Spammers on the internet are indiscriminate. They target everyone. I've been getting more and more spam comments each day, and the sheer number I have to delete is getting overwhelming. It's very frustrating and led me to decide that I need to cut out the comments.

Then: My idealistic view of comments

The purpose of this website is to push the boundaries of social "norms" and challenge people (including myself) to think differently about their lives and encourage more thinking outside the box.

As such I thought it was important that all articles be open to comments. I wanted audience participation and while I have received some quite brilliant comments, most of my comment-handling time is wasted on deleting spam.

I wanted this website to be a two way communication - a place where like-minded people could challenge each other and engage in stimulating conversation - but my dreams are being dashed by an influx of comments recommending cheap website hosting, Russian brides, or Viagra, and sometimes all three!

Now: Less comments

The result is that I have decided to close comments on articles after 14 days. That allows just enough time for readers with fresh ideas to respond but will hopefully limit the amount of spam I have to manage.

But I still want to hear from you if you have something to say to me. Remember there are other ways to contact me (email, twitter etc) so don't hesitate to start a conversation with me there.

The future: A forum?

As I keep writing here, and as my reader base grows I will flirt with implementing some other features that would provide a more interactive experience. Ideally I am thinking a self-moderated forum would be perfect - a place where positive people discuss new concepts and challenge each other to achieve more but we will see. I think it's a bit early for that right now.

Of course I am open to other ideas too, so once if you've got something good on your mind leave a comment (in the next 14 days!) or contact me.

Now that my inbox will be (hopefully) less spam-riddled I can get back into writing. :)

Image: Patchareeya99