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Delete or Edit Comments?

pearl 60

Boys Having Fun

photo by Rayphua

When I first started blogging, I remember not getting even a single comment and it hurt real bad. I kept writing and slowly people started reading and commenting and then some also started linking to my posts and the blog which brought more people to read and give feedback and I felt part of this wonderful community. I LOVE getting comments and hearing different takes on what I write and I LOVE discussions taking place here on the blog.

I have gotten to know so many people by their first names and remember their blogs that now when I see them on some social media site, I can immediately tell who this person is and remember to go to their blog and leave a comment on their post of the day or just say a hi via comment form etc.

But what do I do when some inanimate object like Sofa, Dining Tables, Swimming Pools, Stock Trading Software, Printed Circuit Boards or Ghillie Suits leave a comment and I have no way of knowing who this person is? Clicking on the links they leave gets you to their niche site or some made for adsense site.

Sometimes the comment is nothing but gibrish and I don’t have to think twice about deleting it. My dilemma comes when the comment itself is good but the commenter leaves their business name instead of their own name in the ‘name’ box. I wouldn’t want to delete the comment but I also do not like to talk to furniture or circuit boards.

What do you do? Do you edit the comment or delete it altogether?

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60 comments
betshopboy

I won’t hesitate to delete or mark as spam comments that are full of keyword stuffing.

I think it’s perfectly justifiable to delete those comments from people trying to gain free advertising. No matter how good the comment is, their intention isn’t sincere to start with.

betshopboy’s last blog post..Featured At MagMyPic

Tay - Super Blogging

If people leave a spam comment, such as one that is just full of links or keywords, I obviously delete it. But if it’s a real comment from a real person, and it applies to the actual post and fits in with the discussion, I’m not going to delete the comment just because the person made their name link to their site as ‘Guaranteed Loan’. In all honesty, it doesn’t bother me too much or hurt anything, especially since I’m not using DoFollow anymore. If the comment is valuable and on topic, that’s what I’m asking for. If it’s about 200 links to Jessica Alba pictures and sites, then it’s going to be deleted.

I love meeting and networking with other bloggers too; the whole community aspect is one of my favorite things. But I’m not going to delete all of my comments just because a legitimate person entered in their blog’s keyword instead of their name. I don’t accept spam, but I don’t believe THAT is spam. :)

Tay – Super Blogging’s last blog post..The Best of the Blogosphere: January 25, 2008

pelf

Oh dear, Pearl. Do you EVEN have to ask this?! I am extremely QUICK at deleting invalid comments as well as marking spam as spam. I don’t give no 2nd chance :D

But in cases where the comments sounds valid but the names not, maybe you want to try change them to Micky Mouse and Donald Duck? LOL.

Pearl

@Betshopboy and @Pelf –

I understand you sentiments – really do. I have thought about ‘sincerity’ issue but then it might just be an oversight on their part…. I am willing to give them a second chance though –

believe me I won’t hesitate in deleting them if they continue to ignore the warning….

Pearl

@Tay – and believe me, I don’t consider inserting one’s blog name as spam either – but only if it is a blog! not some e-commerce site! :)

but then again, may be my readers wouldn’t mind seeing 200 pictures of Jessica Alba anyway :D I could do a poll on that

John Hunter

Definitely delete the non-names. I get more spam comments with keywords even though I clearly say real names are required.

pearl

This is the first time I am mentioning about it here so I’m hoping this to be considered as a fair warning to those who do it. If they don’t stop it, may be I’ll start to delete them.

Sueblimely

Hi Pearl
I would be inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt if it was obvious they had actually read the post and were contributing something in the comment.

If you felt it was a valuable comment maybe you could check their blog out and change the name to the one they use when signing off their own posts? If not delete!

Alina Popescu

Hi Pearl! I mostly got comments that were clearly spam. So I deleted them. No that I have a spam filter, they rarely get through. But if I were in a situation where the actual comment is really good, I’d also edit it instead.

Alina Popescu’s last blog post..WOBM Turns Three

The Ghillie Suits Guy

Hi Pearl,

Ghillie Suits here, I’ve been using The Ghillie Suits Guy for my name on blogs now. I am a real person who reads your blog regularly. I don’t use my name real name because I’m private about my businesses. If you want I can certainly put a name down like “John” or “Mike” but it’s the same as not knowing my real name. I certainly did choose a name with beneficial keywords for my site on purpose. Feel free to email me and I’ll divulge who I am and where my personal blog is.

The Ghillie Suits Guy’s last blog post..Photos of the Ultra Light Ghillie Suit – Mossy