They’ve been limping along for years, trying their hardest to be useful, even when it’s apparent that they aren’t what they could be. As a result, we are doing the humane thing and have decided to remove existing comments and the ability to comment going forward from Search Engine Journal, effective today.
This comes on the heels of several other online publications doing the same. In fact, this Vice article announcing the same put it succinctly when it said,
In theory, comments sections are great. Writers and editors, with their unquenchable thirst for validation, love to hear thoughtful responses from readers. At their best, comments can foster a productive community discussion around a particular story or topic, often providing insight or commentary that might have been missed otherwise.
However, as we all know, that usually isn’t the case for the majority of comments. Comment spam is still alive and well, and with a small team of less than 15 people, we often find ourselves scrambling to ensure that comments are moderated and Disqus’ automated system didn’t let something shady slip through the cracks. It’s not a perfect system and we started asking, “Why are we doing this to ourselves?”
As a result, comments have now come to an end.
But the conversation isn’t over! We always encourage discussion on Facebook and Twitter and will continue to monitor and foster comments there as well.
That being said, going forward, here’s how to talk to contributors and the SEJ team.
How Do I Ask SEJ Contributors a Question?
Our contributors are so amazing, and they love talking to you guys! To ask them a question, feel free to check out their user bio that lists the social networks where you can reach out to them, or look at the author box and the end of their articles.
If you have a longer query, feel free to email us your question and the writer you’d like to talk to and we’ll see if we can connect you. Please select Other in the form dropdown.
How Do I Talk to The SEJ Team?
We love hearing from you! You can use the contact form as linked above, or, we’re always listening to you on social media. Send us your feedback, comments about posts, or questions on Facebook or Twitter and Caitlin will try her hardest to get you the right answer.
We really appreciate community feedback and are so appreciative of you all. If you have feedback about the change for me personally, hit me up on Twitter!
Screenshots taken December 2016. Featured image via DepositPhotos.
