h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi d'E

Glad you liked the blog post.

Can you tell me something - is there something about the blog that off-putting and is subtly stopping people from commenting? Is it too formal, or to white, or too wierd, or are the subjects too something or other? Should I have a photo? Should I list comments at the side? What do you think?

I ask this because I'm actively trying to drum up comments on it at the moment. I want to make it look at least a little bit busier in there so that prospective employers don't think I'm a complete numpty that never says anything interesting. And though I've asked friends and family to get the ball rolling, no-one has.

Is it coincidence? Is it just that everyone has busy lives? Or do I blog in some way that's off-putting?

Eeeep!

Help.

What do you think?

Ben

I say it's random

I can only be sure of the reason why *I* didn't post a comment. I woke up with a splitting headache, and spent the entire morning groggily clicking around ancient, dead, expired, transformed, and sometimes still working links. By the time I found the mosaic one I couldn't remember what started me down that path, until I reread a few posts at the Atelier. By then I had long ago closed your blog window, and it was too much mental struggle for my addled and drugged brain to find the bookmark to it again. If it's any relief, had the window to your blog still been open I would have posted something there. And I will, now. Actually later, because I really don't want to spend Sunday morning the same way I spent Saturday.

I'm trying to look at your blog now with a critical eye, but I have nothing but guesses. And no blogging experience. Maybe having both "leave a comment" (or "read more...") and "# comments" links after each essay (the way h2g2 does, and slashdot) - even though they would lead to essentially the same place, it keeps the invitation to comment more explicit. And maybe some more visual differentiation between your essay and the comments might help (on the permalink pages), to better emphasize the dialog? Or perhaps putting only excerpts on your main page, and pulling people in to the permalink page for the full essay, where the comments become more integral? Guesses, all guesses, so take with a grain of salt.

That makes total sense d'E and thanks for the explaining.

Unfortunately the look and feel comes with the theme, and it is incredibly difficult to find one which is simple and clean, with a "comments" button at the bottom of each post. You wouldn't believe.

I'm feeling a bit less hysterical about it now, since the troops rallied round.

Thanks for racking your brains.

All the best

Ben