If you’ve followed me over the last few months as I’ve worked to fill this blog with content, you’ll know that I’ve struggled with adding a comment system. I wrote two blog posts about it, maybe more.

My struggle wasn’t whether to have comments at all, but rather finding the best commenting platform.

I eventually settled on Hyvor, which you see below, but even now I’m not happy with that system. Only, really, because it is extraordinarily expensive. Hyvor just costs way too much for me to keep it long term. So, eventually I’ll have to come up with another option, and yet again, I’ll have to go searching for something that is as good as what I have right now.

The reason why this has come to my mind is because there have been a few posts lately on the merits of having comments on your blog at all. First there was this post by Naithin, where he talks about why comments are important. Then a follow up the next day, and another the day after. There were also several responses, more really than I can link to. But one that caught my eye was this one by Cobb

The entire discussion on comments is a complicated one for the exact reason Cobb pointed out in their post: If you blog for yourself, then it’s possible that comments aren’t really something you’re looking for. If you’re more like Naithin, and you enjoy the social aspect of blogging, then comments are important very important.

For a lot of readers, that social interaction is a part of what they’re looking for, and when it’s not there, they feel a bit salty about it.

But the thing is, these blogs are ours. They belong to the person who is writing. We get to do what we want, say what we please, and have no responsibility for anything the reader feels or wants to say. We don’t even have the duty to allow anyone to say anything at all.

These are personal choices.

From a reader’s perspective, I can see why it would be disappointing not to have the opportunity to comment. You read something good, you want to have a discussion right there where the content exists. You don’t want to have to open up Outlook or Gmail to email the author. I enjoy the emails I get from my readers, when I get them, but it’s a conversation that nobody but two people can have. Whereas on a comment section, if I leave a comment, the blogger can respond, but so can anyone else who sees my comment.

That discussion aspect is something I want on my blog. I do write for myself, this is my blog, but I also love to hear from people who read my stuff.

Readers who want this experience on blogs that don’t offer the ability are often out of luck. Email isn’t a social experience, and they may or may not share a social network with the blogger. That feeling of abandonment, for lack of a better word, really affects people.

So there really are two sides to this argument. In the end, however, the bloggers own the blogs. Readers, if a blogger can’t or won’t offer comments, your only recourse is to stop reading their blog if the lack of social interaction bothers you that much.

In this situation, there’s no making everyone happy. All you can do, as a blogger, is write for yourself, make your decisions with that in mind, and then go about your business. I’ve made my decision, but I respect people who have gone the other way.

This is day 11 of Blaugust 2025.