How to be a bad commenter
Business blogs are pretty awesome. The people who write them are always on the lookout for new books and ideas. I’m the same way (yeah, I’m pretty awesome, too). When I read business blogs, I usually read most, if not all, of the comments on a post that interests me.
So I’ve been noticing that one guy in particular has been leaving a lot of nearly identical comments on business blogs while pimping his book (note the lack of a link to the book). That’s not very cool, and he should knock it off. And because I don’t like it when my staff point out problems but offer no solutions, here’s what you should be doing instead, Jerome:
- Get a blog. There are many free options. Try blogger.com or wordpress.com.
- Blog your book. Yeah, you’ll have to give away some of your content. But I’m sure you’re a veritable fountain of fresh insights, aren’t you? Good begets good and bad begets bad.
- Invite other sharp bloggers to read your book. Send them a free copy. No, I don’t want one now.
- Interview other people on your blog. Interview them via podcast. Do a screencast. Give something to the community and the community will probably buy your book. It might not be too late.
- Engage. Engage more than leaving snarky comments with a book pimp.
- This last one is nitpicky: when you leave a comment on a blog, if you put your name in the “name” field, you don’t have to write it again at the end of your comment. You look dorky when you do that. Do you really want to look dorky, Jerome?
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POSTED IN: communication, marketing, web/tech, weblogs
10 opinions for How to be a bad commenter
John Wesley
Jan 23, 2007 at 5:06 am
All good points. I’ve also noticed a lot of comments serve as blog promotion, but that is much less blatant than a book.
Kate Grigal
Jan 23, 2007 at 6:26 am
There is this really snarky part of me that wants to sign this comment with my name- alas, I don’t want to be banned forever, or considered a blogging idiot. Franky, I feel that those going around the blogosphere pimping their goods are no better or worse than the Viagra/Cialis spam that I get to filter out daily.
Great insight.
kflowers
Jan 23, 2007 at 7:12 am
I consider comments a good way to extend the community. I frequently find an interesting new blogger by tracking back from an interesting comment. It’s a way for like-minded people to find like-minded content. And I appreciate the opportunity to have my link left as a way for others to find my blog. The early days of blogging, knowing that nobody was reading what I wrote, were a real drag.
I recently posted a comment at a blog that didn’t include a place to link back to me. How about an article “How to be a Bad Comment Taker.”
Eric Brown
Jan 23, 2007 at 7:28 am
And here I thought I was the only one that got a comment from Jerome. I felt special…but I just feel used now. :)
Good insights and good post. I’m the type of person who will not leave a comment unless I have something important and/or useful to add…well…except for this particular comment.
Like Kate, I have the urge to sign my name at the end of this comment but I too don’t want to be banned for life from the Slacker Manager.
Bren
Jan 23, 2007 at 7:55 am
Shoot, I’ll never ban you for being a dork. If dorks weren’t allowed on the blog, I wouldn’t be allowed to write it.
–Bren ;-)
mel starrs
Jan 23, 2007 at 8:52 am
Perhaps we should be commiserating with poor Jerome Alexander. He’s missed a golden chance to link to his book on amazon each time and earn a bit of cash using amazon associates. The book’s languishing at #254,304 with only 1 review.
Part of me feels smug that we all know how to act on a blog, but this is kicking off warning bells that maybe what seems utterly obvious and transparent to the blog-literate is a black art to the newbie…
So Jerome, if you find these comments (by vanity checking on Google perhaps), don’t take offence. And take Bren up on the blog tip - the blogosphere loves transparency and apologies…
Rosa Say
Jan 23, 2007 at 9:53 am
Aloha Bren and all,
I get annoyed at closet advertisers in my comments too (and I just delete their comments) however at the risk of sounding like a goodie two-shoes, good for you Mel at taking the high road.
Now Bren, you know that my signature is coming, double entry or not, for I look at it differently. Three years into blogging, I know I’m the exception to the rule, however for me a signature is a signature, and the way I usually comment, it feels naked to me without it. The link with your full name is like the form of a letter - and you wouldn’t send a letter unsigned would you? Part of it is that I don’t comment anonymously, and the authenticity, good form, and yes, aloha and grace is all part of the whole.
I understand that there is a different convention to commenting on blogs, however I also think it’s not too much to ask, giving someone an extra line for the dignity of their name a second time.
With my aloha to all of you,
Rosa
Bren
Jan 23, 2007 at 11:10 am
@Mel: Great point. Jerome probably is a newbie, and the lack of the direct link is likely good evidence of that. On the other hand, Jerome could be a very savvy marketer who knows that embedded links have a higher chance of being auto-moderated without review, and so he opts for the plain text route. Jerome, where are you? There are so many questions to ask…
@Rosa: I forgot that you do the dorky signature thing, too. :-) Your saving grace is that you know you’re different and you have a reason for your difference. The downside is that nobody else knows about your reasoning. Even so, the “double sign” (at least to me) makes you look like an unsophisticated commenter, when you’re really the farthest thing from it. Maybe it creates a minor sense of intrigue for comment readers…they say, “Hey, this Rosa person is pretty smart, yet has an odd comment convention….I should visit her blog and see what her deal is….”
Then again, maybe I’m just a total pedant and think too much about trivial things.
Jerome
Jan 25, 2007 at 1:04 pm
What gives!… buy my book ;)
Jerome Alexander
Feb 5, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Several years ago I wrote a book on the subject of workplace culture and employee morale. It is as relevant today as it was then. Employee morale is directly linked to the interaction of employees with line managers who are charged with executing the policies and strategies of companies. Unfortunately, many of these managers subvert the good intentions of the organization to meet their own personal goals and agendas at the expense of their peers and subordinates. This management subculture is a result of a corporate culture of ignorance, indifference and excuse. Better corporate level leadership is the key. Read more in “160 Degrees of Deviation: The Case for the Corporate Cynic.” Do not let your organization drift off course!