I’ve visited a few blogs over the last months and lately this blog has grown in popularity with it’s comments, but the question is, is there a right or wrong way to display comments?

For those who are not sure what I mean by displaying your comments on your blog I shall try to explain…

On a Wordpress set up you have several options for your comments, one is that you can display your comments as the most recent comment at the top of the comments list or most recent at the bottom,  another option which is useful for Website SEO is the option to split comments over pages, for example image you’ve got 40 comments on one post, imaging how big that page would look! So you can spread the comments over so many pages.

So now it’s over to my readers ….

  • Do you prefer to have the comments with the latest at the top or the bottom of the comment list?
  • How many comments per page do you think is just enough?

It will be interesting to see everyone’s responses about this ;)

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Written by Karen (532) Published Articles

Founder of the Blazing Minds blog and avid blogger of all sorts of interesting and odd things. Also a keen music producer and founding member of the electronica music duo Remergence...

Follow Karen on Twitter @Blazing_Minds

21 Responses to “A Question on blog Comments?”
  1. A Question on Blog Comments?…

    I’ve visited a few blogs over the last months and lately this blog has grown in popularity with it’s comments, but the question is, is there a right or wrong way to display comments?…

  2. KMP
    Twitter: arierich
    (2 comments)
    says:

    I like the comment list, with most recent on top. I have this on my blog page (kmpblog.com) and it doesn’t make your page too long.
    KMP´s last blog ..The Providence Effect – September 25, 2009 (NATIONWIDE) My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

  3. BK
    Twitter: symphonyoflove
    (14 comments)
    says:

    For me, I would like the recent comment to be showing at the top. But currently my is still have the most recent at the bottom. I have not tried to find any plug in that can make this setting. As for how many comments in a page to be just enough, I have not really thought about this question. But I don’t really like to click to next page to read more comments. I would rather stay on the same page and read all the comments.
    BK´s last blog ..The More I Learn … My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

  4. Klaus from TechPatio
    Twitter: TechPatio
    (52 comments)
    says:

    By having the newest comments on top you can get around the problem with “comment snipers” just trying to get the first position.

    But since it’s so popular to have newest at the bottom, it might be confusing to the readers when you’re reading from “new to old” – so you actually have to scroll to the bottom first in order to read in the correct timeline.

    I’m not sure about the SEO effect of having multiple pages with comments, because your post content will still be the same, so in theory, duplicate content, but nothing you’ll be punished for though, but I also doubt that you will benefit *much* from it – but I have no studies to back up my theory :)
    Klaus @ TechPatio´s last blog ..TechPatio Is A “Do Follow” Blog – Spreading The Link Love For Free My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

  5. Shadow from Compute Live
    Twitter: computelive
    (8 comments)
    says:

    I prefer the recent comment on the top.. I had that setting enabled when I used DISQUS Comment System.. But I am not using it any longer..

    And I think its better to spread the comments over pages rather than on a single page…
    Shadow@Compute Live´s last blog ..Straight from Google: What You Need to Know – Matt Cutts My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

  6. Asswass (31 comments) says:

    I’ve never given it some thought of how many comments should my blog display. But I don’t think that 40 comments look so bad.
    Asswass´s last blog ..Where the Hell is Matt going to dance next? My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

  7. Sunil Jain (1 comments) says:

    Before displaying comments ,i think the blogger should set up a comment policy in his/her respective blog where in all the comments like “Thank you,Nice one ….etc ”
    will not be accepted .This way it will filter out many unnecessary comments.

    Now coming to the point ,i would go with recent comment list as it would increase the page loading speed and also a top commentators widget at my blog’s sidebar

    Regards
    Sunil Jain
    Sunil Jain´s last blog ..Huge List of Comment Luv Blogs Updated Daiy My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

  8. Doug Dillard (6 comments) says:

    I sound like I am going against the pack here… but I hate it when bloggers display the newest comments at the top. I like reading in progression and if you listed the most recent comments at the top… I would have to scroll down to the bottom and read up :(

    Seriously, I have been to a few sites that do it that way and it really bugs me… but as you can see… that’s just me.

