More on comments – Kevin Anderson's take

A couple of days ago I wrote about moderation and comments functions on news sites. In a related post, Kevin Anderson at Strange Attractor also writes about AZ starnet and about moderation, calling it “one of the overlooked issues with community”. He also talks about internet trolls. And.. that you get the comments your content deserves.

When people ask me how blogs are different from forums, I say, “The blogger sets the tone”. I sort of joke when doing blog training for journalists that if you write a post like a pompous ass, people will respond accordingly. I’m only half joking. Yes, the technology will help you manage the comments and help foster the community, but unless you look at your content as well, you’re going to be fighting a losing battle against the trolls.