Good points. Although I can't answer and of your SEO related questions since I don't know the answers, I can say that I've done my best to try and cultivate active commenters to this site. Over the years, the comments on WPTavern have been filled with equally or more interesting information than I would present in a post.

It takes a lot of work and effort to establish that community if it forms at all. It is a huge time investment, moderating, reading, and hoping to find that time to reply to people so they don't think they're in an empty room.

I hope commenting doesn't become that thing we refer to when we say "back in the old days".