This week I had made a comment on a blog with a question. According to silent Blogger rules, the blogger I had visited should now come to my blog, look at what I have to show and tell, make a comment and at the same time could also answer my question. That's what I usually do when there is no email, but I have an email which I made public for this purpose. That's at least how it was when I started blogging.
Now to my surprise instead of answering my question I get an email telling me that the answer is in the blog comments to which I should go back to read the answer. (why make it simple if you can make it complicated) I thanked for the email and said that I never go back to a blog once I made my comment. How could I, if I don't want to spent 24 h to check out if I got comments on my comments, answer new comments on my blog, prepare quickly a post to be published and start again to see if there are answers on my comments on the new posts.
Only the thought of it makes me dizzy and I need my calculator. Imagine I get 30 comments per day, that means that I have to visit 30 blogs, otherwise it wouldn't be polite. I make my 30 comments on the 30 Blogger's posts. I am not a marathon commenter, and like to read what people write especially when it is interesting. Making appropriate comments takes time. If you copy and paste your comments everywhere it takes of course less time.
And I too have to prepare a new posts.
Since a little while some bloggers created real forums on their blogs and you can spend the whole day there to comment on comments and recomment on comments and rererecomment etc. Instead of making my 30 visits I would have to make 60, I have to go back to all 30 blogs to see if there is any answer or comment on my comment. Meanwhile there are again 30 comments which makes 90 comments and then I have to go back to see if there are comments on my comments which makes 120 comments on comments, and probably I didn't even calculate correctly !
Now the question is how many hours has a day ? When do I have the time to read the new comments if I have to check my old comments to see if there is an answer comment ??
I get lost. I avoid to ask a question and even if I do, I don't go back to see if there is an answer or not. To me this is no blogging anymore. If I want to have written conversations I would subscribe in a Forum.
On top of all this, there is also the time difference. When I get up it's tea time in Australia and the Americans are in bed or at least should be. We are not on our computers at the same time. Maybe I should consider to put an alarm clock to wake me up so that I can see if I got a comment on a comment I made the day before ?
I totally agree with you!!! I follow the rules you mentioned, never ever answer on my blog because I don't expect that interested reader to come back to an old post. A short e-mail works best for me, but I also leave answers on the other blogger's blog.
ReplyDeleteYou said it very well: this is not a marathon!! it should be fun and enjoyable, not an obligation.
Enjoy your weekend. Give Arthur an extra and gentle pat on his head. I would do it myself but I am busy commenting on the PH, ha!
I wonder if it was me that sent that email LOL.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a very good point with this post. It should be enjoyable and a blogger shouldn't feel obligated.
As you know I answer every comment made on my blog. I think my biggest mistake is that I also comment on those blogs that I follow even though they don't comment on mine. There are many that I do that to daily and am lucky to get one comment a week from. I've got to change the way I do this and only comment on those that comment on my blog I think.
I like everyone seeing the comments and my response. If they come back fine, if they don't fine. But what I do notice is that many times when someone reads the comment left by someone else, it sparks a new comment or thought. When you respond Gattina to my comments no one gets to see your wit and charm the way I do. That's why I don't email my responses to the comment.
I don't think there is a right and wrong. You just have to handle it the best way you see fit and can put into your schedule. I do know, I have to change this commenting on everything that I subscribe to method. I'm not trying to sound like I'm too big or to popular to think I don't appreciate those that only comment maybe weekly, I do. And I know I'm not that popular or big that I can still respond to all comments made. But there comes a point and time when decisions of how you handle your blog have to be made and how much time you can devote to blogging.
Luckily there is no right and wrong to this I think. If I ask a question in a comment and the person I respond to doesn't come back to answer...oh well...no big deal to me. It's out there and always will be and if I never find out the answer...such is life :)
It all should be fun.
ReplyDeleteI SOOOOOOOO agree with you on this! It absolutely drives me crazy! I used to belong to two forums -- and they were fun - and I was with them each for several years. But when I started blogging I gave up the forums and found that blogging suits my purpose better.
ReplyDeleteI DO still go back MOST of the time to Quilly's -- she was my first friend that always always always answered her comments IN her comments -- so it was just one blog to go back to and I didn't mind. But now she posts 3-5 posts a day and I usually comment on all of them. Thom also answers his coments in his comments -- and he also posts often 5 times! I don't read ALL of them anymore... and I don't often get back to check if there's a comment to my comment. I DON'T have time for that! Like you - I try to avoid asking questions. But occasionally I really want to know something. However... I can ask Dr. John questions all day long -- and they NEVER get answered! Unless I email him. If someone asks me something that I feel NEEDS an answer, then I usually do run back over to their blog and answer... OR send an email. But if it's what I feel is a nonsense question I just ignore it. I'm probably BAD about that!
Ah, the great comment dilemma! First, I think all bloggers enjoy and appreciate comments--I do at least. After two years of blogging I decided that I'll be writing two kinds of posts. Ones that will have more general interest and prompt more comments--pets, everyday living. My second kind of post is more an exploration of a personal interest. I put it out there, and if others in my blog community respond, that's great. If not, I get satisfaction out of writing the post.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the post is a conversation starter and then comments allow readers a chance to contribute to that conversation if they wish. I'll ask questions of a blogger simply because I'm interested in both them and the subject--it's like a virtual friendship. If they answer my question either in comments or by e-mail that's great. If not, no worries.
I used to try to write back to everyone who commented, but life goes on here and I ran out of hours in the day. I read every comment that comes, and if it is very important then I will write back and I do try to also visit a new commenter. I have my usual blog friends that I visit every day, like you and almost always leave a comment. That is, if a dog doesn't bark to go out and disturb me just as I am writing and then I forget!
ReplyDeleteBel micio la Gattina :-) scusa l'incogruenza, buon fine settimana a tu :-)
ReplyDeleteI never go back to look at comments on my comments. From now on if anybosy asks why I will refer them to this post.
ReplyDeleteyeah.. blogging eats up enough life the first time around.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Gattina, and I agree. We'd spend all day commenting on comments not get any blogging done. Email is the best course to answer or ask a question.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, I've never seen people do this before, but then it depends, a lot of blogs give you an option to email follow up comments. I generally tick that option if I've asked a question that might get a response.
ReplyDeleteOn my blog I have a similar thing, most people seem to come back to read if they've asked something or they get the response emailed through to them and don't need to visit the blog.
I guess that different people have different requirements depending on how many blogs they visit etc..
>>This week I had made a comment on a blog with a question. According to silent Blogger rules, the blogger I had visited should now come to my blog, look at what I have to show and tell, make a comment and at the same time could also answer my question.<<
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this and had no idea why you were doing it - now I know haha!!
The rule that I follow is if I ask a question on someone else's blog, I expect to find the answer under my question, not in a random post on my own blog!!! Otherwise I have no idea what the person is talking about, and there is no reference for anyone else following the original discussion.
I have a number of blogs that I follow either via Blogger or on Google Reader. I check these blogs every time there's a new post (I get notified). If I find what I'm reading interesting, I also post a comment, if not, I remain silent. If I post a question on someone else's blog and I'm desperate for an answer, I tick the box that says "email follow-up comments to {my email address}" that way I don't have to remember to keep checking.