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Confusion About Ownership Of Comments, With Blogs Using Google+ Comments

We're seeing a few problem reports, about ownership of comments, published against blogs using Google+ Comments, in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken.
Why can't I delete comments?
or
Why can't I reply to comments?
or
Why don't I get notifications of comments, posted against my blog?
These blog owners do not understand who owns the comments, when they are posted against their blogs.

With Blogger Comments, the comments are jointly owned by the blog owner and the comment publisher. With Google+ Comments, on the other hand, the comment publisher has sole ownership of a comment published - even if that comment references your blog. This ownership policy does not please all blog owners.

Comments on a Blogger blog are treated the same as Google+ posts, with a Blogger blog using Google+ Comments.

You are the owner of a Google+ stream post, that you publish.

If you publish a Google+ post, and mention somebody else's blog or blog post (or website, in general), you own that Google+ post. That Google+ post is exclusively yours to delete or edit - and to set reply (aka "comment") permission. In your Google+ Settings wizard, you can set per circle permissions, who can comment on your public posts (or reply to your public comments, against a blog).

A Google+ comment, mentioning your blog, is somebody else's stream post.

If somebody else comments on a post in your blog, they own that comment (Google+ "post"). That Google+ post is exclusively theirs to delete or edit - and to set reply ("comment") permission. In their Google+ Settings wizard, they can set per circle permissions, who can comment on their public posts (or reply to their comments, against a blog).

Along with confusion about comment ownership, there is confusion about comment visibility, with Google+ Comments.

Stream post ownership is not affected by content, ie reference to your blog.

If you see a comment from another person, published publicly or to a circle which includes you, it's still their comment (or Google+ post) - their reference to your blog is simply not relevant. Their "comment" permissions control your ability to reply to their comments - again, their commenting against your blog is not relevant.
  1. You cannot delete or edit comments made by other people.
  2. You cannot reply to all comments made by other people.
  3. You cannot even see all comments made by other people.
  4. Even comments which you can see, you may not be able to forward, or reply, depending upon per comment setting by the publisher.
Again, all of this applies whether or not the comment references your blog.

Community moderation gives every Google+ comment reader the same rights.

If you object to a comment, published to your blog, you can report that comment as "spam or abuse", just as any other Google+ member can do. With Google+, abuse reporting is a community activity. You have no need to "moderate" (either before, or after publishing) any comments, made against your blog - except when convenient.

Concentrate more on your blog, and less on comment spam.

If you do decide to use Google+ Comments on your blog, be aware of the known problems with Google+ Comments.

Comments

Virginia Lamkin said…
Thanks for the information. I decided to remove Google+ comments from my blog. I do not like the idea that others could take my posts and comment without my knowledge I also do not like the concept of joint ownership.
Tito said…
I was just reading http://productforums.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!category-topic/blogger/l02w2YK_0Gw[1-25-true]

That post has some suggestions which I personally don't prefer— (from that post's bullet list)— posting blog link in other blog's comment. I hate such comments (hey, nice blog, see my blog "link"). I generally delete such comments which do not have substantial content.

Now, it seems it will be more difficult, since as you have told, we may not delete all (G+) comments.
Nitecruzr said…
Tito,

That's a good point. Whenever using another host (blog, forum, website) for advertising your blog, you need to be very sensitive to the conventions and policies observed by the host. Only post comments and links where your comments will be welcomed.

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2013/11/market-your-blog-to-those-who-are.html

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