"I like elephants. I like how they swing through trees."

I love this kids' song, by Eric Herman, where the father keeps getting the facts wrong, prompting the child to say the right answer.

Do you have something like this with your kids, a structure for a song or a story that moves the child to speak at intervals and to feel — along with the entertainment — a sense of participation and accomplishment?

When my son John was quite young, I had an ongoing bedtime story that I called "A Boy Named John." I'd start with really nothing at all and get as quickly as I could to the question: And what do you think happened next? Whatever answer he gave, I'd express amazement that he got it right and go with a few details and stop again with the question. His answer would always be right, and the collaborative story could go on forever.

IN THE COMMENTS: Henry Buck said:

I'm trying the opposite with my kids. I start a story, ask what happens next, then, whatever answer they give, I say: "What are you, an idiot? Geesh, you'll never amount to anything." Then I take the story on a different track. I'm hoping it will toughen them up for a bleak future.

"Many blogs have developed successful communities of commenters, with many very interesting and substantive contributions and discussions."

"Unfortunately, this has not happened here."

Lawprof Jack Balkin nixes comments. Though his co-bloggers can still turn comments on for their individual posts, he's had it with trolls and name-calling:

There is very rarely any serious analysis; mostly there is point scoring and vitriol. Many regular readers have written to say that they find the comments section a distraction and think the blog would be far better without it.

Daniel Solove, who likes his own commenters, says:

It seems to me that different blog commenting cultures arise on different blogs. I bet that the readership for Balkinization and Concurring Opinions overlaps quite a bit, yet I have noticed that the comments at Balkinization are much as Jack describes them. Why have commenting cultures developed so differently at different blogs? I don't really know the answer, and it would be interesting to figure out why commenting cultures develop in the ways that they do.

One question I'd ask is: Do you go into the comments yourself and talk with your readers or do you just look on and hope for the best and fret and contemplate total destruction when things go to hell?

Orin Kerr says:

I suspect the explanation rests largely on the different moderation practices at different blogs. If a blogger doesn't moderate comment threads at all on a widely read blog, people who want to be shocking, mean, or just irrelevant realize they can do their thing and reach a decent-sized audience....

Over time, comment moderation practices end up having a profound impact on who comments, and different approaches either attract thoughtful commenters or keep them away.

A little too much stress on commenters behaving themselves? I think I have a taste for more wildness than these other law professors. I want something exciting to happen in the comments. To me, a troll is someone who's boring, verbose, and repetitive. There's no end to how creative readers might be if you give them a place to write. You need to care about seeing that happen.

IN THE COMMENTS: Henry Buck says:

He's complaining about point-scoring and vitriol in the comments of a blog that takes its name from a play on a word for diviseness and nationalistic hatred?

Ha ha. Yeah, he's long had that slogan: "Balkinization: an unanticipated consequence of Jack M. Balkin." Which made it sound like we don't expect it and he loves it and is going to going to serve it up for our pleasure.

"So, is Bristol's baby's name one last dig at Hillary from the Palin family?"

"Sarah's first grandchild is named after Hillary's husband's nemesis...Linda Tripp! Sarah always manages to one-up Hillary!"

Wrote Zachary Paul Sire, somewhere in the long comments thread that spun out under my "Benjamin Button" commentary last night.

IN THE COMMENTS: Henry Buck says:

The Palins (I don't know about the Johnsons) just seem to like boys names that begin with Tr-

Track, Trig, Tripp ...

What's next? Trap?

EDH said:

No, Trog?

A remake by Oliver Stone, with Sarah Palin as Joan Crawford.

"Whatever the risk, this kill-crazy fiend from Hell must be destroyed!"

I prefer Trogg to make everything groovy. But if it's a dirty and sweet rock-star kid you want, call him Trex.

To stress conservatism, call him Trad.

Stay away from Trick, Truss, Troll, and Tran.

If you get twins, call them Tried and True.