If your website’s full of assholes, it’s your fault. Anil Dash is spot on. Part of maintaining a news website is maintaining community and having high standards. He outlines five steps every website should take to keep their community in order. Because whether we like it or not, quality of our comments reflects on how our organizations are perceived, and the quality of comments that will come up moving forward.
I’m relatively new to the blogosphere. Sure, I’ve kept a LiveJournal for almost six years, but that’s always been more of a private diary. Interact is the first time I’ve really started a blog from scratch.
For others who are planning to do the same, I intend to share what I learn about blogging as I go — from one amateur to another.
So, tip #1 (it’s a common sense one): Make sure your comment forms work.
I wondered why I wasn’t getting any comments (except one on the first day). ReCaptcha was conflicting with my theme, therefore anyone who tried to comment until last night was getting rejected. Not cool. There goes any potential readers I would have had.
They likely said, “Uh, this chick’s comments don’t even work. She must not be a legit blogger.” (Or I like to tell myself that so I don’t feel bad about not having any readers).