Plenty still going on in Rhuthun/Ruthin during my fortnight's absence, such as the future of the Tandoori, Dal Chini, the Picture House, developments with doors (sic), a closed computer shop, a new computer shop, roadworks, the Castle Hotel, the prospect of a one-way system in town… you name it. So, my apologies for the gap in blogging.
There, I've said it. Experience suggests to me that blog owners who apologise for their absence as I've just done invariably seem to be sounding the death knell about their blog.
You can take my absence from this blog as either (a) indecision or (b) bewilderment at what's been going on regarding Comments (e.g. some people talk of this blog being "hi-jacked"). Either way, these days I feel like an onlooker on my own site. A bystander, if you will. Then again, I might argue that this hasn't been my own blog for ages. Perhaps I have to accept that it's more yours than mine.
What of the Future?
I need to make urgent decisions about the blog in general and the Comments Facility in particular. To help me, since the beginning of the month, readers have been able to answer a few simple questions about blog comments. May I thank you all for responding and for those who've added constructive comment. This survey is now closed and the results are as follows. Click on any of the graphs to enlarge them.
"Do you think the facility to leave comments is useful?" (above). One person didn't know and two people answered "no". Otherwise, everyone else who answered the survey felt that comments were valuable.
"How would you describe the standards of comments on this blog" (above). ¾ of people who responded felt that comments were "good" or "generally acceptable". The high percentage surprised me.
Some 60 per cent of respondents felt that the blog owner should *permanently* moderate blog comments (above). Nearly 25 per cent felt otherwise. A little fewer than 20 per cent didn't know.
Interestingly, just over 75 per cent of respondents felt they trusted the blog owner to moderate comments. I see that as a vote of confidence in the blog's author. Between 10 and 13 per cent either wouldn't trust the blog owner or weren't sure.
Whether they felt that comments were useful or not, whether the standard of comment was good or bad, almost everyone who replied felt that the comments facility should stay.
Finally, I asked whether comments should be open to subscribers only. The answer was clear. Nearly everyone disagreed with this notion.
Survey Conclusions
I therefore conclude that the comments are useful; generally acceptable; should stay; that there is a majority who would wish such comments to be moderated; that most people would trust the owner to do this; and that there is no appetite for "subscription" for comments.
Falling out from this are several issues, the first three of which are:
The fourth issue really did surprise me. I asked people to choose between the following two statements (graph below). "I read the blog but rarely look at the comments" and "The comments are generally the most important part of the blog". 80 per cent of respondents felt that the comments were the most important. When weighing these two issues up, only 20 per cent of respondents read the blog for what it is. Here, I conclude that visitors arrive not to read the blog but the comments… in other words, am I largely wasting my time prattling on about Rhuthun/Ruthin when all people want to see is reader reaction?
The Blog's Reputation
Over the years, the popularity of this blog has increased considerably. I take this blog very seriously and take personal pride in being as impartial as I can be. Previous surveys suggest that most of the time, most people believe that this blog is, indeed, mostly impartial.
If only others would be, too, when they comment. I don't always get things right as has been evident from some of the comments over the years. But I do try to be even handed. And like many on here, I love Rhuthun and wish to see it flourish. Rhuthun's been through some good and bad times (and not just both during the brief time of this blog).
I therefore need to balance readers' needs against my own. I am working on another project at the moment, one that is time-consuming, important and taking much of my spare time, one that will probably take till the autumn to complete. Though I need to accept that comments are integral to this blog, I cannot and will not spend every hour checking and moderating them. I face a stark choice. I cannot let this blog lose any more of its reputation. Some of the comments left here have been rude or hurtful—for which I apologise.
My options are therefore limited to:
Non Liquet
There, I've said it. Experience suggests to me that blog owners who apologise for their absence as I've just done invariably seem to be sounding the death knell about their blog.
You can take my absence from this blog as either (a) indecision or (b) bewilderment at what's been going on regarding Comments (e.g. some people talk of this blog being "hi-jacked"). Either way, these days I feel like an onlooker on my own site. A bystander, if you will. Then again, I might argue that this hasn't been my own blog for ages. Perhaps I have to accept that it's more yours than mine.
