Comments or No Comments

1. 82

   Whitney05posted 14 years ago

   What are the potentially cons of not using a comment box?
   
   I'm tired of answering the same questions over and over again. I'm tired of getting rude comments. I'm tired of dealing with it basically. I want to help people, but answering the same question over and over again or having to defend myself is not worth it anymore.
   
   I just want to write.
   
   What potential traffic changes or whatnot may I expect by removing all comment boxes? Will there be a drastic change since the pages won't appear to get updated each time there's a comment is posted?
   
   I've considered it before, but I'm more considering it now.

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   1. 58

      blackreign2012posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      then just write.... I am sorry you have had such a time on hubpages. It really is a fantabulous community full of interesting ppl and amazing work. In every community there are a couple bad apples; I haven't ran to any yet. Now I am not sure what will happen if you get rid of the comment box. But if you are having so much trouble; it is an option. I would suggest leave the box and delete the comments you deem inappropriate. You don't have to answer every comment good or bad.

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2. 54

   wrenfrost56posted 14 years ago

   I,m sorry to hear you feel like that Whitney, I don't know why people would leave negative comments on your work, your a good writer. I can see how answering similar questions would get tiresome though. I have seen some hubs without a comments box, Iknow there not for everyone. Not sure if would effect your hubs or not in the long run? Congrats on another 100 btw.

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3. 77

   MyWebsposted 14 years ago

   Pros- You wouldn't have the comments diluting your keyword density. I only mention this as some users believe keyword density to be important, I'm not one of these users. IMO keyword density is a minor factor at best.
   
   Cons -If you were to exclude the comments capsule the hub would not be changing and thus not be seen as being as fresh to search engines. This could be countered with a RSS or News Capsule. In my opinion constantly changing fresh content is rather important if you wish to rank well.
   Your hubs will be less interactive for the reader and more web 1.0'ish. Todays users tend to prefer Web 2.0 type web pages.

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4. 68

   relacheposted 14 years ago

   On my busiest Q&A Hubs, I have a statement above the comment section that says any questions that are addressed in the body of the Hub or which have been answered many times in previous comments will be deleted.
   
   I've tried to address the most-frequent comments in the text, and add new material from time to time as some newer and repeat question come up.
   
   I've had people (other Hub users) leave negative comments about how I don't answer each and every comment left on my Hubs, but I just delete those too, as how I handle comments is clearly my prerogative. 
   
   Looking at Hubs where I don't hardly get any comments, I don't think it would injure a Hub to not have a comment box.

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   1. 83

      rebekahELLEposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      good advice. I can't imagine someone leaving negative comments because you don't comment on every post. there are time issues to consider also. I comment on my hubs, but not after every post. I think it looks cluttered to have every other comment the authors comment.
      
      as for whitney, maybe just make sure they're moderated or leave them off certain hubs if you don't want to deal with it.

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   2. 82

      Whitney05posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I have answered most of the questions within the text. For example, I have how to treat and infected tattoo, and I JUST answered a comment that stated, what should I do for my infected tattoo.  People don't read anything. They seem to just skip to the comment box. I feel bad by not answering, but most of the time I waste my time because they don't come back or they don't listen.
      
      I had one kid repeatedly come back and ask questions, then would tell me after each time I answered the same question that it didn't matter what I said because she was going to do it anyway. She continued to ask questions and would follow with "I'm going to do it anyway, I just thought I'd ask."
      
      I do use my comments sometimes to get hub ideas, which is why I like them, as well as the seo benefits of an updated site. It's the repetition, attitude, and negativity.
      
      
      
      Thanks for following.
      
      Unfortunately, I do get quite irritated, and in a lot of cases that will show in my comments. When I'm answering the same question over and over again, or when I've answered the question in the hub and in previous comments. Then I get called a B**** for saying "pleases reread the article and comments above" or for deleting the comment when it's already been answered 50 times.
      
      I've found that when I'm asked, "hey I'm a newbie, but my dog is purebred and pretty. How can I go about breeding her? And how many times can I do so?" I get quite irritated. When the hub is about SPAYING YOUR FEMALE DOG, don't ask me about breeding.

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5. 63

   lakeerieartistsposted 14 years ago

   Whitney, I totally understand your feelings on this point as it is difficult enough to answer the authentic comments and questions, let alone the spam comments that appear.
   
   Personally, I have a policy of deleting all comments with links unless they add to my article, and have on occasion deleted a comment section.  I think you have to judge whether it is a plus or minus on your hub to have the comments section.
   
   I do not answer every comment left unless it is something that is a genuine question that I can answer.  Negative comments can add to a discussion if they are productive, but if they are just negative, who needs them?

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6. 79

   thisisoliposted 14 years ago

   There are both pro's and con's from an SEO perspective.  However it sounds like removing the comment boxes would give you much more of a personal benefit then the downsides of any SEO.

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7. 95

   Alison Grahamposted 14 years ago

   As a new Hubber, I have found that I have really benefited from visiting the profiles of Hubbers who have been kind enough to comment on my hubs.  If they had not done so, I would perhaps not have found their hubs and I would have been the poorer.  I have met some great Hubbers and read some really interesting, helpful hubs and am now following some of them as a 'fan'.  So for these reasons, I would not post a hub without a comment box at present.

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8. 75

   sunforgedposted 14 years ago

   I follow Whitney and have been watching the feed alot lately..so i often see her comments when they are posted.
   
   I think I would go mad..if I had to respond to many of them!
   
