I don’t frequently comment on many blogs – usually only when I read something particularly interesting. The best blog posts I have read have been ones where a lot of discussion has followed the initial post. Very rarely does it stay entirely within the subject of the first post, but for the most part it does.
Sometimes I wonder how people feel when this happens. It’s a public forum in a sense, because it’s being publicly published. But it’s different from a kind of message board, in that it is someone’s “house” to an extent. Sometimes I lapse into read-only mode because I don’t want to wade in and seem to be taking over even when I’d love to whale into the discussion! I’ve seen some bloggers who love it when lively debate and fast-flying discussion hang on the coat-tails of one of their posts, and some who get a tad miffed about it when contrary views appear.
To what extent is a blog a public space like a market square of old, and to what extent is it someone’s living room?
Excellent questions. For me, my blog is my ‘living room’, so to have my friends in to comment, means they can say anything on-topic or off. However, I don’t allow personal attacks or disrespectful language. It is my house after all, not a forum or chat room.
It does depend on the type of blog you have. If you post consistently about current events or sports, then you should expect contrary views.
I’d agree that the type of blog governs what is fair game. I’m not big on personal attacks either – not through touchiness, but because of how mind-numbing they are for people who aren’t waging a vendetta. I don’t have the time or energy to devote to finding out who’s in the right or wrong in some crazy online slanging match! Contrary views as such are fine though. They can be very interesting if there’s a bit of respect involved.
I agree that a blog is a curious beast in so far as comments are concerned. On the one hand it’s easy to slip into a sort of confessional mode like diary writing but it’s always important to remember that you are always writing for publication.
Personally speaking, I like it when people comment on the more issue driven posts I write. I’m just giving my point of view, others are welcomed as long as they don’t fall into the “underpants to you” category. I’m all for reasoned debate but random mud slinging is a pain even if it’s on a message board. On a blog it’s jsut not on!
thats for sure, bro