Comment Signature Results
After 190 comments to my question about leaving comment signatures, I can say with much confidence that most of you do not like it when commentators leave their signature in a comment. The overall feeling is you consider it as spam because the commentator’s name is already linked to their site.
It was a landslide victory for the Nay side. Only five commentators voted to flavor of allowing comment signatures. About another five didn’t care either way and rest were against signatures in the comments.
This does not mean I will be banning comment signatures on this blog. However, I will be asking commentators to refrain from using a comment signature when leaving a comment. Your name is already linked to your web site. There is no need to repeat it in the comments. If you wish link to another site that is relevant to the discussion then feel free to do so as we have no problem with that.
- Posted in Ramblings, The Net
- 64 comments what's your take?
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Loading ...
I do not think having a signature within you comments is good - because commenting I think is taking part within a conversation. stating opinions or disagreeing with someone else or even with the author - (John Chow)
Blog networks are not forums - so its pointless to have a signature within your comments - my opnion
Reply to this commentWe totally and udderly agree, there’s no need for such vulgar spam behavior!
- John Cow Is Giving Away $500 Again!
Reply to this commentthis is bull shite
Reply to this commentBull…cow…I see what you did there.
Reply to this commentso it’s not completely banned?
this is the last one, I promise.
Reply to this comment–
Enwikopedia - The Paid Encyclopedia
Win a 2GB Darth Vader USB key
After he asked people not to do it, you still had to try and squeeze one in lol
Reply to this commentban him!
Reply to this commentThis is why wordpress have comment moderation which
“Hold a comment in the queue if it contains X or more links
there should be a plugin that detects if a comment has been repeated with x amount of text, and than that text stripped.. automatically removing signatures
Reply to this commentI wonder how many comments on a post about not leaving a signature on the bottom of your comment will include a signature! Just to be cheeky!
Reply to this commentlol,
thats some really funny cow dung! What a witty cow
Reply to this commentthe traffic and feed subscribers will probably drop if he do spam this blog anymore.
Reply to this commentIf you are not banning them then it looks like you will not be enforcing it. Most won’t have even read your articles about this topic and won’ t know that it is against your policy.
Reply to this commentI couldn’t agree more. Leave the SPAM out of comments. John Chow for president
Reply to this commentLol not allowing signatures in comments is only going to put a dent in the amount of spam in the comments here. Until he stops allowing the “hey great post” comments the spam is here to stay.
Reply to this commentYeah, spot on - great comment.
Sorry … couldn’t resist!
Reply to this commentOh yeah good comment (have to second Geedos)
Apart the jokes, it is so lame about putting a signature to spam the blog, you might get the little fishes to click on your sig…but those that know what ethic is will probably think there is nothing worth in your blog to read since you dare to spam.
Reply to this commentSo John do you visit commentators websites…
You should to keep us happy 
Reply to this commentYes I do visit commentator’s blog, but not blogs that leave a comment sig.
Reply to this commentI do the same thing, when you see spam just ignore them
Reply to this commentIt’s quite annoying and I do not see why people think that by adding an extra link it’d give them any more traffic. + or - 10 extra clicks isn’t going to really put a dent in your overall traffic.
Reply to this commentI think that in some cases it will work, at least for the beginner bloggers for who +-10 does make a difference. Putting the URL in the signature will make it stand out from all the names, plus more people will see it. I dunno about you, but when I scan comments, I only see the body and not the author. So if the URL is part of the signature, then it is part of the body. This way more people will see it, and some might click it out of boredom.
However, I’m quite against this practice. I will only visit someone’s blog if they said something worthvile in the comment. And if they did, it’s not much trouble to find the link above.
Reply to this commentNow there’s a deterrent
Reply to this commentwell than you can visit my blog
its the first one in mybloglog
Reply to this commentI remember a long time ago when the Holy Chow visited my page….:sniff: such a long time ago…
Reply to this commentNobody “famous” has ever visited me, maybe it’s because I put in naughty words? (Or maybe just because I write rubbish, thought I’d better say it before anybody else chips in.)
Reply to this commentTotally agree that no sig is needed since it’s already in name.
If i see someone leaving their sig, i feel like they are commenting just to get traffic.
Reply to this commentExactly, and I think this should be highly frowned upon. Rather than say they won’t get banned, I think John should give everyone that does it (other than linking to “another” site - not their own for comment reference purposes) a fair warning, and if they repeat it, a ban (at least from further commenting until they can agree not to continue with link spam). Forums are the same way, they don’t like it when you spam your links (except signature fields are okay). Unfortunately this is NOT a forum and does not have nor will it require a signature field at any given time.
Reply to this commentJohn, you say you’re not banning comment signatures but then you ask people to refrain from leaving signatures when commenting. Isn’t that saying two different things?
Reply to this commentI think out of respect for someone else’s blog he shouldn’t have to ban them, if he asks that it not be done, then it shouldn’t be done…but then…there’s always that one…
Reply to this commentI just meant it sounds like he’s going to allow them and then in the next sentence he disallows them. I personally don’t like them but just thought it should be clarified.
