Creston wrote on Sep 28, 2011, 13:38:
So in the grand scheme of things, the comments section isn't all that important.
Quick observation -- news web sites live and die by hit count. Hits are driven by two things, a steady current of news postings throughout the day, and comment sections. People read the article, then some choose to read more by clicking on the comments, and then some of those choose to reply, and then check in that thread over and over.
Each one of these is a hit, and each hit creates value, and value drives advertising sales.
The Comment section is indeed that important.