I'm finding the heat that Seth Godin, well known author and marketing SME, is taking is fascinating. You on the other hand may not, so I'll keep this short.
On June 3rd, Seth wrote a blog that was part tongue and cheek and part serious about how to increase traffic on your blog (BTW - I was going to write a similar one) and opened up the blog to comments. In this rare openness on his blog he received 43 comments as of this writing which is awesome. However, following up that post he added a second one that explains his rationale for not allowing posts on his site. This set off a firestorm in the blog world. Here's the expert from his site:
Not for me, though. First, I feel compelled to clarify or to answer every objection or to point out every flaw in reasoning. Second, it takes way too much of my time to even think about them, never mind curate them. And finally, and most important for you, it permanently changes the way I write. Instead of writing for everyone, I find myself writing in anticipation of the commenters. I'm already itching to rewrite my traffic post below. So, given a choice between a blog with comments or no blog at all, I think I'd have to choose the latter.
A person I respect and fellow Marketing Profs Daily Fix blogger Mack Collier has written 2 posts, one over at his The Viral Garden blog and one over at Beyond Madison Avenue on why that seems contradictory especially for a blog. I have to agree with Mack's view for the most part, but if Seth doesn't want to let comments in for whatever reason or because he is too busy, than that's fine. Readers know you can't go to his blog for an open conversation. I started thinking, well what's got everyone so fired up? Arrogance? Maybe, but that can't be the whole story can it? He obviously doesn't need or care about the traffic.
You know what I think is driving this backlash? By Seth not allowing comments on his blog he is thumbing his nose at conversational marketing or social marketing. He seems to be breaking an unwritten rule that you MUST have comments if you run a blog and if you don't go back and forth in the comments section then, is their such a thing as social or conversational marketing? If you have a blog with only one way conversations than is it just a plain old static website? And if a famous marketing expert and author with a HUGE internet following doesn't allow comments, then is the entire Web 2.0 strategy and conversational marketing just nothing but hype?
I think the answer is no. If Seth Godin doesn't allow comments because he 
can't or won't respond then so be it. Who says the conversation needs to take place on his website? He still offers trackbacks so the conversation can continue to grow elsewhere, spreading out like the 5 strawberry plants that now have taken over my entire backyard.
I don't think the conversation just stops because it can't occur in the spot it started in. Doesn't Web 2.0 with tags, trackbacks, diggs, search, etc mean that anyone, anywhere, and at anytime can continue the conversation elsewhere?
PardonMyFrench,
Eric
Eric,
I think that most of the blog community admires and respects Seth. Didn't you find those 43 comments informative and engaging? Without comments we are only seeing a part of the picture and we would love for Seth open the door for more of this to happen.
You are correct. It's his blog or site. He can do whatever he wants with it—and does not need to indulge our requests. But conversing about the great topics he brings up would be a wonderful thing for the community, and this is what I think is behind much of the outcry.
-D
Posted by: David Armano | June 04, 2006 at 12:59 AM
I agree with you David, but if Seth Godin doesn't allow comments then let the conversation spread elsewhere. That's what's great about the web today and what makes it so social.
Sure, I'd like to have a conversation with Bruce Springsteen about his music, but I may never get the chance. So, I have conversations with other fans and form my own circles. And, who knows maybe something like Greasy Lake (http://www.greasylake.org) will spring up.
What I'm saying is if the guy doesn't want to or doesn't care to have a conversation with us, let's take it elsewhere because we can. Just stop begging him to talk to us.
Eric
Posted by: PardonMyFrench | June 04, 2006 at 01:09 AM
Hear ya,
But it's not about talking to him—it's about talking to eachother. And doing it on his blog has symbolic meaning. I didn't see begging today—I saw cheering. For a very short-lived time.
Posted by: David Armano | June 04, 2006 at 01:24 AM
Him not allowing comments isn't the issue in my mind. We've already figured out what we think of that move long before today arrived.
What I find unbelievable is for Seth to leave a post saying that allowing comments is a way to BUILD traffic, so he ALLOWS comments for THAT post, then immediately turns them OFF in the NEXT post, and tells his community that if they want to comment, they'll have to do it on another blog.
Amazing. For a supposed 'marketing expert', this was a disasterous marketing move, IMO.
Posted by: Mack Collier | June 04, 2006 at 02:19 AM
Dave,
I agree with your comments. From a symbolic meaning it would be much more powerful if the comments were on his site, but he doesn't want to play that way. Yes there was cheering for a little bit :-)
Mack,
Yah - hard to defend it when he contradicts himself. I guess what Seth Godin is trying to tell you is that for the small time bloggers having comments helps boost traffic, but he doesn't need that kind of boost!!
Eric
Posted by: PardonMyFrench | June 04, 2006 at 09:41 AM
I think it depends on your audience. In a lot of cases, comments are needed. If you want to build a community, then have a forum (e.g. take a look at joelonsoftware's "blog." He has articles and if you want to comment on them, you simply go to the forums.
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Class site.
Your site has very much liked me.
Different work!!!
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