Livre d'Or

So, it turns out that for most bloggers on most blogs, comments are the problem, not the reward.

This is so fascinating and so right.

I think LJ was successful at what it dd precisely because it allowed comments in a way that encouraged conversation, AND ALSO because it allowed people to choose who could participate in those conversations.

But the main model of comments on mainstream blogs has been for people to interact with the blogger, rather than with one another, and like you say, those reactions are usually variations on "I agree" and "I disagree" and it's the the people who disagree who have more incentive to go into detail about why.