Marginal Notes Triggered by the U.C. Davis Seminar on Historical Scholarship and New Media
Three Models for Running One's Weblog's Comment Section:
- The Germanic Model: The weblog proprietor is Herr Doktor Professor or Frau Doktorin Professorin. The proprietor runs the virtual seminar with an iron hand, eager to have students bring out the important points (for they are much more likely to be remembered when they emerge out of the seminar than when they are handed down from on high), but still more eager to make sure that the important points are brought out and that the seminar discussion is kept on track. The comment section is the ideas that are brought out.
- The American Model: The weblog proprietor is the host at a party, responsible for providing the refreshments (the posts and the links), but then standing back and letting the commenters have a good time. They are, after all the party. Regrettably, some will have to be asked to leave and driven home after they have embarrassed themselves, but the host's role is limited to helping people avoid self-embarrassment. The comment section is the participants who enjoy themselves.
- The Australian Nodel: The weblog proprietor gets out of the way as fast as they can. The comment section is the Thunderdome.
