Lots of us have done it: we ‘read’ a post or an article that we disagree with in some way, then leave a hasty comment before speeding off to some other task. More often than not, this takes on a different tone than you intended. So what is correct etiquette when leaving a comment?
I started thinking about this yesterday, after doing exactly what I describe above. I followed a link in an e-newsletter and read the article (about unscrupulous SEO practices) like a typical web user: scanning for bits of interest, jumping from header to header.
How (not) to comment
I disagreed with several elements, so I left what I thought was a level, reasonable comment:
I think that many businesses do not understand what SEO is and how it can actually benefit their business. While ‘black hat’ SEO practices do exist and are unethical, this is a missed opportunity to explain what SEO is, how it can help small businesses and provide some positive tips, rather than focusing on the negative aspects.
When I came back to it to see if the writer had responded, I reread my comment with fresh eyes. Yikes; it actually sounded pretty rude. The writer had indeed answered my comment helpfully, so I commented again to say ‘thanks for your time’, using some of the manners I should have used at first.
Mind your P’s and Q’s
So, where did I go wrong? I do normally comment politely, so even from my own perspective I should have:
- started with a friendly greeting, such as ‘hello’;
- began with something positive even if I disagreed completely, such as ‘thanks for the interesting article’;
- finished with a polite ‘thanks’ or even my name, rather than just, well, nothing.
I didn’t, however, do any of this. As a result, the comment that sounded balanced in my mind, actually sounds abrupt and lacking in courtesy when on the page. Additional tips include:
- remember that the tone you intended can be lost in writing; use ‘smilies’ if you must to show ‘no hard feelings’;
- try to add something useful that will provide another element to the argument (for or against);
- keep to the point; don’t digress into a long-winded answer that nobody has the time (or will) to read;
- ‘speak’ to people online as you would in real life.
Poor comments can spread bad feeling
Anyway, I’m pretty nosey too and saw that the writer is also on Twitter. I saw one of their Tweets which, based on the timing, I think was about my comment:
Quite annoyed at commenters who a) lack humour and b) skip to the end to comment without bothering to read the feature. GRRR.
Ouch. Yep, think I deserved that.
I write blog posts and articles, so I know how much time and effort goes into putting one together. Even if you have a different point of view to the author, remember that they’ve probably put a lot of work into their article. So, if you leave a comment, be polite and contribute to the conversation.
Here are a couple of other good posts to read on comment etiquette:
Posted: March 27th, 2009 | Author: admin | Filed under: Social networking, Writing style | Tags: comments etiquette tips | 4 Comments »
As more and more companies provide and actively encourage their stakeholders to access corporate information online, accessibility is becoming an even greater issue.
Accessible websites benefit everyone, both visitors and business. But research shows that many corporate websites are still failing to reach even minimum accessibility standards.
Accessibility is a legal requirement for many businesses
Service providers in the UK have been legally required to provide accessible websites and applications since 1999. According to the Disability Discrimination Act, businesses have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to enable a disabled person to make use of its services, including those provided online.
A website’s design should make sure all users can have full and equal access to both services and information. If not, they run the risk of being accused of discrimination against people with disabilities, followed by being sued and receiving a lot of negative publicity.
All visitors benefit from more accessible websites
However, an accessible website isn’t just for people with disabilities. All visitors benefit from more accessible websites, from faster loading times through to easier-to-read text.
Accessible websites also benefit visitors with changing abilities, such as age-related issues, or people accessing information using both older (dial-up internet) and newer (mobile handsets) technologies.
Corporate websites serve audiences with diverse needs
Corporate websites provide information ranging from shareholder resources through to job vacancies. Consider two typical, very different audiences that would benefit from a more accessible website:
- Retired employees: many older visitors suffer from age-related issues, such as poor vision and mobility difficulties (where using a mouse may be a problem). They also often use older equipment or browsers to access information.
- Institutional shareholders: analysts often need to access financial information quickly via, for example, mobile handsets and platforms. They might also be using a slower internet connection reliant on a good mobile signal.
Accessibility provides tangible business benefits
Organisations with corporate websites that meet minimum accessibility requirements experience a number of business benefits. For example, the website will have an greater audience reach, it will be ‘future proofed’ as technologies change and its content will be optimised for search engines.
A popular case study is Legal & General, which launched a new website in 2006. It saw a massive increase in conversion rates (people asking for quotes), its search engine rankings significantly improved and it experienced a 100 per cent return on investment (ROI) within just 6 months, among many other benefits.
Corporate websites need to do better
In March 2006, Nomensa conducted research that showed ‘almost 75 per cent of businesses in the FTSE 100 list of companies fail to meet the minimum requirements for website accessibility’, as set by the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Why are so many corporate websites failing on this front? There are a number of reasons, many of which may be practical but certainly aren’t an excuse. These range from under-resourcing through to a lack of in-house knowledge.
Some useful accessibility starting points
Convinced but not sure where to start in the short term? Try some of the following simple (but not necessarily quick) checks:
- Make sure your text is presented in short paragraphs, using plain English, lists and descriptive headings.
- Make sure your headings are in header tags and in the correct hierarchy.
- Add and use appropriate alt text for all images, where applicable.
- Check for good colour contrast between the text and the background.
- Check that links are descriptive and easily distinguishable from other text (e.g. underlined and in a different colour).
- Ensure that body text is a reasonable default font size and can be increased by the reader.
- Provide text transcripts for any video material or podcasts.
The following websites also provide some good starting points and quick reference documents:
Where to go for more information
This article also appeared on Corporate Eye as my first guest post!
Posted: March 13th, 2009 | Author: admin | Filed under: Accessibility | Tags: Accessibility, corporate, wcag | No Comments »
