) what I have to say and not be offensive to their ears.
Blogs are nothing more than a personal soapbox and if you are involved in social issues people do take notice even politicians. This past May I was so discouraged after 12 years of involvement in education I felt I had no relevancy in the issues, I deleted two years of Kilroy’s Delaware forever! No back up! One person really move me by telling me he was disappointed that I deleted my blog. I tired to explains and he told me, he used it go back and refer to some issues a use the links I tied to those issues. Another blogger scolded me for delete all that work! I really didn’t see it as work, just expression of my opinions and emotions! Looking back I really regret letting critics get the best of me.
I don’t threaten those leaving nasty comments with being banned! I will delete comments attacking the subject with sexual garbage like accusing them of having an affair or dragging their family into the issue. As far as attacking me, I have no problem.
Many people would like to leave comments but with talk of tracking I.P. Addresses they get discourage. I don’t request an E-mail address for the same reason. But as you know, the person commenting can leave a bogus E-mail.
Steve Newton is just venting and has that right to freedom of speech as we all enjoy! As many are aware my grammar sucks and I make no bones about have a GED with a pocketful of college credits! I feel even the most uneducated person on Earth has a right to express themselves. If we’re ever serious about closing the achievement gap we need to be open-minded and sensitive to the unintended ignorance of those families we try to help. We need them to have the courage to speak up and truly express the needs and feelings. I realize that don’t provide food for the intellects however if I provide any sense of inspiration to those fearful of getting involved or speaking out because they too have limited communication skills then I’ve accomplished a major goal.
So verbal attacks on any blog goes with the turf! If you are one of those that everyone must agree with then, I suggest not considering marriage.
Tom, I'll admit I don't comment often because your work is so good there's little I can add that would improve it. In your case, silence is simply the sound of legions of readers sighing joyfully "Amen, bro, amen." Lest I be accused of fawning, I'll simply step back behind the curtain as "Anonymous."
I get people like Al Mascitti say my blog must suck because of the dearth of comments. I say my blog is doing just fine, thanks.
I have a great readership and a lot of fans but it isn't a 'chatty' blog. The blogs that generate a lot of chatter are sort of addicted to it! (as when DE Lib kept putting up the anti-gun posts).
What I like about your blog, Tom, is that I know I can find well read and reasoned opinions, supporting information, and consistent observations about things that matter to you, and to many of us; politics, wind power, music and folk art. Your blog reads like an editorial column in the golden age of newspaper. You deserve the respect you're getting in the industry.
Personally, I don't want to read angry, hate-filled words. I don't trust the far right or the far left. It seems we get too much of that in the media these days. It's hard to find the truth amidst the hyperbole.
Here's a tidbit for your blogwatchers who don't know you personally; Tom came into blogging naturally. I happen to know that as an eighth grader, so many years ago, he stood in "Speakers' Corner" in Hyde Park, London, England and spoke, to anyone and no one in particular, because it seemed to him like a cool thing to do!
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