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| I need your help. Do you reply to comments? |
I’ve been participating in the Slice of Life Challenge for the last 31 days. During the challenge nearly 150 people were posting writing each day on their blogs. Each day everyone was finding something to write. Participants joined for a variety of reasons, but it wasn't long until what emerged was a caring writing community. Though I enjoyed the writing I was soon as addicted to reading and leaving comments for people as I was at trying to get my post written.
Of course, I’m not going to lie, I enjoyed getting comments on my blog too. As I read comments I began to notice a pattern in the types of comments people left on the blog. I also began to wonder about replying to the comments. Should I be just reading them and considering the comments? Should I be replying? When should I reply? How do I let people know I have replied? Do people who comment check back to see if a reply has been posted?
When I leave a comment I typically do not check back to see if a comment I’ve made has had further conversation or a reply. I typically do not request to receive an email for further comments on the reply or the post either. For this reason, I don’t typically reply to comments left on my blog. I typically smile to myself, shout an “amen”, ponder further thinking, or react in some way, but I do not typically reply. I just didn’t think anyone came back to read.
Should We Reply
During this challenge I’ve noticed a few things about replies. Some blog writers reply often and to everyone. Some blog writers reply on occasion. Other blog writers, probably assuming no one checks back, do not reply to comments. At one point in the challenge I had someone remind me they were waiting on a reply to a previous comment.
I loved the way Kevin (@dogtrax) one day tweeted that he had replied to the comments on a conversation about Facebook that had generated quite a bit of discussion. I thought that was such a smart idea.
So I’m Wondering....
- Do you reply to comments on your blog?
- Do you go back to check for replies to the comments you leave?
- What do you think?
Please comment. I might even reply. ;o)
Hi Kathy, when I know someone does reply, I often remember to check back. Sometimes, I reply, but it often takes so much time... I would rather reply & hope the writer checks, but then if I reply & they don't... It's a matter of time. I've worked a lot today commenting, because I missed some days commenting & I wanted to connect with many people if I could, but I just don't have time every day. What do you think? (I'll check back!)
ReplyDeleteLinda,
DeleteYou are so right. It is completely a matter of time. I like to have time to go to other blogs to read and comment. There are so many great blogs out there. What is the best way to use our time? I am still trying to figure it out. Hopefully the comments will help me to decide.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Cathy
It does slow down after April, or at least it did last year. I form my own challenge in April, writing poetry, but after that it's mostly Mon., Tues. & Friday. Less time makes one more enthusiastic for the days I do write. But I still read every day! Whew!
DeleteI try to respond to comments on my blog (sometimes they slip past without me remembering to do so).
ReplyDeleteWhen I comment elsewhere I keep the post open in a tab for about a week to follow the conversation.
I do have to agree that time is a critical piece.
Jenny,
DeleteI have noticed you reply to posts. I always think it makes the conversation stronger. I like the idea of keeping the tabs open on posts you want to follow for a few days to read the conversation around them. I have a "read later" feature that would work perfectly. Thanks for the great suggestions!
Cathy
I go either way. Sometimes I reply and sometimes I don't. I rarely go back to see if someone has replied to one of my comments on their blog. I think if I got an email notifying me I would be more likely to check back, continue the conversation, etc. which could be interesting. Thanks for the question! Made me think a bit.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. I'm like you, I rarely check back to see if the author has replied. I like Jenny's idea to leave the tab open on conversations she wants to follow.
DeleteCathy,
ReplyDeleteI TRY to respond to comments on my blog. I feel like if someone takes the time to respond to something, I can try and take the time to respond back. Like you, I enjoy getting comments and appreciate the feedback. The Slice has also opened my eyes about the importance of me leaving feedback when I read blogs. I read lots, but rarely share my thinking when finished. I look forward to letting bloggers know how much I appreciate their efforts now. So... Thanks for the helping me reflect and think this morning!
Barbara,
DeleteInterestingly I've learned a lot about commenting through the challenge as well. I know how much I appreciated hearing from others and often felt like I should respond more than I was. Time was a huge factor in the challenge....but that should be better now. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Cathy
I'm REALLY bad about commenting, though at a kidlitosphere conference Bill and I attended three years ago, one of the panelists said that the person who should be commenting the most is the author of the post. During the slice challenge, I truly don't know where I could have found any more time to reply to folks. And my question is, do people really check back?
ReplyDeleteThis is a great question you pose.
Karen,
DeleteIt looks like some people do check back. I think I'm going to try to reply more often --- not to everything as I think that would be impossible. Maybe a quick summary reply after a post has been up for a few days would work for some posts.
Karen, I always appreciate your comments. Thanks so much!
Cathy
Before the challenge I replied to all of the comments on my blog but during the slice challenge, I didn't. There was no way I could comment on as many blogs I did, write a slice, and reply to comments. Something had to give. The only comments I replied to were ones that someone asked me a question.
ReplyDeleteSo I think, moving forward, I will reply if someone has asked me something. Because when I comment on blogs the only time I check back is if I asked something. Otherwise I'll assume that I'm good. :)
Katherine,
DeleteI'm thinking time is a huge factor to consider. I too want to get around and comment on the posts I read. I think I'll try to reply when appropriate as you said. Another one of those things I'll need to find a balance in doing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Cathy
And the other question is...how many people subscribe to the comments so they don't have to go back and check for answers to questions, etc.??? I do...very infrequently.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very good question. I wonder about that too. You seem to reply to comments quite often on your blog. It does seem to improve the conversation when the author of the post jumps in to add to the conversation afterwards. (By the way, I hope you don't mind that I shared your comment. I know you were just adding to the discussion, but it did make me stop to think that people might be looking for responses more often than I was providing them. I need to work on that.)
ReplyDeleteI have subscribed before, and that's a help, and one person emailed me their question. I will sometimes reply, and if I think a person really wants to know or I want them to know I said something, I'll go to their blog and comment fully there or direct them back to my page to read the comment. I think I'm going to start to subscribe, though. It has to be easier. Now if I think I'm going to get a response, I will keep the page open for the whole day and refresh it to see if there is one. Otherwise, I'm not going back to everyone and see if there was another question or re-comment. Definitely subscribing by email right now for this and trying it out, so you can try it! Good post.
ReplyDeleteDonna,
DeleteI think subscribing to follow is a good idea. I might have to try that. There are times when I read a post and know it is going to be a great conversation. I also like your idea to go to the person's blog to leave a comment. Linda at TeacherDance just did that the other day, and it helped me to know to return to read more. I sometimes send replies to people on Twitter who have commented. That seems to work too. Thanks for joining the conversation.
Yes, this works great! Comes right in the mail, so I know and can get right here again by clicking on "Post a comment". I'm going to start doing this. Much more efficient than checking back.
DeleteI've been thinking about this post since I read it and have tried to be more conscious of how I handle comments. I know that comments keep me motivated to write more, so I have tried very hard to comment on other writers' posts. That also leads me to believe that if people are kind enough to comment on one of my posts, I should respond in some way. Time is always an issue (and was especially difficult during the Slice challenge!)Thanks for always pushing my thinking.
ReplyDeleteLaura,
DeleteI try to comment on at least 3 post each day, but I read so many more. I'm trying to get better about at least leaving a quick comment, but time is always a factor.
Cathy
I have had the same questions!
ReplyDelete