In a nutshell, unfortunately over 90% of the comments we receive on this blog are spam. Wow, +90%. Although some apps and plug-ins help clear this significantly, it still takes a lot of time to read thru and sort the good from the bad, and clear the advertising that is disguised as comments. And it seems to be getting worse every day, as companies like Disqus, a popular commenting platform, allow subscribers to place content-related ads in the comment feeds of blogs and publications. The incoming spam in comments is relentless – as if spam fighting isn’t time consuming enough already.
The comments section is intended to be a place to create community, but it seems to be becoming just an advertising platform. So we’re turning it off. It’s not that I don’t want dialog, I really do, and the conversations about posts are what help make them more personal and engaging. But I’m afraid I’ve come to the point of raising my hands and saying “enough”. So I’ll be using other social media channels instead, which also takes time, but at least I’ll be more productive when I’m writing than when I’m just cutting spam. The ongoing challenges of managing our digital life, and as Michael Hyatt recently pointed out, “Conversations matter. That doesn’t mean comments sections are the best place to have them”.