Now Reading ...Commenting at a blog is just like paying a visit to your friend’s private room. You go in there, and tell her about your thoughts about the room.
It’s important for you to leave a good impression. People will love a good manner blogger and will greet you happily for your next time visit.
It’s important to know that commenting on a blog is about communication with the owner of the blog. If you just trying to comment for earning some benefits from the generosity of “I follow movement” bloggers (not a genuine voice to greet the author), Just cut the crap and out of there.
Beside you earn nothing from the blog, you have pulled down your own reputation. Of course, spamming would hurt you more and people would akismet you without a second thought.
Today, beside giving my personal view on the importance of Comment Policy, I would also make my own Comment Policy Page to help readers understand the policy in commenting on this blog. (I will update the link in this post when the page is up.)
Didn’t mean to let you discourage with rules and suggestions, but to prevent some mean spirited comments to be appeared in this blog too often. It’s so annoying and won’t give you an extra knowledge but a negative energy from the negative spammer.
Below is my personal thought about the importance of Comment Policy:
First,
Comment policy will help you defend yourself. This is very important because you will get a lot of ‘attack’ later in the future, whether it’s from a spam commentators or from the reader.
Comment policy can help you kill some of those unwanted distraction.
Second,
Comment policy can clear some confusion of your reader. I find this point is important. Since some blogger afraid of their spam filter not working well (including me), they will put all ‘first time’ reader’s comment under moderation.
It’s important to let your reader know that their comments won’t appear directly if he or she is making the first time comment on your blog.
Third,
With comment policy, you could prevent some SEOer freaks who use their site keyword to boost their ranking. A name like “Marketing hero”, “Superstar site”, “Money making guy”, or else is not a name.
It’s just some other kind of spam to clouded the top commentator list and comment section. Although they have a genuine voice, it’s wise to ask for a name instead of site keyword.
If they are not learning from the policy? Then you reserve the right to edit or even delete the comment.
Fourth,
Any contribution from you? 
Spam comment fighting is not limited to this blog, Some other bigger blog also have set the boundary so spammer won’t walk over easily.
For example:
- Lorelle from Wordpress.com
- Ashish from Technospot.net
- Char from Essentialkeystrokes.com
Let’s fight the comments spam and make or our blog a better space for positive community.
Hall of Fame : 1.068 Positive Comments
Hall of Shame : 2.738 Spammy Comments
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Leave a comment
(August 29, 2007, 11:17 am)
Great post Ken. I have had to get pretty tough on a few commenters who are definitely walking the thin line between spam and genuine reader. I even went as far as to write a very nice email to one of them, who still didn’t get it. When he came back again with another deviant try, I had no choice but to mark it as spam.
Love the new blog look, too.
Reply to Char(August 29, 2007, 11:36 am)
Hi, Thanks a lot Char! (I hope this design could seize more attention ;p )
Oh, that’s really headache to face those kind of commenters! Yes, you’re right. You deserves the right to delete them if they are not a good learner.
Comment section is for reader to communicate with us. Comment spam is just like a thorn in our flesh. What make it annoying is, we can’t remove it!
Reply to Ken Xu(August 29, 2007, 5:53 pm)
very good ideas to have a policy so there aren’t any confusions. I haven’t had any who would leave nasty comments (well, except a couple of comments from two people who never left their trail so I couldn’t tell if they even had blogs)! but I will be adding something similar soon!
Reply to pearl(August 30, 2007, 1:29 am)
Yes, pearl. I’m still doing the policy writing. I need to becareful on this page because i don’t want it to be a burden for my reader.
Reply to Ken Xu(October 19, 2007, 5:01 pm)
A comment policy doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and commenters don’t even need to see it, unless there is a need. It serves as something to point a finger to when commenters get ugly. Anything, including holidng comments for moderation and CAPTCHAs, that get in the way of comments makes it miserable for all. And a comment policy doesn’t get in the way. It sets the ground rules. I think all bloggers who thrive and depend upon comments need to have them. Just in case.
Think of it as fire insurance. Don’t want it to happen, but if it does, you are covered.
Reply to Lorelle(October 21, 2007, 11:28 am)
Thanks for your advise, Lorelle. I will take it as a guide for me to make a good comment policy that will not become a burden for my reader and for myself.
Btw, I have something that I need to ask you. I will send you a PM. Please check your inbox.
Reply to Ken Xu(June 23, 2008, 4:49 pm)
Hi Ken, thanks for the insights. I will encourage my readers to post their comments next time. =)
Reply to Callcentergal