When someone makes a post that interests me in a forum that subsequently attracts 20 followup posts, I usually find myself reading all of the followups.

When someone makes a blog posts that interests me and there are 20 followup comments to the blog post - I usually do not read the comments. Whenever I have, I get the sense that the comments are mostly useless drivel and "good post" type of comments.

I tend to think of forums being better for actual discussion and blogs for posting opinions and articles (pontificating) - it seems to me that forums are much better for social networking than blog communities.

What do you think? Do you usually read blog comments?

Wow Doug, this is a very interesting point. Something that I've never really thought of before, but admittedly rings true for me as well.

Isn't it interesting that we're all so focused on Web 2.0 tools and Blogs, that we've forgotten the importance of tools like forums.

I think there may be one exception and that's a controversial post. If a blog post is somewhat controversial I'll tend to read a few comments.

Good post!

I know that for me I just don't see anything "social" or Web 2.0 about blogs. Web 2.0 is supposed to be about collaboration and interactivity.

Blog communities for Realtors seem to be little more than Realtors posting their area's market conditions and non-Realtors posting to try and sell stuff to the Realtors. And then the posts are appended with useless comments. There is little real interaction - or if there is it is well obscured by the clutter.

There are some good, informative blog posts to be read but to me blogs are just a method for "everyman" to be published - kind of like issuing press releases and hoping someone reads them. The format does not lend itself to discussion about what "everyman" had to say.

In these forums we discourage the "me too" type of posts and consider them spam. Some blog communites encourage them - actually giving members points for making useless comments. I guess it helps give the impression that there is some actual discussion going on...

But there is tremendous value in a Blog. Even if it is just a one way conversation. It's a great platform to express yourself to the world. For a REALTOR it can give them the opportunity to show potential clients what they stand for and how they sell.

You're right the real estate blogs with nothing but market updates get trashed just as quickly as the newsletter with the same boring updates. But I have seen them used well. It's an opportunity for an agent to show some personal disclosure and who they are. I believe this can help you build trust with clients and build a community. That's why Facebook is so popular. It allows you to see what your friends are doing without having to make personal contact. An agent's blog can be used in a similar way.

There is also the side benefit that Google tends to love blogs. Posts seem to be picked up by google within minutes.

A blog can also be another way a potential client can find you. Once they find you if they like what they read, they may be more inclined to use your services. This is why it's so crucial to have good content on your blog.

But, I have seen blogs used socially as well. Take the family that posts their activities on a daily basis for their relatives. The comments on this type of blog are well read and received.

Why couldn't a blog be used instead of sending out newsletters. Have your clients subscribe, via email, to your blog?

So, I think there is the potential to have a blog be social.

There is no doubt that forum spam is an issue. It's also an issue with comment spam within blogs. Like anything you have to moderate these type of activities and see if any real value is being offered. If not, then as the owner of the site you can kill the comments or posts.

Back to your original post...

Yes, I tend not to read blog comments as much as forum posts. However, if it's a topic I'm really interested in or someone I have a personal relationship with, then I'll read the comments. So my point is they do have value and can build a community.

I agree that there is value in a blog and agree that it is a good alternative to sending out newsletters. My blog replaced my newsletter several years ago.

Blogs (especially real estate industry blogs), like newsletters or any article, tend to be one-way conversations however. The comment system really doesn't offer the same interactivity as we are enjoying in this thread. If I would have posted this in my blog instead of here, your reply would have been just a "Good Post" comment instead of the expanded response you did post - and that would have been the end of the interactivity

Good post, keep up the good work.

You are a scallywag!

IMHO, the whole web2 transparency thing is still up in the air. I don't see how writing a blog is any more transparent than a static web page. If an agent will lie to your face why would they be transparent and truthful on their bog.

My important content is put on a static html page and the blog gets the not so important stuff.

Plus, most of the successful real estate blogs I have seen are agent oriented and don't make any money for their owners. Consumer oriented blogs are boring and don't draw the comments needed to make it interactive.

I am getting a hunch that comments on a blog post will get rid of the gray PR bar and lots of comments will turn it green. Just a hunch right now but it would help explain why AR rewards empty comments.

I can't see how having comments can turn a gray bar green as having PR on a subpage that far down the directory tree requires links to the page. Probably the few posts that have some PR also have a few links to them in addition to lots of comments.

I think AR rewards comments just because it makes the site look active - which makes it more appealing and helps recruit new members. This was especially important when the site was new I would think. How many agents would continue to blog if they thought no one was reading their blog? When there are incentives to comment it at least looks like people are reading your posts...

