in.forml

bg5000:

jakoblodwick:

When I see a blog with comments enabled, it turns me off. I’m like, “This person thinks anonymous opinions of strangers have value. Probably not worth reading their stuff.”

(yes, there are exceptions — shut up)

I’ve never reblogged anything of Lodwick’s. I actually try to avoid acknowledging that he exists, if i can help it. But this one did it. The arrogance finally got to me and i had to say something.

When i see a blog without comments, i could think, “This person is too uncertain of the merits of his ideas to let any one he hasn’t already deemed worthy engage him, probably not worth reading their stuff,” but i don’t (i would’ve missed out on one of my favorite tumblrs, Squashed, if i did). Likewise, when i see a blog that has it’s hit counter prominently displayed, i could think, “This person is really concerned with letting people know how popular they are, probably not worth reading their stuff,” but i don’t do that either. Judging someone’s blog by whether it has this or that feature instead of by the actual content just reeks of laziness. A more appropriate type of reaction would be like when i see a blog that has three portraits of the author on the front page and say “This person is too obsessed with themselves, probably not worth reading their stuff.”

I know there’s a lot of people out there who think comments are the Devil’s work, but i like having them on my blog. Not because i seek constant reaffirmation from strangers, but because the purpose of my blog is to share things with my friends and comments are the easiest way for me to hear what they have to say, with the added bonus of possibly starting discussions between everybody. And if someone i’ve never met, or that i just “know” through the internet, wants to give me their opinion on something i’ve posted, that’s fine by me too. But you know what i do if some anonymous douchebag leaves a comment telling me i suck and my blog is a piece of shit? Well, i delete it and MOVE ON. A wise man once told me that there’s a 100% chance that i’ve been referred to as “that moron” at least once in my life, so why should i care what someone i don’t know and never met thinks of me?

Look, i’m not so naive that i don’t realize why comments have gotten such a bad rap. Gawker comments are just a snake pit, any political blog’s comments are probably full of trolls and flame bait, and YouTube comments make me dumber every time i accidentally glance at them. I get it. But that’s no reason to completely write off the format or the people that use it, and Lodwick knows this, hence the smug “yes, there are exceptions — shut up” at the end. Which means the only point of this post was to affirm his own sense of superiority. Shocker.

(To all of you who have no idea who Jakob Lodwick is, or who do and don’t care, sorry about the rant. I’ll be back posting food with faces in no time, i promise.)

 Thanks for expressing your thoughts, which mirror mine exactly.