The People Speak: Commenters on GearJunkie.com

Spammers. Flamers. Concerned readers and citizens? Like letters to the editor in the days of yore, comments on a blog post are a gauge of reader interest or passion on a subject. Here are five popular and heavily-commented articles published on GearJunkie.com, plus an analysis of why I think these topics spark such an interest with readers on the site.

Article: "SIGG bottles contain BPA"

http://gearjunkie.com/sigg-bottles-bpa

Comments: 17

Highlighted reader comment: "I feel so duped. I spent a fortune buying Sigg bottles for all my friends and co-workers, assuring them of the safety of these bottles. Hordes of people got them from me as Christmas presents, and I started a large collection of personal bottles. . .".

My take: SIGG let down a lot of people last year when it was discovered that the bottle maker used a lining that contained the controversial chemical BPA. Readers were mad, and so was the writer of this article (me).

Article: "Men Who Shave Their Legs"

http://gearjunkie.com/men-who-shave-their-legs

Comments: 31

Highlighted reader comment: "I am a masculine fit active guy, I like to keep my body fit, clean and smooth. I shave all my body smooth from nose to toes, it's not a gay thing, it's a personal preference. When did body hair become a sexual determination if you are gay or not?"

My take: There is a weird interest in this subject. Search "men who shave their legs" on Google and Gear Junkie comes up on top. This story -- about male bike racers and triathletes who shave -- gets an interesting mix of readers and commenters concerned with everything from sexuality to a slipstream tuck on a bike. Warning: There are some spam battles and bad language in these reader posts.

Article: "Vibram FiveFingers Running Shoes"

http://gearjunkie.com/gear-review-vibram-usa-fivefingers

Comments: 51

Highlighted reader comment: "As a barefoot runner for nearly 7 years, the most important thing is to properly transition to barefoot running. VFFs are a decent alternative when barefooting isn t possible, but they do not substitute the slower training needed before you can use them. Regarding heel-striking, this is caused ONLY when wearing traditional running shoes due to their positive heel design. This along with over-cushioned design elements cause the feet to become lazy and cause a medley of injuries. "

My take: Barefoot running is a big trend. I wrote about it a couple years ago before it caught fire. My Vibram FiveFingers Running Shoe review is a top-viewed take on the company's strange foot-glove shoes. Many commenters give advice here or ask question to fellow readers. These comments are some of the best and most informed on the site.

Article: "Alleghenies Adventure Sweepstakes"

http://gearjunkie.com/alleghenies-adventure-sweepstakes

Comments: 154

Highlighted reader comments: "Nature at its best -- fun, fun, and more fun!" "Excellent! What a great way to introduce my wife to the EAST!" and "Skipppeeeeee!"

My take: I have no idea. Our most heavily-commented article ever, which announced the 2009 "Alleghenies Adventure Sweepstakes" contest, was destroyed by more than 150 mostly odd and mysterious commenters. I mean, "Skipppeeeeee!" Come on, now. What is this? We looked into it. These weren't from a spam job either. The comments came from 150+ unique visitors apparently enthralled with the chance of winning a trip.

Article: "World's 10 Most Dangerous Mountains"

http://gearjunkie.com/worlds-10-most-dangerous-mountains

Comments: 24

Highlighted reader comments: "Massif du Mont-Blanc is the most dangerous mountain, it has claimed the most lives. Why is it not in the list? Why are Fuji and Mt Washington even mentioned, is this a joke? Have you ever climbed a mountain?"

My take: This article, which was syndicated from Mensvogue.com of all places, is not a scientific analysis, but more a tour of the world's most dangerous mountains. The title is a bit deceiving, I see now, and commenters are right to have some opinions on other dangerous mountains that did not make the lis

Spammers. Flamers. Concerned readers and citizens? Like letters to the editor in the days of yore, comments on a blog post are a gauge of reader interest or passion on a subject. Here are five popular and heavily-commented articles published on GearJunkie.com, plus an analysis of why I think these topics spark such an interest with readers on the site.

Article: "SIGG bottles contain BPA"

http://gearjunkie.com/sigg-bottles-bpa

Comments: 17

Highlighted reader comment: "I feel so duped. I spent a fortune buying Sigg bottles for all my friends and co-workers, assuring them of the safety of these bottles. Hordes of people got them from me as Christmas presents, and I started a large collection of personal bottles. . .".

My take: SIGG let down a lot of people last year when it was discovered that the bottle maker used a lining that contained the controversial chemical BPA. Readers were mad, and so was the writer of this article (me).

Photo: (C) Gear Junkie LLC
Page on GearJunkie.com

Article: "Men Who Shave Their Legs"

http://gearjunkie.com/men-who-shave-their-legs

Comments: 31

Highlighted reader comment: "I am a masculine fit active guy, I like to keep my body fit, clean and smooth. I shave all my body smooth from nose to toes, it's not a gay thing, it's a personal preference. When did body hair become a sexual determination if you are gay or not?"

My take: There is a weird interest in this subject. Search "men who shave their legs" on Google and Gear Junkie comes up on top. This story -- about male bike racers and triathletes who shave -- gets an interesting mix of readers and commenters concerned with everything from sexuality to a slipstream tuck on a bike. Warning: There are some spam battles and bad language in these reader posts.

Article: "Vibram FiveFingers Running Shoes"

http://gearjunkie.com/gear-review-vibram-usa-fivefingers

Comments: 51

Highlighted reader comment: "As a barefoot runner for nearly 7 years, the most important thing is to properly transition to barefoot running. VFFs are a decent alternative when barefooting isn t possible, but they do not substitute the slower training needed before you can use them. Regarding heel-striking, this is caused ONLY when wearing traditional running shoes due to their positive heel design. This along with over-cushioned design elements cause the feet to become lazy and cause a medley of injuries. "

My take: Barefoot running is a big trend. I wrote about it a couple years ago before it caught fire. My Vibram FiveFingers Running Shoe review is a top-viewed take on the company's strange foot-glove shoes. Many commenters give advice here or ask question to fellow readers. These comments are some of the best and most informed on the site.

Photo: (C) Gear Junkie LLC
Gear Junkie page

Article: "Alleghenies Adventure Sweepstakes"

http://gearjunkie.com/alleghenies-adventure-sweepstakes

Comments: 154

Highlighted reader comments: "Nature at its best -- fun, fun, and more fun!" "Excellent! What a great way to introduce my wife to the EAST!" and "Skipppeeeeee!"

My take: I have no idea. Our most heavily-commented article ever, which announced the 2009 "Alleghenies Adventure Sweepstakes" contest, was destroyed by more than 150 mostly odd and mysterious commenters. I mean, "Skipppeeeeee!" Come on, now. What is this? We looked into it. These weren't from a spam job either. The comments came from 150+ unique visitors apparently enthralled with the chance of winning a trip.

Article: "World's 10 Most Dangerous Mountains"

http://gearjunkie.com/worlds-10-most-dangerous-mountains

Comments: 24

Highlighted reader comments: "Massif du Mont-Blanc is the most dangerous mountain, it has claimed the most lives. Why is it not in the list? Why are Fuji and Mt Washington even mentioned, is this a joke? Have you ever climbed a mountain?"

My take: This article, which was syndicated from Mensvogue.com of all places, is not a scientific analysis, but more a tour of the world's most dangerous mountains. The title is a bit deceiving, I see now, and commenters are right to have some opinions on other dangerous mountains that did not make the list.

--Stephen Regenold is founder and editor of www.gearjunkie.com.