
Ask HN: Does comment syndication bother you? - zeedotme
Guys, I wanted to ask your thoughts on comment syndication<p>Two YC startups, Backtype and Disqus both provide publishers/bloggers with ways to collect comments about their content from across the web in the comments section of the page/post (and includes the username and link back to the original comment)<p>Can you please vote:
1. Yes I mind 
2. No, I don't mind<p>Many thanks.
======
TallGuyShort
I think it's a very useful technology, and I don't think anything should be
done to prevent people from doing it (edit: publishing that data needs to be
done carefully to avoid plagiarism). The web is the web, and any available
information is, in my opinion, up for grabs. Of course, there are exceptions,
but I think if you post a comment on a publicly-viewable website, it's public
domain.

However, having said that, I know someone who keeps very close tabs on people
using similar software - and the information he's found about them is actually
disconcerting. What he does borders on harassment, I think.

------
zeedotme
We use the Backtype plugin on TheNextWeb (example here:
<http://thenextweb.com/2009/06/02/web-death-google/>) and up until now, we
have had no complaints and only requests for how people could do it
themselves. Today, one person, a Hacker News reader Gojomo
(<http://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=gojomo>) called us out then called us
"sleazy" which frankly, whether comment syndication is a problem or not, is
just out of order.

~~~
icey
What's irritating is the "Discussions" section on your front page.

It makes it seem as though the user is commenting on your site; not that
you're scraping it off of another site.

~~~
zeedotme
I understand what you're saying but you gotta appreciate it's rather difficult
to get round. Plus, I still feel it's discussion based on our content and
rather reasonable to have there.

~~~
sho
_"I still feel it's discussion based on our content and rather reasonable to
have there"_

By that logic, any and all of the companies you discuss on your site have the
right to republish anything _you_ write, since it's "based on their content"
(press releases/announcements). Is that "rather reasonable" as well?

~~~
zeedotme
absolutely! as long as they link back - for sure.

~~~
sho
Monetising your content with ads, and setting rel="nofollow" like you do? I
have a hard time believing you'd be as delighted as you claim.

