From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Tuesday, September 15th 2009 at 11:51

WEB COMMENTS: DO THEY MATTER?

I must admit, I frequently read comments posted below news articles and blogs, so I can get a sense of the mood of America (or Tucson), but are they really representative of the population?

Of course, the comments you get are based mostly on one's views of politics. The left-leaning electorate will simply praise whatever our Democratic incumbent president does, while the right-leaning readers will scoff at anything that comes out of his mouth. The same was true, in reverse, when the GOP held the top spot. That will never change.

The terms used frequently in political opposition (radicals, extremists, idiots, peacenik, warmonger, etc.) are interchangeable, depending on the situation.

Not all articles, however, have to do with politics. Sometimes comments are useful when you need to read a review on an item you plan to buy. I participate frequently in this type of commenting, as it helps others decide what type of product they should purchase. There are countless times I decided against buying a certain item that was reviewed poorly. Oftentimes, an item will get a "5 star" rating from one buyer and a "1 star" from another, so the comments are not always helpful, but sometimes they are.

Comments are also a good way to complain about bad service you've received from a company, or to offer praise for a job well done. I've experienced both.

The bottom line in all this is to step back and really think about WHY people are commenting. Do they have a grudge? Are they an insider? Are they promoting something, or trying to destroy competition? You may never know, but at least your curiosity will be piqued.

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