The Comments Problem

[birguslatro]

Much angst is expressed about comments on the internet, and I've figured out what the problem is. They can be said in an instant and usually are, so they're mostly the first thing that's popped into someone's head.

Think how much better it'd be if they couldn't comment until 24 hours after they'd seen the article or post? That pithy comment they first thought of probably wouldn't be said, either because they realised it's naff, or they've thought of something more profound to say. And after 24 hours of thinking consciously or unconsciously about it, they probably do have something much better to say.

So there you have it - one small step towards fixing the internet. Just add a 24 hour wait before people can comment.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I'll tell you what I think of that tomorrow... ;)

Seriously, though, the beauty of comments sections in my opinion is their 'live' nature. Never before have total strangers been able to get together and discuss something the instant it happens. This immediacy is what makes Twitter so great, and I think that off-the-cuff comments can enhance the discussion rather than diminish it.

MSR

[birguslatro]

And now that tomorrow's come? :)

I've been doing this for nearly 20 years now and so I know the benefits of immediacy. It's the lack of more thoughtful responses I'm thinking of.

And twitter is sort of a case in point, it's message size being restricted to text-message size.

Text messages were never expected to get popular, but people prefer them to the immediacy of having to answer the bloody phone right at this minute. More long-form posts or articles deserve more pondering before they're commented on.