I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I think for now I’m going to shut off comments. Here’s why:
1. I’m getting hammered by comment spam;
2. When I return to Malaysia, I’ll probably only be blogging once a week or so, and even with comment moderation on, that would mean spending way too much time cleaning out the garbage instead of actually writing something;
3. I don’t get a lot of comments anyway, and the ones I do get are mostly from people with whom I communicate regularly anyway (via e-mail and/or YM and/or maybe even phone, etc.). Only a few of the people who read my blog actually leave comments with any regularity.
4. I like getting e-mails that aren’t spam.
I’ve read that a lot of people don’t like blogs that don’t allow comments, and I guess they all have their reasons. But I think—at least, I hope—that whoever reads my blog won’t mind not being able to comment. Besides, anyone who really wants to leave a comment can simply e-mail me. Senang je. To me this is a great way to ensure quality commentary, since a reader might be less willing to leave a silly comment if he/she has to go through the trouble of sending an e-mail.
Oh, and of course, while I do relish the thought of the roar from the peanut gallery being reduced to a murmur, I don’t necessarily expect people like Ben Maarof, Kuku Mon, and my old pal Nizar to stop commenting. All pains in the arse at times, yes, but your comments are welcome nonetheless. If you get the urge, e-mail me.
Thanks for understanding.