Datasheet

Part I: Getting Started with Blogs

is almost unique to blogs. (Forums, also called bulletin boards, offer one way

to engage in online conversation on the Web, but they aren’t as directed by

regular posts as blogs. Everyone in the forum community is free to chime in

with a topic or question.)

Visitors to a blog have the opportunity to leave a comment on each post.

Sometimes, readers leave comments in reaction to what they read; other

times, they might offer a suggestion or pose a question. Because any reader

can leave a comment, readers may leave comments about other comments!

Blog posts often include a link directly below each post, indicating how many

comments readers have left. Clicking this link takes you to a page that dis-

plays the post, any comments that readers have left about that post, and a

form that you can use to leave your own comment.

After someone makes a comment, it appears in the Comments area of the

blog, usually labeled with the comment writer’s name, along with the date

and time that he or she left the comment. On some popular blogs, readers

compete to see who can leave the first comment on a new blog post.

In Rose Levy Beranbaum’s blog Real Baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum

(www.realbakingwithrose.com), Rose often responds to questions that

readers ask by putting the answer in her blog post’s comments area. Rose’s

comments have a shaded background that other comments don’t have (see

Figure 1-12) and feature her personal avatar image.

Not every blog allows comments. Many popular bloggers find that they’re

overwhelmed by the sheer volume of responses that they get and must turn

off comments because they can’t keep up with them. We should all be so

lucky to have that problem. For most bloggers, comments are an important

way to develop a dialogue with readers.

I recommend you keep comments turned on in your blog. They’re an easy

way to involve your audience in your topic and to get valuable feedback about

what you’re doing with your blog.

Unfortunately, spammers can take advantage of comments as easily as they

can send you unwanted e-mail. If you keep comments turned on, you get

unwanted comments that have commercial messages, unless you take preven-

tative measures (which is becoming easier to do). You or your readers might

even find some spam comments offensive, just like some kinds of spam e-mail.

If you decide to allow comments on your blog, be sure to read them and delete

inappropriate messages. Your readers will thank you. In Chapter 9, I talk at

length about encouraging comments — and dealing with those comments that

you don’t want.

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