Blog comment policies
Whether you’ve just started blogging or have been at it a while, you probably understand the value of traffic and regular readers. And what blogger doesn’t love receiving relevant comments? Comments are a conversation between the blogger and the reader. They let a blogger know that someone has taken the time to read what’s been written and is responding. As traffic has built up and my blogs have grown there’s also been an increase in comment spam. Currently I have comments on moderation and use Akizmet. Akizmet does a great job but it doesn’t catch everything. I myself still get at least one link on a daily basis that looks real but is probably just someone looking for a link. To that end, I have decided to place a comment policy on all of my blogs. Much thought went into this decision. You’ll be able to see my comment policy for yourself as I will be adding it in the next day or so. But I wanted to share with you the things you ought to consider when making one.
Who’s leaving the comment? If the person leaving the comment cannot be bothered to leave their name, do you want to include their comment?
What about the post the comment is being left on? Will comments for a post remain open indefinitely or will you close them after a certain period of time.
Links. Will you allow them or remove them from comments? Will you allow commercial links? Will you allow links that don’t come from a blog?
Topic. Do you want comments to stick to the topic of your post, or be about anything? Will you allow personal attacks? What will you consider relevant? Does the comment add value to the conversation.
Language. Will you allow comments in any foreign languages? Will you allow colorful language?
You can customize your comment policy any way you like. After all, it is YOUR blog.
Let me know your thoughts on this subject. Tell me if you have a comment policy already, are considering one or don’t feel they’re a good idea.