What of the Future?
I need to make urgent decisions about the blog in general and the Comments Facility in particular. To help me, since the beginning of the month, readers have been able to answer a few simple questions about blog comments. May I thank you all for responding and for those who've added constructive comment. This survey is now closed and the results are as follows. Click on any of the graphs to enlarge them.
"Do you think the facility to leave comments is useful?" (above). One person didn't know and two people answered "no". Otherwise, everyone else who answered the survey felt that comments were valuable.
"How would you describe the standards of comments on this blog" (above). ¾ of people who responded felt that comments were "good" or "generally acceptable". The high percentage surprised me.
Some 60 per cent of respondents felt that the blog owner should *permanently* moderate blog comments (above). Nearly 25 per cent felt otherwise. A little fewer than 20 per cent didn't know.Interestingly, just over 75 per cent of respondents felt they trusted the blog owner to moderate comments. I see that as a vote of confidence in the blog's author. Between 10 and 13 per cent either wouldn't trust the blog owner or weren't sure.
Whether they felt that comments were useful or not, whether the standard of comment was good or bad, almost everyone who replied felt that the comments facility should stay.
Finally, I asked whether comments should be open to subscribers only. The answer was clear. Nearly everyone disagreed with this notion.
Survey Conclusions
I therefore conclude that the comments are useful; generally acceptable; should stay; that there is a majority who would wish such comments to be moderated; that most people would trust the owner to do this; and that there is no appetite for "subscription" for comments.
Falling out from this are several issues, the first three of which are:
- The time and effort required in moderating.
- In moderating, I will at some point cheese someone off who feels that their comment is valid when I feel that it isn't.
- It removes spontaneity. Between a quarter and third of respondents felt that moderation removed that freedom, that impulsiveness.
The fourth issue really did surprise me. I asked people to choose between the following two statements (graph below). "I read the blog but rarely look at the comments" and "The comments are generally the most important part of the blog". 80 per cent of respondents felt that the comments were the most important. When weighing these two issues up, only 20 per cent of respondents read the blog for what it is. Here, I conclude that visitors arrive not to read the blog but the comments… in other words, am I largely wasting my time prattling on about Rhuthun/Ruthin when all people want to see is reader reaction?
The Blog's ReputationOver the years, the popularity of this blog has increased considerably. I take this blog very seriously and take personal pride in being as impartial as I can be. Previous surveys suggest that most of the time, most people believe that this blog is, indeed, mostly impartial.
If only others would be, too, when they comment. I don't always get things right as has been evident from some of the comments over the years. But I do try to be even handed. And like many on here, I love Rhuthun and wish to see it flourish. Rhuthun's been through some good and bad times (and not just both during the brief time of this blog).
I therefore need to balance readers' needs against my own. I am working on another project at the moment, one that is time-consuming, important and taking much of my spare time, one that will probably take till the autumn to complete. Though I need to accept that comments are integral to this blog, I cannot and will not spend every hour checking and moderating them. I face a stark choice. I cannot let this blog lose any more of its reputation. Some of the comments left here have been rude or hurtful—for which I apologise.
My options are therefore limited to:
- Giving this blog one last try but on my terms alone. This means “no" to moderation but it would require commenters to subscribe. I know that most people are against this but I need to be realistic. Subscription would not compromise anyone's anonymity but it would require logging in via Google. Blogger/Blogspot has such a feature. I wouldn't know who commenters really are and neither would anyone else. You can use a "handle" or nickname. But this option in itself might not necessarily solve offensive comments.
- Take a short break, have a rest, but return. This option is not goodbye, it's a "see you later". It tries to cool things off.
- Recognise that the damage is done. Close the blog on the basis that I am doing so at the height of its popularity. In other words, quit while I'm ahead. Better to do this than see a further degrading of and diminution in the blog's standing.
"Speaking as a privately educated Asian I have been insulted many times on this blog and in the Free Press. However, you don't hear me moaning about it! So somebody called somebody else overweight (being as PC as I can) is that really the end of the world? I think it is time to move on! A great blog has come to a standstill and that is a real shame."I now leave this over to you, the readers, to share your views if you will and wish.
Non Liquet
Tags:
Blog