Standing: Allowed if you’re Passionate

Although my blog allows anyone to comment freely, and it appears immediately on the site, not every blog does this. This is called comment moderation, and there are three main styles of it:

• Group 1: Like mine, blogs that have no moderation in place
• Group 2: Blogs that require your first comment to be approved by the blog author before going live, but every comment after that gets through unmoderated.
• Group 3: Blogs that require all comments to be held back and made to turn out its pockets before going into public, much like a naughty schoolboy.

I don’t know where these analogies came from, but I think of them like this:

Group 1 is like a café, with lots of tables. Blog authors are seated one side, and they’re talking, while anyone can come along and sit down and engage (comment on) with what he’s saying. Any number of people can drag up chairs and take part. As the photo shows, standing is allowed, and shows you’re passionate.

Group 2 takes place in a lecture hall. The blog author is on a podium and to comment or engage, one has to put up their hand and stay silent until the author points to them (very primary school, fingers on lips!). Some of you will be called, some will be ignored. The ones who get past this screening process can then proceed to comment freely

Group 3 is also in the lecture hall. To comment, one must get up out of one’s seat, jog up to the podium, whisper it to the author and then go back to their seat. If they get that all-important nod, they may voice their comment.

Now, maybe I’m being too harsh on moderation. Those who get a lot of spam might consider it necessary, but unnecessary stifling of conversation is still unnecessary stifling of conversation.

After I installed Akismet I had no problems with those in the Swiss Watch/Viagra trade, and the only manual moderation I’ve had to do is on that delightful Clare man who has it in for me. Did I say delightful? Between you and me (see, intimacy around a café!) he’s a bit of an eejit, to tell you the truth.

(And as far as my mother is concerned, this is a scheduled entry and I’m not actually awake at 1am in the morning)