A comment on comments

The Chronicle took a two-week hiatus on reader comments. Jason Schaumburg and staff are think tanking about how to improve their channel of interactive media. They’ve got a pretty good grasp on this here Internet thing. I mean like they can do the Google, like man.

No. I am not Maynard but I enjoy his comments. The reader comments have improved the online version of the Daily Chronicle because interacting with readers is a sure fire way to get better.

Commenting does need tweaking so again the Chronicle staff knows what they’re doing. Otherwise one fast two handed typist with more sock puppets than fingers can take over every discussion string. There’s long winded commenters, too. However, I live in a glass house…

We don’t get as many comments as the Chronicle. When it comes to commenters we go for quality.

Sock puppets aren’t allowed here. We have a list of IP addresses banned from accessing DeKalb County Online due to sock puppeting. The need to be anonymous in the scope of the Internet is understandable for some. Multi-personality is a disorder even if online. Psuedonymity can be abused and election season is probably as good of a time as any for campaign operatives to spin the discussion.

Most of our commenters use their real names. There’s a few first name onlys. But since Gracie and I have to manually monitor our spam filters due to function preferences we do spend a lot of time on comments. That plus I am opinionated. And long winded.

You have no idea how painful it is to have to delete a comment like the following especially when attached to an article I wrote:

I’ve searched the entire web and I can’t believe I found the information I’m looking for! I’d say this is a great blog! Keep up the nice work.

— Muzi78

Just when my hat size expands a notch or two I notice Muzi78’s comment has a link to a penis enlargement pills website.