Comments

Being a independent blogger, I'm grateful for any support my blog gets, whether it's views or comments.  I get more views than comments, which some perceive as a negative thing, but I don't think that's the case.  Views are just as important as comments to me, especially when you consider how little time people have nowadays.  Comments though, are not as great as they seem.  It's great to interact with fans/viewers whenever it comes to something you mutually like, or your own work, but there's a time when comments are too much, such as when they're blindly positive or too negative.  Take for example, what I see on YouTube daily.  It has a comment section that is open to anybody, but people misuse it all the time.  They'll say something is really awesome, but won't change their minds even when someone has facts that prove they're wrong.  Another example is when people's comments get out of hand, and they're too negative about a subject, starting a long argument.  I find the latter worse than the first, but just the fact that comments affect people this way makes me question what's the point for them.  Yes, we have freedom of speech, but even that has a limit.  And with no one to actively supervise what's online, are people responsible enough with their opinions?

I think they can be, but it's clear not everyone is that way...