I’ve always believed that engaging with comments is at the core of what makes blogging so vibrant and interactive.
While I won’t reiterate what has been said about bloggers who choose not to respond to comments, I was taken aback to learn that some bloggers are opting to turn off comments entirely. Some claim that it’s the future of blogging, where people no longer want to engage, mainly because they don’t have the time.
Wait a minute. A silent blog? No comments? No space for discussion or interaction with fellow bloggers and readers? Will these blogs be relegated to ‘library’ status – a place for reading but not engaging?
Is it possible that some of those who neglect to respond to comments are also the ones shutting down comments altogether?
What drives the decision to turn off comments?
The leading reason appears to be time constraints. Many bloggers argue that responding to comments diverts precious time away from creating new content. This perspective honestly frustrates me.
If your content generates a lot of comments, managing responses can indeed feel overwhelming. While it’s true that time spent responding might seem more effectively allocated to writing new posts, with proper time management, it doesn’t have to be a significant issue.
Is there a limit to how many comments are too many?
In my 11 years of blogging, I’ve managed and replied to over 25,000 comments. Whether that’s excessive is debatable, but as a blogger, I continuously seek more engagement. I always feel sad for those blogs that generate little to no comments from readers. What are they doing wrong?
At times, responding to comments might take up an entire morning, time I could dedicate to crafting additional blog posts or short stories. Nevertheless, I’ve always believed that if someone takes the time to read my work and leave a comment, it’s only courteous to return the favour with a response.
“Treat every visitor to your blog, just as you would a guest in your home.”
This advice stuck with me early in my blogging journey, given by a blogger with an awe-inspiring follower count. She made it a point to respond to each comment (except comments from spammers or trolls), a lesson that remains ingrained in my approach.
A priority every morning when I log into my blog is to respond to comments. Not only does this affirm that my writing is resonating with readers, but it also establishes a friendly atmosphere, showing visitors and commenters that their contributions are valued.
Are all comments created equal?
Absolutely not. Comments vary widely. Some reflect that the commenter has read the entire post, generating fresh ideas for future content. Others, however, leave you wondering if they merely clicked the ‘like’ button without engaging deeply with your work. Some find it difficult not to leave a comment, regardless of what it is. Perish the thought that they may upset a blogger by not leaving a comment every time.
I acknowledge these lighter comments by liking them. At the very least, it signifies that I’ve read their input. However, I’ve grown tired of the short, non-engaging comments from the same bloggers all the time, especially those who obviously have not read the posts and who see my blog as a quick way to get some free marketing for their own blog.
Do I have a meaningful quote about comments?
Indeed, I do! This quote has resonated with many over the years:
“Not addressing comments left on your blog is akin to inviting someone over for coffee and ignoring their presence.”
The broader impact of comments.
Comments can spark rich debates among readers. It’s always enlightening to see two or more bloggers engage in discussions about the subject I’ve tackled in my post. I regard this as a ‘healthy debate.’ A blogger once told me that encouraging dialogue through comments showcases your engagement with the audience, even if not every comment is directly addressed to you.
But let’s revisit the question posed in the title: Why should bloggers eliminate comments from their blogs? I understand why some might temporarily disable comments (e.g. when they’re taking a blogging break), but turning them off completely seems contrary to the essence of blogging.
After all, don’t comments facilitate communication between the reader and the author? Isn’t that what most bloggers aspire to do—to connect with their audience?
Are you thinking about turning off comments on your blog? Are you somebody who can’t resist leaving a comment on every single post you check out, or do you just never bother to comment at all? Jump into the chat!
The featured image in this blog post is taken from Pixabay. Spelling and grammar mistakes were checked with the help of AI.
I’m getting tough with non-engaging comments. Any non-engaging comments, such as ‘Nice post’, are marked as spam.
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Love this post. Crazy minds…resulting in weird thoughts. Difficult to understand humans.
SudoFilozoper
Humans are the most complex of all the creatures on this planet.
All great points Hugh. Life is in the fast lane for the younger gen, and fast enough for us. Many bloggers enjoy the act of communing with bloggers whose posts they enjoy. I think by turning off comments is just as bad as ‘buy my book’. We want people to have interest in what we have to say and have a place to discuss or question in turn. Without comments on, it’s like hear me, spend some time here, and I don’t want feedback. Lol. :)
Very much like those bloggers who send you a comment that says, ‘read my blog, comment and follow me,’ without any mention of the subject of the post they’ve left the comment on, Debby. Of course, those comments go straight to the spam folder.
Exactly, my friend! :)
Not a wise thing to do, I suspect.
I’d love to know what reasons make you say that, Jennie.
You have covered all the reasons (well done), and all have a negative impact. Blogging is not like FB; it’s a focused venue to share thoughts and stories, and if fellow bloggers comment on your post and you don’t reply at some point…you’re shooting yourself in the foot. Frankly, it says you don’t care. I know that sounds terrible, but it’s true. Thank you, Hugh.
It doesn’t sound terrible at all, Jennie. What you say is correct. It’s like inviting somebody into your house as a guest and then ignoring them.
Exactly! That’s a perfect analogy. Thank you, Hugh. I enjoyed your post.
