{"id":843,"date":"2024-06-21T14:56:54","date_gmt":"2024-06-21T14:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/okonet.kinsta.cloud\/?p=843"},"modified":"2024-06-21T14:56:54","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T14:56:54","slug":"dont-read-the-comments-and-building-better-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cool.co\/publisher-experiences-home\/2024\/06\/21\/dont-read-the-comments-and-building-better-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cDon\u2019t Read The Comments\u201d And Building Better Communities"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Online discourse can often get pretty nasty. In this blog post, we explain the benefits and challenges of running a comment platform on your site \u2014 and how to help it thrive.<\/p>\n

In the 2018 Disney movie\u00a0Ralph Breaks the Internet<\/i>, Ralph learns what the other characters call the #1 rule of the Internet: \u201cDo not read the comments<\/a>.\u201d In the movie, it\u2019s easy to see why: Ralph reads dozens upon dozens of comments calling him fat, ugly, stupid, a loser. It\u2019s a low point in the film, designed to teach kids the simple truth that words can hurt.<\/p>\n

This rule is not limited to cartoons, though. It\u2019s also the subject of\u00a0news articles<\/a>, a 22k-follower\u00a0Twitter account<\/a>, and the title of\u00a0a romance novel<\/a>\u00a0about online gamers. As rules go, this is fairly well-established.<\/p>\n

If that was the whole story, though, half the internet would vanish overnight. Reddit, the self-described \u201cfront page of the internet,\u201d primarily exists as a comment board. Sites like Quora feature helpful commenters who answer each others\u2019 questions. Some of the largest sites on the Web, like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, thrive off of comments.<\/p>\n

How can comments be all bad if many of the Internet\u2019s most popular (and profitable) hangouts are built around them?<\/p>\n

The truth is, when done\u00a0properly<\/i>, a thriving comment section can be an incredibly-positive place that helps your users build community, share important information, and lift each other up. In the process, you\u2019ll also drive a lot of critical engagement on your page.<\/p>\n

In this blog post, we\u2019re talking about the comments: what they do for you, why they turn toxic, and how to stop that from happening.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Table of Contents<\/h4>\n
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  1. \n
    The Benefits of Comment Sections<\/a><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  2. \n
    Why Do Comment Sections Turn Toxic?<\/a><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  3. \n
    Moderators: A Bouncer And A Lifeguard<\/a><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  4. \n
    Gamification: Incentivizing Positivity<\/a><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  5. \n
    Final Thoughts<\/a><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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    Case Study:<\/i><\/b>\u00a0Insticator transformed Brit+Co\u2019s community with a 50% increase in online engagement.\u00a0<\/i>read more<\/a><\/b>.<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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    <\/span><\/p>\n

    The Benefits of Comment Sections<\/h2>\n

    The reason why so much of the internet has comment sections is because when they\u2019re going well, comment sections are very, very good for the health of your site. Comment sections:<\/p>\n