An experiment
As an experiment (I’ll explain its purpose once it is done), I’m turning off blog comments for 24 hours from around 0000 to 2359 on Wednesday.
During that time, no comments will appear. You can actually submit a comment but it will be held in a queue until I turn them back on.
Hope no one suffers too much withdrawal symptoms 
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January 16th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Wondering just how much of your readership statistics are people coming back to post praise for my comments?
January 16th, 2008 at 12:27 am
Is it simply to see how many people actually comment on the topic you blogged on, or for how long people can stay on topic on average per post?
January 16th, 2008 at 12:35 am
It will be an interesting day of reading when the comments are shown, im guessing submitted comments will appear once you have enabled them again?
January 16th, 2008 at 7:05 am
I guess that the comments traffic has fallen greatly as the flame wars stop because one poster has not been able to enrage another poster. Thank goodness there will be no willie contests for one whole day.
January 16th, 2008 at 7:07 am
It’s highly unethical to perform experiments on kiwiblog fans in this way.
January 16th, 2008 at 7:11 am
Fine! I’m taking my bat and ball and going to play at someone elses place!
January 16th, 2008 at 7:21 am
Is the aim of the experiment to see which commenters enjoy making their comments more when no-one can point out that they’re talking crap?
January 16th, 2008 at 7:22 am
A little bit like a lab test on rats really.
Will some comments appear on what has been really blogged??
Will Tane and Co argue with their own comments?
Will people take the day off?
January 16th, 2008 at 7:25 am
I like this idea. Are you going to publish every post or take out the the off-topic ones. Speaking of comments, Calandar girl made a valid point yesterday about GWW (who will no doubt now label me as ‘self-appointed blog police’) who appears able to grab a subject out of thin air then repeat it to successfully threadjack conversations. Is it worthwhile examining you policy re those who continuously comment off-topic, for no other evident reason than to cause mischief? The demerit system works as a deterrent to the law abiding but is meaningless to the determined….
January 16th, 2008 at 8:14 am
I suppose its purpose is to keep the posts on topic as we cant respond to others comments?
Or are we part of a double blind psychology experiment and you dont know what is being measured?
January 16th, 2008 at 8:21 am
My bet is there will be fewer rancid comments aimed at other commenters.
January 16th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Are you trying to work out whether all our productivity will increase at work?
January 16th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Thank Christ for that! Now Kiwiblog will look like a blog insted of a Forum
…hey… nice trick there. Gives some substance to the lie this isn’t a forum for EFA purposes. Tricky dude…
I’ll recreate some fun for the addicts:
D4J said:
The stinking filthy cruddy kk snakeeyes Stelen must Die!
Sonic said:
Oh D4J, seen your kids lately?
D4J:
Sonic, you little piece of socialist shit!
[DPF: 10 demerit points, off topic]
Rodgernome:
Has anyone noticed how far up Labours bum I am?
Redbaiter:
Bludgernome, you retarded fuck, we would have shot your kind during the war without trial!
Sonic said:
Ratbiter, which war woould that have been? The $2 price war at T and T?
…
no, it’s amusing for a while, but I don’t miss it.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:04 am
You mean people would have to comment on the story rather than just abuse each other? That will never work! Actually in solving one problem (the mindless abuse shielding on point comments) it may create another – that people won’t come back to read the comments later. Will be interesting to see.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:09 am
What a gip, what am I supposed to do, work?!
January 16th, 2008 at 9:22 am
I am taking two guesses at your experiment:
1) You are seeing how many people fail to read this blog and email you complaining that comments don’t work
2) You are measuring the downturn in comments or lack of discussion and what effect a lack of seeing what other people write has on the human psyche.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Or another guess maybe that you are seeing what it is like to have a complete dictatorship on media with no one else allowed any free speech. Have you been watching too much Team America?
January 16th, 2008 at 9:30 am
If this is about reducing petty catfights its quite a good idea!
Maybe there should be a one hour delay or something on all comments – it would probably decrease quantity but almost certainly increase quality.
January 16th, 2008 at 10:34 am
David, you didn’t need to do that just because Tane came back from her holidays. It has been so refreshing without those lefties and their never ending lies.
January 16th, 2008 at 10:37 am
DPF-have you been co-opted by the 9th floor or what !
Is this experiment in preparation for life under Communist China ?
January 16th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Bad idea. I get my jollies from a daily dose of laughter at the innane ramblings of the moronic left in panic mode. Today has beeen a disater of no laughs at all. You are cruel DPF.
January 16th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I watch with interest. This site has become a place for a select few to debate issues with little response to comments made by outsiders.
It will be interesting to see the result of this little experiment.
January 16th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Scandal!! The voice of the proletariat silenced by secret orders from National Party HQ, transmitted via those little antennae you all have implanted in your skulls!!
We all know that this is a blatant attempt to silence criticism of John Key for… err… war crimes. Yes, that’s it, war crimes.
Now just let me go and create a Wikipedia entry which I can then reference to prove my assertion!
But the cruel jackboots of Herr Farrar shall not silence the truth! We will raise our copies of “The Socialist Worker (knitting patterns special)” aloft and proclaim… um… whatever it was I wrote in my PhD thesis…
Yikes! The withdrawals are worse than I thought…
January 16th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Actually at this time of the day its quite boring to just read David’s posts with no comments! (sorry David)
January 16th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Not so much the withdrawal symptoms as actually getting muc more done at work.
Interestingly, it highlights to me that the debate is a source of information that can be (but isn’t always) more enlightening than the original post – in showing the issue from a number of angles. No offence intended dpf…
January 16th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
mmmm, interesting idea! it should help reduce pointless arguments and abuse if people only get one chance to say what they want, then it’s all over
January 16th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
I bet the comments are way, way down as no tit for tat going on and on.
However, elaborating on the posts, bouncing things back and forth, and making humorous remarks I thought was the whole reason for comments. The lack of them makes the blog much less interesting.
January 17th, 2008 at 12:12 am
FUCKING FUNNY!!!!
I might go to bed now.
January 17th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Rex wins
January 17th, 2008 at 7:29 am
I’m amazed how much work I got done yesterday!