We're halfway through No-Comments Week -- the second such week in the five-year history of this blog -- and it's been an interesting experience. Unlike the last time we did this, it's become clear to us this week that the comments play an important part in this blog's function. Lots of folks come here multiple times a day because of the constant addition of new material that the comments bring. They really do make the site seem much more alive.

Of course, they're a distraction to the blog host. Watching over them takes up time, and often they raise one's blood pressure a bit. Threads can drift way off topic, and unkind and unfair things are sometimes said -- especially by those who choose to hide behind pseudonyms. The personalities and viewpoints of the commenters can easily get mixed up with that of the host, which is usually no fun for either.

But it just ain't the same without them. Cutting them off costs us more than it gains us. If we're going to keep doing this, it's the only way.