90% of people only read a blog, 9% occasionaly write leaving 1% to do it all.
If you get 1 or 2 comments you may have what, 90-180 readers? With better stats that offered here you can validate this. All skewed by the distinct narrowcasting of an OU Blog, as we are in theory writing to our tutor group or course cohort.
So why might comments skew the content?
Who are this 1%? If they are being negative or abusive (never here of course), they are flaming. In my experience you will never placate or please them, only pour oil on their self-hate, attitude or whatever is going on. They may be cutting and pasting the same nastiness in dozens of blogs.
Other comments I feel are akin to a wave from a friend who I've noticed across the road. I like this. I'll let people know I am reading them, out of politeness, but also to encourage them. If I've read them once, I'd like them to write more and read again.
Comments, if you are chasing the stats, will skew your blog to the extreme views these commentators are expressing, or to the particular parts of the blog they find attractive.
Comments
A comment regarding commenting
It's interesting that you mention the negative comments that some people feel obligated to leave; as you say, perhaps not so much on blogs (thankfully).
But even looking through message and discussion boards, (can even see it happening on youtube uploads) you can quite quickly find a spiteful argument presenting itself.
I almost laugh; in a disbelieving kind of way.
It'd be great to get into the mindset of the- well i'd like to say- minority? and try to understand what drives someone to not only feel negatively, but to take the time to articulate those feelings and bother to write them into a comment.
- Jacy
-Your blogs are the first to pop up a lot of the time, so tons of people are probably reading them