In a post today, Martin Belam makes mention of the BBC’s dodgy blog infrastructure, and says, in part:

James Cridland and I had to continue a discussion about a post on our own sites, since neither of us could manage to get a comment submitted and published. He’s BBC staff and I was trying to reply to an article I had authored!

First, the BBC -is- upgrading its blog infrastructure. I’m involved with the work because of my involvement with the Social Media team, and I have also invited myself to one of the ‘Blog Platform Refresh’ meetings. The work seems sensibly worked-out, and also uses a pan-BBC approach which should reap dividends. You’ll see changes during the second quarter of this year, as it’s currently planned.

Secondly, Martin says that I posted a comment on my blog because I couldn’t get a comment published at the BBC Internet blog because of the technical troubles. This isn’t actually true.

I didn’t publish a comment for a purpose: because I don’t actually like, particularly, leaving comments. I’m not alone in this - Dave Winer doesn’t like comments in blogs either.

I’ve three main reasons for not really liking comments.

First, this reply is going on a bit, and it would be quite difficult to leave this in Martin’s blog comments anyway. (Because I’ve used more than one link here, it probably would be regarded as spam, too). A reply in my blog affords me the space to reply.

Second, by my blogging here as a reply to Martin’s post over there, it means that those that read my blog are aware of Martin’s posting. If I’d have just posted on Martin’s blog, nobody would be aware of Martin’s posting. The extra addition of Google Juice, etc, also is a good thing for both of us.

Third, this is just as relevant a posting as many of my others here; if people really want to read my witterings here (as apparently quite a few do), then it’s probably just as useful to them to read this reply.

That’s not to say I don’t think comments have a place. I’m more likely to reply to a negative post with a comment, than linking to it from my website, naturally. But generally, I’d be happier with posting a reply on my own blog, not commenting: as my reply to Ashley Highfield’s love-in with DAB Digital Radio shows.

Photo: Daniel Greene. Used under licence.