Interesting to note that this post is #1 in Google for "who reads blog comments" (with the quotes) - showing that forums and blogs are treated the same - as 'news' - as far as Google is concerned.

Blogs do not receive special treatment in search engines. It is the fresh content the receives the special treatment - not the blog format. There is no magic as some seem to think.

I read comments for particular posts. Some posts do generate nothing but "attaboy" comments. Others generate genuine conversation - I tend to comment only when I have something sensible and worthwhile to say - even if it's to say to the author that I agree / disagree and enjoyed the post - I don't think that giving an author a kudo or a thumbs-up is worthless drivel, and I actually think that's a rather snooty position to take.

On ActiveRain.com, Lenn Harley's blogs as well as Broker Bryant's tend to generate lots of good discussion as they often post about very interesting topics. A Members Only blog is by The Lovely Wife and she also generates a lot of fun interaction - sometimes relevant, sometimes irreverent, mostly thought provoking and entertaining at the same time.

I tend to gravitate toward bloggers that post great stuff.

My blogs really don't inspire much by way of comments because they are designed to simply give some info to the consumer, either the buyer or the seller and there really isn't much to say about it. I get my share of attaboy comments on Active Rain and I appreciate the fact that someone is reading my blogs and took the time to comment.

SO it's a matter of "to each his own." I've no doubt that some customers read comments, some comments actually come up as search engine results in google.

My "useless drivel" comment was not meant to be snooty but to reflect that fact that in many cases comments are not sincere and are only being made because there is a perceived benefit to be received by making the comment. In the case of Active Rain people make comments just to generate "points" and in free-standing blogs people make comments just so they can get a link back to their website.

Knowing this discourages people like me from actually reading the comments as our past experience has shown the vast majority of the comments are contrived just to benefit the person commenting - just like spam - hence the useless drivel remark.

I am sure a few blogs do generate some genuine comments and discussion but in general blogs are a good medium for self publishing but a poor medium for interaction.

Perky, since you are a member of AR and know how things work there, can you perhaps enlighten me a bit about the zeal for commenting going on there?

You may comment only when you have something sensible to contribute but others are encouraged to comment just for the sake of commenting to fulfil a higher purpose. It seems to have advanced beyond the stage of point-getting. What other benefit do members perceive there to be from the commenting activity that is being promoted?

I noticed a blog post there yesterday from a "Question of the week" group which deals with commenting and the focus of the post seemed to be - go and comment on other posts - especially on the posts made by certain types of important members - every day - and this will attract members to comment on your posts in return. The whole post treated commenting just for the sake of commenting as a strategic activity that should be done daily. Commenting for the sake of commenting. Why?? What is in the kool aid members are being given? Does commenting bring special honour other than points?

The post can be found at http://activerain[dot]com/blogsview/554463/Everything-Active-Rain-Newbies

I totally agree. I always felt blogs were more for 'getting the word out' to others who want to read what you have to say. I agree with the typical comments. They are usually quite boring and brainless. Whereas in a forum, you actually have interaction with its members and sometimes you even get some good viewpoints that can cause you to step back and rethink things a little. Sometimes. :)

Doug, I'm sorry but I didn't see this post until today!

The main reason that people got started on the blog comments thing was for google juice - it was perceived that blogs with more content (i.e., relevant comments) would rank higher and for a longer period of time than posts without comments.

Beyond that though, the real reason that many of us comment is simply for the same reason that I come here - to interact with one another. Commenting on someone's blog on a regular basis enables you to build a relationship with the blogger and others who may be commenting.

With some blogs you will see a familiarity among the participants and with the author - they all got to know each other on ActiveRain. It was never meant to be purely a blog platform like Wordpress or Blogger - but a network, a gathering place to get to know one another and build your own referral networks.

The blog you linked to above is one of the most helpful authors on Active Rain. I 've learned a lot from her and I have chatted with her via email as well. If I have a customer in that part of Florida you bet she'd get my referral - she knows her stuff and she seems to be a very nice person as well as honest and conscientious.

On the flip side there are bloggers on there who would never get my referral - they are either arrogant and puffed up with self importance, or all they do is post mindless copy-paste crap like recipies and Innman News articles.

I have friends who are in Hawaii, Houston TX, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, West Virginia....

The SMART blog comments (ones that go beyond "Nice post!") are important - not necessarily to get more customers but to build friendships and future referral partners.

This of course is just my opinion.