Really, how many times have you found yourself skimming through the article to just read the comments at the bottom of the page - to participate in the discussion going on - a sure-fire way of knowing the prime bits of information from the lengthy prose above.
Infact, so many writers write for the sake of comments - a feel that someone is reading it, and that piece is not going into an Internet void. However, in most cases the comments are at a total tangent to the article.
It is only in select serious communities that the comments are also serious or pertaining to the topic.
News topics on different Internet news links have plethora of comments, not unlike this one. Closer home there are the infamous Rediff comments, which though vile, are entertaining enough till a point.
Comments make the article, the webpage, the blog, and the Internet. They are what you read, they are what shape the future articles.