   "Last Month, I pierced my eyebrow with a rusty nail, now its leaking weird green goo, I dont really need to go to the doctor do I"
   
   or
   
   "Can I mate my tiger gecko with my jack russel...how do I go about this?"
   
   Im exaggerating of course, but Whitney shows a lot more tact and patience with her commenters than i could.
   
   So on a serious note - since you seem to often times really be helping people, I think Relaches advice is best.
   
   Make a FAQ capsule for your hubs that get lots of dupe questions - set your comments "to need approval" and only accept the worthwhile comments
   
   from a seo/income perspective - My very best earners often never have comment capsules - when you have very niche topics (which Relache and Whitney often do) its not likley the exclusion of comments is going to hurt you - adding a news feed instead couldnt hurt though.

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9. 0

   Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

   I honestly don't think it matters if you have a comment capsule or not regarding SEO or money-making capabilities. At one point I got so sick of the types of comments I was moderating, I deleted many comment boxes. But then I had to shutdown my email access, because they just started emailing me which was even more irritating.
   
   Then a few idiots posted questions and even started forum topics to get me to respond. So ultimately I just leave in a moderated comment box and ignore what I want to.
   
   I also found that when I went to a less-friendly avatar alot of this nonsense stopped. Go figure.

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   1. 79

      thisisoliposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Is that why you never respoonded to my email?

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   2. 61

      Randy Godwinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      "I also found that when I went to a less-friendly avatar alot of this nonsense stopped. Go figure."
      
      I wonder if that would work for me?

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10. 63

    Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

    I'm under the impression some of my better performing Hubs wouldn't be earning what they are if it weren't for a lot of the comments.  I get the occasional comment I don't feel like dealing with, but for the effort I put in dealing with comments, the earnings are really good.
    
    I have at least one Hub that I wrote and left the comment box out of, just because it involves religion and I wasn't interested in what anyone else had to say about the matter  - but, in general, I pretty much think I have comments to thank for a lot of my earnings.  My Hubs are pretty uneven when it comes to comments, though, with a fairly low number getting enough comments to take up much of my time and a large number only getting the occasional comment here or there.  I can see how it could turn demanding if they all got the same number of comments the better performers do. 

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11. 0

    Hovalisposted 14 years ago

    I think it depends on the type of topic. I have heaps of commercial hubs (under another username) with no comment capsule at all, and I'm happy with that. It works for the subject matter. On this username I only have a couple without comment capsules. Most of the hubs, though, do and because they are on a variety of topics that lend themselves to comments, I'm happy to leave them there.

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12. 0

    PJ_Deneenposted 14 years ago

    I've never liked the comment or follow aspects here.  It makes it feel like MySpace, and like you, I just want to write.  Some people seem to treat articles like blog posts even when I clearly haven't written them that way.  I'm ready to just drop the comment boxes all together.

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13. 0

    kimberlyslyricsposted 14 years ago

    I must have my comment box, it's just too fun to joke about.  Truly    They're like little forums.

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14. 69

    rmrposted 14 years ago

    My most viewed hub no longer has a comment capsule. It became obvious that people were scrolling straight to the comment section to ask questions that I had covered in detail in the hub. Once it hit 600 comments, most of which were almost identical, I pulled the capsule. I felt like a jerk for doing it, but who has the time or energy to answer the same question 20 or 30 times a day?
    
    Now they just hit the contact rmr button and send an email, so I haven't completely escaped the problem. I think a lot of people are just too lazy to read when they can just type out a quick question.

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15. 93

    Rochelle Frankposted 14 years ago

    All people here have GOOD reasons for what they do, or don't do. I don't think any should be judged for it. None of us know what another's life is really all about.
    Proceed. Don't judge. Do it, or don't based on your own reasons or non-reasons. I am not offended if someone does not answer my comment.

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16. 60

    redwards54posted 14 years ago

    Personally I feel as if the comment box is  like handing a complete stranger a blank check that you have signed. It doesn't matter what you write, how you write or how often you answer the same questions there is always going to be someone that just has to find a way to be negative about you and your work. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you keep the comment box just be prepared for it. Don't allow yourself to take it personal although I realize that can be hard sometimes. Besides, obviously you enjoy writing so don't let some stranger ruin that for you.
    I know when I get a  ridiculous comment I just deny it and don't give it another thought.

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17. 72

    CarpetDiemposted 14 years ago

    hey Whitney,
    Here's my two cents...
    Good comments are VERY USEFUL.
    Mediocre comments are a waste and can be harmful.
    Good comments add interesting content with related keywords, and increase the likelihood that someone searching for your hub will find it.
    But if the comment doesn't add useful content (and most don't) it is at best useless and at worst, as someone said above, dilutes your hub.
    So my suggestion would be to moderate your comments, and approve the ones that add to the discussion, and delete the ones that don't.
    Was this more than two cents worth?

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    1. 61

       bgamallposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       With a million or more viewers, she probably has her hands full with comments. I would love to have that problem though.

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18. 0

    shazwellynposted 14 years ago

    I saw a brilliant hubber who didnt have a comments box at all... by her authorscore and hubscore, it didnt have a great impact.  Perhap put in a survey to generate activity for the google bots to work with... or a news feed.  Hope this helps!

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    1. 0

       Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       If your hubs are written well and organized correctly, you shouldn't have to resort to a survey or RSS feed to attract G. HubPages Central does alot of that already by having the related hubs, questions and forum stuff on the side.

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19. 79

    thisisoliposted 14 years ago

    my only advice is if you are getting more than 5 comments a day - be merciless, and don't stress!

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