The Social Path

Day 24: Comment on three of your favorite blogs.

Throughout January, The Social Path is running daily tips on how to improve your social life — online, at least. Click here to learn more.

One of the first topics I ever tackled on The Social Path was one I grapple with even more today: Are blogs still good places for conversation?

Usually, when I read a blog post, I end up not commenting for one of three reasons:

1. It's a massively popular blog where my comment will just be lost in the noise.
2. I have little to say beyond "nice post," and I don't want to look like I'm just planting backlinks to my own blog.
3. I know the author well, so I'm probably more likely to talk to them about the post via Twitter, Facebook, e-mail, instant messenger or just over lunch.

On the one hand, this might be where Internet conversation is headed, so fighting the tide could well be wasted effort.

On the other hand, something important is being lost here: permanence.

If I read a good blog post, then decide to chat about it elsewhere, that conversation is essentially lost to history. Twitter, Facebook and Friendfeed are all based in real-time communication, so your discussion -- no matter how insightful or enlightening -- is fleeting at best.

Blog authors know this better than anyone, which is why they're so appreciative of posts left on their posts. Sharing a post on your social network can help build buzz, but comments are the currency of a post's long-term value. 

I should note too that, yes, consistent commenting on blogs can be a considerable traffic generator for your site, assuming of course your signature includes a link back to your blog or other account. But I prefer to see this as an added bonus for leaving a meaningful comment, not a motivation to leave the comment in the first place.

So take a few minutes today to roll up your sleeves and leave strong comments on three or four of your favorite blogs. The authors will be glad you did, but more importantly, it'll help you get in the habit of leaving your comfort zone and contributing to a conversation that will last for years after the retweets have gone silent.

For those curious, here are the three I commented on today:

• The Toad Stool: "Multimedia Madness." A quick but thought-provoking piece by Alan Wolk on why we've never been able to weave text and video together seamlessly.
• LouisGray.com: "XING Closing The Door On Socialmedian by January 31st." Silicon Valley analyst Louis Gray updates us on the fate of Socialmedian, a socially powered tech news aggregator whose role (in my opinion) was supplanted by real-time forums like Twitter and Facebook.
• MackCollier.com: "I’m leaving, and I’m taking your social media strategy with me!" Corporate consultant Mack Collier asks what would happen if your company's one-person social media team up and left.

Estimated time needed: 10-30 minutes.
Benefits: Better social involvement and enduring conversation.

Today's photo credit: Merezha on Flickr.

Ask a lawyer: Can user comments land a blogger in court?

I've been writing about blog comments for a few days now, thanks to great insights from Adweek Digital Editor Brian Morrissey and social media consultant Mack Collier. But for a slight change of pace, I wanted to look at the liability and legal issues of blog comments.

For this, I turned to Michael McSunas, a veteran attorney in the field of advertising and marketing law. He also happens to be the legal counsel for one of our clients, McKee Foods (parent company of Little Debbie), and an all-around great guy.

(Oh, and just to sell you on his street cred, Michael was the legal coordinator for those Nationwide ads featuring MC Hammer and Kevin Federline. He even negotiated the rights to the ringtones of Federline's "Rollin' VIP" song, which Michael admits was not a tremendously popular download.)

After the jump, you can get all lawyered up with Michael's feedback on issues like:

• Are businesses liable for comments on their blogs?
• Does moderation really shield you from legal trouble?
• Should a blog have a terms of use policy?

When is it kosher to delete a nasty blog comment?

If there's one thing that seems to terrify even the toughest, most iron-willed executives in corporate America, it's the idea of opening themselves to online criticism.

Personally, I think this is because social media is an ultimate equalizer, one that is finally erasing the gulf between corporations and customers. And let's face it, most executives have surrounded themselves with people who are paid to be loyal, so unfiltered criticism is far from being a standard aspect of daily life.

As part of my brief series of posts about blog comments, I wanted to pick the brain of Mack Collier, a social media consultant who specializes in corporate blogging. I turned to Mack because I think he balances the open-dialogue dreams of the social Web with the practicality of the business world.

Check out my quick Q&A with Mack after the jump.

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.