Weblog. Comments.

Can the blogosphere see beyond black & white?

1 Comment // Posted on the 7^th Nov 2007 in Criticism & Discussion, Interweb

A couple of days I eagerly commented on a weblog entry over at the German FontBlog.de that announced the arrival of the so called FontStars 2007: This years newcomers to the world of type.

Later I recognised through the aid of a fellow commenter that my positive reaction in my comment was most likely not justified. While this might simply be a difference of taste, I can see hasty comments all over the internet and I have to ask myself whether the blogosphere can see beyond black & white.

Common comments are based either on like or dislike: Yes, this is great or no, I do not like it. However, these comments do not add anything to the conversation and are often not well-thought out as they have been written too quickly.

Most things are not black or white and neither are weblog comments. The blogosphere can be improved greatly if readers refrain from giving a biased account of their own opinion, if they are no longer afraid to be in the grey.

Of course, it does happen that you completely disagree with the content of a weblog post. In this case, the ‘ideal negative comment’ should include constructive criticism and not a blatant attack on the author.

And if you truly agree with the author, ask yourself why you agree with him, as well as how you can put this into words. This not only increases the level of the conversation, it also prevents you from writing a comment that you might regret later. (For example, after you read the weblog post a second time.)

This is a short weblog post from my site with a short conclusion: Think about your comments and ‘do not be afraid to be in the grey’.

P.S.: An illustration that would fit this weblog post brilliantly is Kevin Cornell’s Amorphous Blob.

1 Comment