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For a very long time I made it a point never to read comments sections of blogs. After all, I was there to read what the author had to say, not wade through a moronic flame war. I trusted the author’s opinions. Commentors, on the other hand, were totally unvetted. Any idiot could spout their crackpot ideas in the comments section.

I’ve since learned that certain bloggers foster thoughtful, intelligent communities, and that the interaction of the community in the comment section leads to a richer experience overall. Now there are a handful of blogs where I make it a point to scroll down to read what the blog’s community has to say, every time. I enjoy the debate, I feel like I’ve learned more from it. And sometimes I even join in.

But the bigger online news sources rarely attract dialogue to their comments sections. They only attract one-trick pony commentors who jump on their little Public Internet soapbox, shoot their wad, then troll off to find another article to spoil.

This is how I always imagine these commentors: angry and balding, hunched over their keyboard, spittle spattering the screen (they say each word out loud as they type). “Equal rights mean equal responsibilities, you asshole cyclists! Get off the road! Get off the sidewalk! Don’t run stop signs, you stupid fixie-loving hipsters! If you condescending idiot lycra-clad speed demons actually want to be taken seriously you have to grow a pair and license your bikes like I license my car! I’m tired of subsidizing your slacker hippie lifestyles with my gas taxes!!!”

Each time they see an article that mentions cycling, they cackle in glee, glad for another opportunity to inflict their viewpoint upon the world.

I cheer myself up by imagining them dying of a stress-and-anger-induced heart attack mid keystroke. (I’m maybe not a charitable person.)

I’m thinking about this today because I’ve forgotten my original aversion to comments section, and got my blood boiling by reading the comments on a rather nice cycling article at a well-known website. I almost even jumped into the fray. To set matters straight, you know.

But then I realized that the people who posted those comments are long gone. Either they’ve wandered off to smear vitriol on another corner of the net, or they’ve keeled over onto their keyboards and their yappy dogs are starting to nibble on their ankles. (Please let it be the latter.) Even if they were waiting around to see what I had to say in reply, they aren’t looking for dialogue.

It’s made me really appreciate the blogs I frequent that have intentionally created community, like Seattle Bike Blog, Lovely Bicycle, and Lets Go Ride a Bike. There is often disagreement in those places, but there is always dialogue. Thanks, folks, for your hard work there.

How ’bout you? Where do you go for online cycling community? What places do you avoid?