Matt’s Commenting Policy

In the past week, I’ve seen a slight increase in the amount of comments I usually I get. You may not see them because either Wyn or I will shut them out. Then it struck me like a Chain Lightning. I should clarify my stance on comments on my blog so that people will know what will fly and what will not.

I know many readers tend to ignore comments on posts. Others like to immerse themselves in the post and any followup information after the fact for more gems of knowledge that would benefit them.

On the other side of the fence, there are bloggers who have a loose leash on the types of comments that they allow. I’m also aware of other prominent bloggers who tighten up their commenting to the point where a SWAT team would have to work just to even say something.

Now both perspectives have their merits and their disadvantages. Every blogger has their own standards and far be it from me to tell what other bloggers to do (hint: open it up). Some readers like to include a link or attach a text signature indicating who they are. Some allow cursing and others don’t.

So here’s what’s cool on Matt’s blog. Treat these as guidelines.

1. Feel free to comment on anything – Commenting is a method for readers to communicate to the blogger and to other readers. A blog post that I write or that Wyn writes only serves as a conversation sparker. It’s up to the readers to decide if it’s something that’s worth their 2 cents. I don’t ever want anyone to not comment because they felt unwelcome. Any reader is welcome to comment on my blog. It makes no difference to me if you’ve just started playing WoW 3 hours ago on a Priest and you googled my page or if you’re a veteran Sunwell raider that has enough experience to give me pause. I say again, you are welcome to contribute regardless of your class, race, level, and whatnot.
2. Irrelevant links will be deleted on sight – But this does not apply to all links. The bottom line on linking is that it’s the bread and butter way for other bloggers to gain exposure to other material on the blogosphere. I want to say for the record that I wholeheartedly encourage you to link to your posts in my comments on my blog. Seriously, how will I know if you’ve written something brilliant? I wish I had the time in the world to visit everyone’s blog and read what they write but I don’t. I rely on other bloggers and word of mouth. However, if your link is completely irrelevant to the post that I’ve written then I will toast it. If you do this repeatedly on multiple posts, then some more severe sanctions will take place.
3. Relevant links are good – I want to see more –  Now, if you want to plug a post that you’ve written that has some relevance to a post that I’ve written, then by all means go ahead. I have no problems with anyone doing that. You should be proud of what you’re writing and I think I speak for everyone when I say multiple perspectives are always good. Blogging is a conversational tool. We write in response to what others write. Everyone wins because we all add to the discussion.
4. Spam will get nuked – Any kind of enlargement services, or finance related things, or gambling, or WoW gold will get shot pretty fast. My spam filters are usually pretty good. If anything does make it through, it doesn’t stay up very long.
5. Sigs are cool – I notice a fair number of you like to tag yourself at the bottom of a post with your character name, level and realm. Power to you guys! I can’t find fault in that in any way. I have a Commentluv plugin installed which links back to your latest blog post (if you have one)
6. Attack the writing but not the writer – If you want to critique a post or correct myself or Wyn on a fact or a figure that we got wrong, by all means please do! It’s a similar philosophy in WoW where I will only attack a WoW player’s WoW playing ability. I will never attack the player personally. If I have a problem with you, it’s almost always technical related. Remember, I don’t have problems with WoW players. I have problems with the WoW playing. I’d like to see that same stance adopted here. It personally doesn’t bug me whenever someone says that “oh you’ve lost my respect Matt”. Who knows how many people I’ve annoyed and ticked off already. Don’t get me wrong, if for whatever reason I’ve lost your faith, I’d like to know why and to see if there’s anything I can do about it that wouldn’t jeopardize who am I as an individual or what this blog stands for. Simply put, I cannot change myself to make one person happy.
7. But go easy on the guest posters – Guest posters are just that: Guests. These are individuals who wanted to try their hand at blogging and I’ve allowed them to do so here to change it up every once in a while. I have no problem with you disagreeing. Wyn, Syd and I often disagree with each other but we know how to communicate. Before you hit the post button, re-read what you write and see if it’s something you’re willing to say to someone face to face. You can express your opinions without coming across as a mean spirited ass.
8. Some swearing – But easy on the F’s, okay? Self censorship encouraged.

Some last words

Remember that when you leave a comment, every letter, every word, and every thought you put down creates a lasting impression on the blogger and to their readers. What you comment on another person’s blog can easily make or break their reputation. They are a tribute to your ideals and your beliefs. Once they get painted negatively, it’s not easy to turn back. It’s simple to go from a positive light to a negative impression. But it is much more difficult to go from a hated blogger to a loved blogger.

Please do take the time to ensure that the comment you leave is a reflection of the individual that you are. Keep this in mind the next time you decide to comment on any blog not just my own.