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Loading ...I recently got to thinking about the article Chip Griffin wrote last month in MediaBistro. It was called “Throwing Out the Social Media Rulebook” and it created quite a stir. Some even got a little hostile.
I agree with all he wrote in that some in this open environment are creating certain rules suddenly come about that many say we must adhere to. Often by the most strident voices. But some of those same voices, while strident, make sense.
One of Chip’s points caught my eye. Actually they all did, but this one in particular:
2. It Isn’t a Blog Without Comments. Hogwash. Do comments often make blog posts better? Absolutely. Can you learn things from reading them that you might not have learned from the original post? Sure. Do comments help build a relationship between reader and author? Of course. But you can have a great blog without comments. Marc Andreesen of Netscape fame pens a fantastic example, but the zealots would dismiss it as inauthentic. And note how this idea clashes with the previous rule the zealots profess about RSS – when you read a blog via RSS you don’t even see the comments.
Now I agree with his basic point. A person can have a blog and not allow comments. Consider that word: allow. The word allow signifies a choice. It means, in a sense, “permission”. He mentioned Mark Andreesen. Others pointed out Seth Godin. Who are we to say what HAS to be when it comes to someone else’s choices or ‘property’? It’s their blog, it’s their creation.
But then I got to thinkin’…
People like Andreesen and Godin are gurus. Their words carry weight. Often, the fact that a ‘guru’ says something gives what he or she says instant credibility. Even if it what they say is crap. Rockstars have devoted groupies will often automatically agree with a rockstar. Yet, I’ve also seen plenty of points raised by non-gurus that are quite brilliant…but go nowhere because they ain’t a rockstar.
But here’s the problem. When a guru has a mega blog and is pontificating on subjects and writes books or heads up conferences or is a ‘go-to’ guy or gal for the media, they are, in essence, creating the foundations of much of the subsequent conversations that we all then have. They act as ambassadors to the outside business communities…you know, the ones that we hope to get as clients.
If one of the primary ways they pontificate (besides book writing and speaking at conferences, etc.) is their blog, and their blog writing could be greatly affecting the direction of the foundations and methodologies of the strategies the we all will use, and the flows of conversations that we all will have, then I’d say that by not allowing comments, they making an active choice to not allow us to contribute to that conversation on the same level. They are not making any attempt to learn from us, to, well, engage us in a conversation - one of the fundamentals of social media. It sorta smacks of arrogance.
That’s because we can’t challenge them. We can’t call them out when we disagree. We can ‘t point out flaws in their thinking. What they say or write may carry significant weight, but it may be all wrong and we can’t point that out. By being able to point out flaws in the blogger gurus reasoning, the guru might have to defend themselves.
What they are blogging about may be self-serving and we don’t know it, so we can’t engage them (and others). In other words, they may say that a trend is coming and that may or may not be the case, but they have a product/service/company that would benefit from this trend. So they talk it up, create a buzz…and presto! They’ve may have laid the groundwork for a new trend and they further established their status as a guru. Yet we can’t challenge them.
Is it that they are above being challenged?
Now I don’t know Marc Andreeson or Seth Godin. So I’m not willing to apply the term arrogant to either one. But real gurus should allow us the challenge them. To engage us in conversation. They should give us permission to do so. Otherwise they don’t have great blogs. They’ve got great online newsletters.
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This has always been a complaint (probably the only one) about Seth’s blog, that he doesn’t allow comments. He actually turned on comments for a post he left back in 2006, and got like 70 comments in a couple of hours, then turned comments back off.
Now to be fair, he has an excellent reputation for answering emails, usually within an hour of being left. He says he prefers to address feedback on an individual level, that if he allows comments, he fears the community will influence his writing.
That seems like it would be a huge benefit to me, but he sees it as detrimental, I guess. To each their own.
Excellent discussion and I agree with most of your points. I think it kind of falls under the category of “what’s it going to do for them” to engage. I mean after all, they have already reached a “guru” level so any further discussion or baiting may actually hurt their standing. I liken it to a stand up comedian taking on a heckler. 9-10 it may be ok, but there’s always a chance something goes terribly wrong…aka Seinfeld’s Michael Richards racial meltdown. There may be more damage done with more dialogue. I don’t subscribe to that thinking, just kind of feel that may factor.
T
@Mack Didn’t know about Seth’s answering emails. That’s key and very important. And that’s why, to me, this goes beyond Seth. I initially felt this way after finding our Marc Andreesen didn’t allow comments and realized I was very interested in his take on OpenSocial. It’s the “next big leap forward”.
http://blog.pmarca.com/2007/10/open-social-a-n.html
Today, he’s “incredibly excited” about news on Ning:
http://blog.pmarca.com/2008/01/education-centr.html
Are these promo/puff pieces? Who knows?
@Tommy
Yes, like the comic. Or I liken it to a polltician who wants to stay on message and not forage into negative feedback while they’re on stage.