    As far as multiple pages… I have posts with over 60 comments and I like them all on one page… but that is up to you! I think I might try multiple pages if I get any posts that get over 100 comments :)
    Doug Dillard´s last blog ..I Used to Be a Dotcom Millionaire, Well at Least On Paper! My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

  9. Andy Bailey
    Twitter: commentluv
    (3 comments)
    says:

    I prefer recent at the bottom so it’s natural to follow on from the post and I prefer one page for the comments (even if there’s 100) .

    having the comments threaded like can be done with the latest wordpress keeps me on the page longer too.
    Andy Bailey´s last blog ..JSKIT goes to Echo and so does CommentLuv My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

  10. Brian D. Hawkins
    Twitter: ExtremeEzine
    (15 comments)
    says:

    I’m going to get Doug’s back and go with the same logic. By default WordPress lists comments in the order they were posted. When you have conversations within the comments (very common) it’s all but impossible to follow. It’s so ‘backward’ I find myself just skipping the comments all together on blogs that have reversed the comment order. Just my two cents.
    Brian D. Hawkins´s last blog ..Extreme Ezine – Social Edition | Aug09 My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

  11. Extreme John
    Twitter: extremejohn
    (165 comments)
    says:

    Love this, I am with Doug I hate the newest comments at the top it bugs me, not exactly sure why. It just does.

    As for splitting comments on to additional pages, I would probably consider a split at 50 comments, not a place my blog is at so not something I even consider. I have to like something before I will do it for SEO ya know.
    Extreme John´s last blog ..U Comment I Follow Blog List My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

  12. Karen
    Twitter: Blazing_Minds
    (1093 comments)
    says:

    Wow! Thanks for your responses everyone, I think I will leave my comment system as is, it certainly seems the most popular ;) Now I’m off to visit all your blogs …

    [Reply]

  13. Hicham
    Twitter: HichamMG
    (32 comments)
    says:

    I prefer the normal way where new comments come at the end. As for no. of page, I think 50 is OK. Anyway you’ll leave it as is, which I notcied in the previois comment
    Hicham´s last blog ..Lockerbie: Who deceived Who? My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

  14. OnionBuzz (1 comments) says:

    I like to see comments on the bottom of the post with NO need to click on the comments link. This way, I think is more comfortable!
    OnionBuzz´s last blog ..Giant Size Microbes!!! My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

  15. Kay (1 comments) says:

    I prefer to have the latest comments at the bottom, because that way I can read through them in chronological order (since I too read from top to bottom, I read the oldest ones first and so I know what’s been said before).

    About how many comments on one page I too think that 50 would be a decent number of comments to show at once.
    Kay´s last blog ..Sunday Sales My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

    Karen
    Twitter: Blazing_Minds
    (1093 comments)
    Reply:

    I find it difficult to “go with the flow” on recent comments first, I agree with you that reading comments in chronological order is so much easier.

    [Reply]

  16. Ana
    Twitter: TruAnaGoncalves
    (2 comments)
    says:

    Hey Karen,
    So glad to be here.
    I found you via Serradino’s blog.
    I have my most recent comments at the left hand side at the top.
    This is not a preferred option, it is mainly for visibility and to go in balance with the way my blog is set up. Also, captures your eye when you visit the site when you see the replied comments up there.
    In each entry post, I have a page filled with comments, and that’s in order of when it was written, till it reaches the bottom for new. That is good thinking in regards to have new comments at the top, in the exact post, but I figure if a reader has taken the time out to read the post, than they would appreciate reading the comments that go with it, from when they were first written.
    Lovely site you have here.
    Wish you well.

    [Reply]

  17. Ana
    Twitter: TruAnaGoncalves
    (2 comments)
    says:

    To add, I think 50 comments per page in blog entry is reasonable. I think if you have over this, you may not be as willing to scroll down as when you see your first couple. But then again, each person is different encoutering that experience alone, so I may not be correct on this. Lovely to stop by. I attempted to edit the previous entry, so I could add this into it, but I didn’t get the chance as it counted down. The screen was grey, but the cursor wouldn’t go into the edit box. Regards
    Ana´s last blog ..An old sketch taps into delight My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

    Karen
    Twitter: Blazing_Minds
    (1093 comments)
    Reply:

    Hi Ana, many thanks for commenting, twice ;) Must check out this edit option, to make it a big longer ;)

    [Reply]

  18. Rich (1 comments) says:

    My personal preference is to have the most recent at the top!

    [Reply]

  19. Jonny from registry winner review (1 comments) says:

    1. Lastest comment at the bottom so we know clearly about the article.
    2. 20 comments per page is enough i think.

    [Reply]

  20.  
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