Do you leave links in a comment?

[khalid]

Hi guys,

I have not figured this one out yet. If you are leaving a "meaningful" comment on a blog, what is the etiquette for leaving a link to something that relates to the discussion (yours or someone else's)? I am never sure how the blogger would feel about it so I never include links in comments.

I also noticed that problogger thinks that links in comments are good as long as they relate to the topic of discussion.

What do you think?

Khalid

[DazzlinDonna]

I would only leave a link in a comment if it was necessary - such as to prove a point, or people really need to get more information that only the link could provide. In other words, I'd have to feel it was essential to the conversation.

ADDED: I say "only" but there may have been times in the past where I've dropped a link that wasn't "essential", but I don't recall it. If I have, forgive me.

[Rich Minx]

I agree with Donna - it's something to do rarely. Otherwise it can come across as spamming.

[mrstoneman]

I'll leave a link if it is germane, but I am sparing with the things.

[ink slinger]

If I have a link that is relevant to the discuss, and will be useful to either the blogger, or his/her audience, I will leave it. Most bloggers that I know are okay with this.

On my blogs, I love when people love links in their comments, as long as they are relevant to the discussion. Of course, if they're just spamming my blog, I don't appreciate that nearly as much.

[Chris Lodge]

Relevance is the key - I had a lot of people using 'signatures' with links in every comment they left, until I (politely) asked them to stop.

A commenter recently left 5 links in one comment, and they were all relevant so they stayed.

[evelester]

ditto, if it is relevant- and not spammy, it can stay.

[rodaniel]

What Eve said! If you're using links in comments and they add something to the conversation, it's not spammy.

Just gotta take care not to post so much in a comment that you end up hijacking the post - I've been guilty of innocently bordering on that a time or two... ::hangs head in shame::

[pelf]

OK, you guys said what I had in mind!

[chrisgarrett]

Great question, I posted about it
http://www.chrisg.com/is-it-ok-to-le...s-in-comments/

I think links can help the conversation, as most of you have agreed if they are on topic