Sad questions; indigestible answers

I've read a few sad stories recently --- sad for different reasons.

Should I add fake comments to my blog?, asks a Problogger reader. Well, I'm aware of some skullduggery and deception that go on in the blogosphere, but the idea of fake comments is somewhat breathtaking.  Reminds me a bit of those agony aunts who make up the problems.

Here is a genuinely sad story: the admirable and worthy librarian and queen of the wikis Meredith Farkas asks Is my book out? Good question. She's having a raw deal, made more poignant if you've been following the gestation and progress of her book via her blog over the past year or more.

Indigestible reading for libraries. Yes, Tim Coates is at it again, telling tales out of school and making everyone sad or cross (or both). There seems to be no way out of this one, a sort of mass paralysis on all sides.

That's it from me for tonight, I will return with some happier content.....sometime.

Comments

[Debra Hamel]

I was that ProBlogger article myself, though I only skimmed the comments. I was surprised that the question was asked, let alone taken seriously. Doesn't dishonesty offend people?

[Maxine]

Maybe not everybody. In his answer to the question, Problogger says that he faked comments in his early days of blogging, so it isn't as shocking a concept to some people as it is to others. It would never even have occurred to me until I read that post on Problogger, which just goes to show how naive I am.
Anyone who tracks blogs can see that commenting does not necessarily relate direct to traffic, so you are not "proving" anything by pretending to have lots of comments. Beats me why people do it (if they do).