How to rein in blog comment chaos: three perspectives.

Love 'em or hate 'em, comments are the lifeblood of blogging.

They are the modern writer's affirmation, the sign that anyone is actually listening. They're also subject to mob rule and often hijacked by trolls who pack posts with personal attacks.

This week, Brian Morrissey wrote on AdFreak about a surprisingly public and brutal beat-down among advertising professionals in a blog's comment section. I figured this would be a good time to look at how bloggers and businesses are managing the fray.

I've assembled a small panel of experts to weigh in:

1. The Journalist: Brian Morrissey, aforementioned AdFreak blogger and digital editor for Adweek.
2. The Guru: Mack Collier, social media consultant and corporate blogging maven.
3. The Lawyer: Michael McSunas, Web-savvy attorney for Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel.

Over the next few days, I'll be posting their thoughts on some common comment concerns. Today we start with Brian, since he's the one who got me thinking about this. Check out the Q&A after the jump.

Comment Q&A with Brian Morrissey, Adweek digital editor

 Q. Is there a tipping point of popularity where a site's comments go from being useful to being flooded with obnoxiousness?

A. I’m a firm believer that blogs get the comments they deserve. If you’re writing a blog that’s snarky and/or vicious, it stands to reason the comments will be that way, maybe even more so.

What I think a lot of bloggers can miss is the importance of tone in writing. That said, if a blog is popular, there will always be a fair number of douchey comments. As I pointed out on AdFreak, identity isn’t a  guarantee of civility. People got pretty dirty under their own names.

Q. In your experience, are businesses still terrified of open commenting, or even moderated commenting, on their sites and blogs? Is the corporate world getting a thicker skin online?

A. I think most companies have come a long way. They now know the jargon to spew out at conferences. But when the rubber meets the road, I don’t see many really willing to embrace criticism.

I’m still waiting for Facebook to add a “not a fan” option for all those brand pages. Wouldn’t that be useful to see 55 of your friends are “not a fan of Time Warner Cable”? It might tell TWC something too.

Q. Do you think we'll reach a point where all comments will be moderated, or are we headed the other way, and people will give up the gatekeeper role?

A. It depends. There’s a good case to be made for anonymity in comments. The ad industry, for instance, is a small world, and anonymity gives people the opportunity to speak uncomfortable truths. The downside, of course, is it gives people the opportunity to attack rivals, settle scores, etc.

I’m hopeful systems will emerge that give precedence to comments tied to identities over anonymous. In the meantime, I don’t know why people don’t just delete more comments. Some might cry foul, but it’s not their blog.

Coming Monday: Corporate blogging guru Mack Collier shares his tips.

Today's photo credit: Carlo Nicora on Flickr.