Reply to this commentIt could easily be read to mean no sigs unless the sig is a different link from the one linked in your name.
Reply to this commentYou can interpret it as linking to your own site for reference is not allowed but if you need to link to someone else’s site for reference, its okay. If you have a relevant post on your site and you want to reference it, simply just say something like “I wrote about it on my site”… People are smart enough to know your name is linked to your site if they want to read about it. They don’t need you to comment spam the direct link to the post itself if they’re really interested in reading about it.
Reply to this commentAt the same time though, some sites do cover multiple subjects so it is not terribly annoying for someone to have a direct link to the post. Especially if the post in question isn’t a recent post, then you gotta dig through the archives? By the time I have to click on next page I lose interests lol and perhaps miss out on the opportunity to read something that I care for because I have to play “where is waldo” on someone’s site.
just my 2 cents.
Reply to this commentI think it is not wise to spam in comments, I don’t get it the author will delete it sooner or later if it is spam, so why is this all for?
Reply to this commentBesides spam comments are polluting and distracts people from the discussion. COMMENT is not a place for signatures or spams, it is for your comments. Am I so angry
Ban them!
Reply to this commentFor John’s next trick, he’ll show us how to stop people from splogging, right? Please?
How’s your anonymous start up blogging going btw?
Reply to this commentYea theres no reason for sigs, same goes for forums, its unnecessary
Reply to this commentNo, it’s not at all the same. In a forum your name links to your profile while in a blog your name links to your website. A signature in the forum allows people to click straight through to your site. You’re right though, in a blog it’s unnecessary.
Reply to this commentI agree that the idea of comment signatures is a little over the top. I’d say that as long as they link their name (and they could even use their site name as the commenter name) then that should be enough.
Reply to this commentThey wouldn’t get on my nerves, probably, but I can see why it would bother a lot of people.
Oops!!
Reply to this commentOh well…haha….I sometimes include my signature..but I guess I’ll have refrain from now on!
-Raymond
will someone show me an example of a signiture?
Reply to this commentGood choice. It will only weed out the people who don’t really want to join in the conversation.
Reply to this commentThis would be an example of a signature.
Reply to this comment-Raymond’s signature
http://www.moneybluebook.com
I thought you said you were going to refrain. Giving us an example where its not needed is just another excuse for doing it one last time LOL
Reply to this commenthey money blue book, thxs.
i see, what’s the point of a signature if you’re already linked from your header.
what a waste of an experiment
Reply to this commentIf you have a well written or explanation comment then you would not have to worry people not visiting your blog through that URL.
Reply to this commentThere is enough spam as it is without these
Reply to this commentI’m really glad I read all of the comments on this post.
Reply to this commentI think signature in the comment is not right. It should be done only when one needs to share some very valuable information with his fellow friends. Otherwise just for linking purpose I feel it should not be allowed.
Reply to this commentPersonally, i don’t like comment signatures too.
Btw, any news on your nobody blog, Mr. Chow?
Reply to this commenti was really in lack of topic for my blog n then i got ur ebook and voila i got the topic there. it was fun to read ur book n to write something worse for it too. any way i have ditched u in my review but in a respectable way. thank u
Reply to this commentMay be you can limit only 1 line or 50-80 characters for the signature. It may be useful for bloggers to promote their blogs.
Reply to this commentDid you bother reading the post? It’s obnoxious and your blog is already linked in your name. It doesn’t get more cut and dried than that.
Reply to this commentas for me it really makes me sick when i see the sig in a comment… i’m completely agree with the first commentator on here - Iantrepreneur: “Blog networks are not forums”.
Reply to this commentI wonder why the post asking for a sample signature was anonymous. Was it someone from here itself who posted it so he could put in his ’sample sig’?
Reply to this commentSure, everyone have different opinions. IMO, it’s ok as long your comments are within the topic. BOW!!!
Reply to this commentNice to hear that! I will not post my signatures on comment.
Reply to this commentI think it’s okay as long as you don’t link it using a href tag…
Reply to this commentI agree with the results here. It is always nice to see that there are other bloggers thinking like me!
Reply to this commentLeaving a signature is definitely in bad taste. It’s like.. Hey.. Im just here to let you know about my site
Reply to this commentI’m incredibly happy to hear that the outcome was so one-sided. I think that the extra link in your signature automatically makes me not want to visit your site…seems like a snake oil saleman tactic to me.
Reply to this commentHehe, totally agree with Rob. Accepting comments with a signature in it only encourage people to spam your blog.
Reply to this commentYah, there really is no reason to leave a signature after your comment if you have a link to your website above the comment. Glad this was the decision as I don’t like to scroll anymore than I have to in order to write a comment.
Reply to this commentAgreed. I do not mind signature results, but I feel for all the new do-follow blogs, people are starting to spam URL’s. I feel someone should make the commenter’s name do-follow, but any other links/signature inside the post nofollow, or even removed.
Reply to this comment