I hadn’t realised people do this, it’s a contradiction to the concept of blogging. Isn’t it? If they don’t want the ‘hassle’ of replying to peoples comments I would guess they don’t have the time to read peoples blogs as well. I wonder if they throw parties and only invite themselves. Very odd.
I think you are right, Paul. They probably do not read any other blogs and only engage on social media. I believe it’ll be a long time before engaging on blogs disappears, although I have seen several people on social media tell WordPress to get rid of the redundant comment box.
I imagine you’re not someone who gets annoyed easily, but seeing such comments must exasperate you. I don’t get that many comments, but the one’s I get make blogging worthwhile.
I’m more surprised by those types of comments, Paul. I think many of those who leave those types of comments don’t engage with anyone. they put a post out there and probably believe that thousands of people read it.
Why blog if you don’t want to know what people think about it? How will you know what resonates with people if you don’t allow them to comment?
I’ve ‘met’ lots of wonderful people in comments on both my own, and other people’s blogs. Although I’ve never met many of them in the flesh, and quite a lot live half a world away, they have become friends whose comments I value.
I see many of the same people on a variety of blogs, and that’s nice as it builds up a community.
Well said. Every writer or creator needs feedback.
Communities are a big part of the blogging world, but they can cause problems for some, especially for those in the community who feel they must read and comment on every post. It can become overwhelming for some. But on the plus side, they can build friendships.
I agree with you about commenting, Hugh. Many comments that offer praise brighten my day, while others I learn from. I can understand bloggers who close comments for a post for personal reasons, but turning off comments altogether doesn’t make sense to me.
The majority here think the same, Eugi. Unless blogging platforms disable the ability for anyone to leave comments, I think they are here to stay.
I would hate to have a comment free blog! I really enjoy the interactions and meeting new people.
That’s good to hear, Wayne. I think the majority of bloggers think the same. So far, I’ve only had one blogger tell me (over on Bluesky) that he has switched comments off. He said there were many reasons, the main one being to stop spam. But as I pointed out to him, spam can now be better managed with some new settings WordPress have given users.
That’s good to know. I think it would be sad to turn comments off but then I don’t get any spam (yet).
Probably because the spam you do get is hidden and dealt with by the Akismet Anti-Spam software. It’s a great piece of software from WordPress.
I love responding comments, so as I love receiving them. I always appreciate for those readers/bloggers who stop by and leave a thoughful comment. It means they spend their precious time just to read my stuff, and it’s an honor. I feel their generosity. I’m against turning off comments. I have no plan in doing it. This is a beautiful post, Hugh.
Thanks you for sharing your thoughts on the subject of this post, Hazel. I’m glad the subject motivated you to want to leave a comment. I think the majority of bloggers would agree with what you say.
Yes, and you’re most welcome, Hugh. Have a wonderful day as you are!
I can’t understand why anyone would turn off comments, except if they have no intention to reply to any of them (I’d rather they turn off comments completely then not reply when people leave them). I love getting comments and engaging with the people who read my blog.
I have a comment-related question that I’d like your opinion on: some blogs – like mine – sort the comments from oldest (on top) to newest (at the end). Others, sort them so the newest comment appear at the top. I’m not sure that it makes any difference, but do you have a sense as to which way would encourage more comments?
Likewise, I prefer bloggers who do not reply to comments to switch them off, Janis. I think not knowing how to do so may be a problem, though.
Regarding your question, I think it is more of a preference and does not affect getting more comments. I prefer to have newer comments showing first, but that’s my preference. I hope that helps.
I noticed that you sort them newest to oldest and thought you might have statistics behind your choice. I’m not sure it matters either but I do know that when I comment on a blog that sorts newest to oldest, I see my comment “disappear” after I make it because it goes to the top.
Yes, that will happening depending on the ‘how many comments per page’ setting the blogger has set. For example, I have mine set at 20 comments per page, otherwise it can put some readers off from commenting if they have to scroll for too long to get to the comment box.
Oh, that’s a great point. I may follow your lead.
Interesting topic, Hugh. I admit to being discouraged when I want to leave a comment and the blogger has left no opportunity for readers to do so. The only comments I’ve ever rejected are the ones begging for me to follow them. I suspect they have no idea how many blogs most of us already follow.
I consider a post successful when there are many comments. Engagement is the key. Sometimes blogs have a place for comments but don’t respond. That is a turn-off too, a bit disrespectful in my opinion. Another thing that bugs me is the serial liker who likes something ten of my posts in the same minute. I will never go to a blog like that.
It’s frustrating when you have read an excellent post that has motivated you to want to have a discussion with the author and you are closed down by not being able to say what you want to say, Pete. I’ve come across some blogs that set a time limit for being able to leave a comment. I see this as forcing your readers to reads posts within a deadline. No thank you, that’s not for me. Blogging is a leisurely experience for me, not one where an owner of a blog forces me to read their posts within a certain time limit.
Those comments begging me to follow (especially where they have not even mentioned anything about the subject of the post they are leaving the comment on) are marked as spam by me. Likewise, those comments that include uninvited links that have nothing to do with the subject of the post they’re being left on.
Serial likers can be a pain, but I take no notice of then anymore. I also switched off notifications whenever anyone liked a post. That helped a great deal.