3 Reasons Why Vocal Media Needs to Enable Comments on Their Articles
Plus 3 reasons why it might be a bad idea
Because I recently got temporarily suspended from Medium, I joined Vocal Media. But I was surprised to see you can’t post comments on any of their articles.
This got me thinking. Would it be better if Vocal Media allowed comments? Here I present three reasons for and three reasons against.
3 reasons why Vocal Media SHOULD enable comments
#1: Posting comments is satisfying
I don’t like it when content doesn’t have the option to comment. Some YouTube channels do this. The British TV company ITV does it with all their videos, and I hate it. Particularly as many of their videos are on controversial topics that people would love to comment on.
#2: Receiving comments provides us with feedback
If you create something and release it out to the public, it can be useful to receive feedback on it. If we never get any feedback for anything we create, we exist in our own protected bubble.
It’s good for us to see other people’s thoughts and opinions. It gives us the opportunity to reassess ours.
#3: We can build relationships with other people
On Medium, there are certain people I see repeatedly popping up in responses to my stories. And I like it when I see their stories pop up in my recommendations too. It’s nice to build that familiarity with other writers and readers.
3 reasons why Vocal Media should NOT enable comments
#1: Some people might not want comments on their articles
Susie Kearley said she comes from a history of publishing articles in places that don’t have comments. The upside of this is that it can make for a less stressful writing experience. As long as your article gets accepted by the publication, it feels like all is well.
#2: Some comments can be nasty
Earlier I mentioned YouTube channels that disable comments. Well, you only have to look at the comments of any controversial YouTube video to see how nasty people can get. When given freedom, many people will descend into hurling insults at each other.
#3: There’s always the possibility of spam
Some people spam comments sections to try to get more people to click their links. If comments are not moderated, they can quickly get filled with spam.
In conclusion
At the end of the day, it’s good to have the option depending on your preference. If you don’t like receiving comments, Vocal Media is the place for you. But if you do, Medium is where you belong.
But what about YouTube videos that have their comments disabled? Well, there is always the option to comment elsewhere. For example, on Twitter, Facebook, or indeed by writing a Medium story about it.
