Dan and I have been talking about the blog here at the CHI Drug Discovery conference we are both attending. The blog was born of a night having beers here five years ago. We were wondering why we barely ever get comments (and if you exclude Peter Kenny the total asymptotically approaching zero). If you just look at the blog we look like two cranks writing a blog no one reads (and Dan would be the crazier one because he writes more of the posts). However, our web traffic is good and constantly increasing. We have wondered if it is because people don't want to comment from work (where Big Brother is always watching). Or if people have nothing to say (I find that hard to believe). So, what can we do to get you all to comment more?
Dan's latest post on the FBDD conference is a good example. I KNOW many of your were there, but no one has anything to add?
*Shrug* Personally, I don't really have much to add. I mostly read the blog to keep current on what's going on in FBDD (something that your posts excel at), and it seems silly just to chime in to a post and say 'cool'.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is very informative about FBDD. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteChristophe Verlinde
Although it is not my primary reason for commenting, I have found that making a comment usually leads to an increase in page loads at FBDD & MolDes. Occasionally, people have been in touch with me offline about comments I've made at Practical Fragments.
ReplyDeleteThe comments that I find most useful as a blogger are those that challenge and build upon what has been posted. In LinkedIn (e.g. MedChem & Drug Discovery group) discussions it is rare to see input from Pharma scientists. I suspect that many feel uneasy about getting joining a discussion in which they can become ensnared. This should be less of a problem here because you allow anonymous commenting.
When reading a blog post on a scientific article, I like to see a critical view in which the conclusions of the study are challenged and questioned. However, it is not just a matter of taking poor work and ranting about how shite it all is.
The blog is fantastic and I regularly alert my group members to check it out. Its great for seeing the new technologies being applied to FBDD as I am not an avid RSS guy or get out to many meetings.
ReplyDeleteRE the comments - personally I am not a huge fan of the blogger comment interface with the anti-spam stuff. I regularly comment on Derek Lowe's blog and find it much quicker to note down some thoughts.
Also comments tend to come from controversy and I think the current FBDD community is quite a contented bunch.
I'm going to comment here, just to look like I'm paying attention...
ReplyDeleteLearning a lot from these well written posts I am. A move on FBDD my boss may make. Untill then, lurking I will.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Pamplemousse. It's interesting and I always read it -- but I don't have anything substantive to add on FBDD.
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ReplyDeleteAs a lowly PhD student I don't really have anything to contribute, but this blog is awesome and I always keep up to date with posts and helps me find all the articles which I'm sure I should have already read!
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