Do you delete comments because the commenter didn’t have enough to say (in your opinion)?
I read a forum, there was a post by someone who felt discouraged about their writing. They weren’t getting enough comments. In the comments from this post, someone said they delete comments based on their value. For instance, they delete comments which say, “Me too.”, “Good post.” and so on. These comments are deleted because they don’t add to the discussion or bring any new information.
Well, I think that’s just plain stupid. (To be blunt).
Think about the times you have left a comment on a blog, forum or site. Maybe your comment wasn’t the most brilliant thing posted. Maybe it was the first comment you posted to that blog. Maybe you weren’t sure how much you really wanted to say but you did want to leave some kind of comment. Maybe you only posted the comment to encourage the writer and let him/ her know you had read their post.
After leaving a comment do you just move on and forget about them or do you check back and see if the writer gave you a follow up comment, or pop in to see how the discussion in comments went? Most people who leave a comment have something invested in that comment. Even if it isn’t saying much in the actual text. People check back on sites they have commented on. How will they (or you) feel if the comment is gone, deleted?
Chances are you won’t feel appreciated. How likely are you to comment in that forum, blog or site again? Not very!
It’s one thing to moderate comments to prevent an overly heated discussion, discouraging remarks, and of course, junk comments. Moderation and the style and standards used are up to the site owner. However, to over moderate could be a bad plan. You may think you are trimming the fat but you could be cutting off your nose to spite your face. Not a pretty picture.