I know a lot of folks like to close comments on old posts to cut down on comment SPAM. I certainly understand the sentiment behind this, but I’d like to encourage you to consider leaving comments on those old posts open. Here are just a couple of examples where keeping comments open has been interesting on this site:
MX Revolution: Flashing Red Light in Cradle – posted in January 2008.
If you take a look at the comments here, you’ll see not only a solution to the problem I had, but comments from a bunch of people adding their “me too” to the list. I believe this helps keep the post fresh and relevant in Google’s index. Obviously people are finding it and getting a solution as a result.
CitiMortgage Frustrations – posted in October 2004 (and the follow up post).
These posts have turned into a scary collection of warnings about CitiMortgage and problems people have had trying to work with them. There are nearly 450 comments on these two posts, and many unfortunate stories contained within. These posts have become places that people can share tips and advice about the problems they are experiencing – which definitely has value.
Sure not all posts get great comments, but when you close them you don’t know what you might be missing down the road.
Agreed Alex,
I have received quality traffic on several sites as a result of breaking news stories. Each of the stories revolved around people (or things) I had mentioned years into the past. What do you know? People now wanted to post comments on those old stories because they were “hot today”.
Yes, I get a good deal of SPAM, but I am finding Akismet does a pretty good job of catching most of it.
Thanks for the post.
Chris
Thanks for the advice. I had closed my comments for quite sometime and was not interested in opening it again. After reading your article, I have decided to open it today itself.
I agree; keeping my comments open has proved to be most useful in terms of feedback received on some articles