I hate the way some people have comments enabled on their blogs and yet don't respond when other people leave comments. I always try to respond to the comments people leave on my blog. I love getting them, and I figure if someone goes to the effort to write something in response to what I have posted, it's only polite to at least acknowledge their comment. I know I like to have responses to the comments I leave for other people.
But maybe that just seems like excessive politeness to some people. Who would know? I mean, of course sometimes you forget to respond or sometimes you're having a bad couple of days or you're really busy or whatever and it doesn't always happen. It's not like you have to respond to people's comments. That sort of thing reminds me of parents prodding you to say, robotlike, "Thanks for letting me stay over at your house!"
But still, with some blogs I really wonder why the owners bother having comments enabled on them, you know? If they are not interested in dialogue, why do they just not have comments enabled at all and save themselves the annoyance of reply? And if they do, why don't they respond when people comment?
It seems rude to me.
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I'll be checking back here shortly to make sure you responded to this :)
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. I think sometimes it is a combination of things that keeps me from responding to each comment, but I try. But some people just DON'T ever and I wonder too. But maybe for their blog is not a place for a conversation but more of a platform for their thoughts and they leave comments on so ... so? I don't know.
I understand where you're coming from on this one Sue. Each blogger has their own style in regards to comments or not and furthering the dialogue within the comments.
ReplyDeletePerhaps that's what it boils down to, that they don't wish to enter dialogue, they just wish to have their say then get others response.
Someone once said to me though that they thought it was weird to respond to their own posts in the comments....so to each his own.
As for me, I like the dialogue aspect of blogs and like to enter into the spirit of community that I believe blogging should be all about. But then some days, or weeks, I get slack and don't respond . . .
C'est la vie
God yes! There's one blog that I used to read and comment on all the time, but never a squeak from the writer, despite the fact that she wasn't anywhere approaching an "A-lister". (I don't worry too much if Leo at Zen Habits doesn't respond to my comment among the 100s he gets!)
ReplyDeleteSo I just stopped reading.
I try to respond to all comments, although I'm sure there is the occasional one I miss. For me, too, the dialogue is what's important, and often also people put such great comments it takes my original post to a new place and I really appreciate that.
great response from your commenters! i wonder many of the same things myself. i have also stopped reading blogs (or at least leaving comments) where there is never any response.
ReplyDeletei personally love the relationships developed through blogging which would not be possible if not for comments.
(i also found myself mentally checking to make sure i was up-to-date on my personal comment responses....)
Barbara - LOL! Yes, I've set myself up now, haven't I :) I guess my point wasn't so much that we have to timely respond to every comment but I just wonder more about those people who don't see it as an issue. But yes, I think maybe you're right - it's not always about conversation for everybody. Maybe some blogs really are just platforms and I shouldn't be trying for anything more than "nice post" feedback. :\
ReplyDeleteKel - Yes, I guess that is right that some don't want dialogue. I tend to thnk "well why have comments then" but I guess you can want feedback without wanting dialogue. Me, I want to connect to the person I'm reading but not everyone is like me I guess.
Yeah, c'est la vie exactly. I don't think we HAVE to respond to every comment.
Tess - yeah, I like that bouncing back and forth that can happen with good comments too
Lucy - haha, sorry for making you paranoid :)
I see that all responses from here have been from women ... :)
Barbara - LOL! Yes, I've set myself up now, haven't I :) I guess my point wasn't so much that we have to timely respond to every comment but I just wonder more about those people who don't see it as an issue. But yes, I think maybe you're right - it's not always about conversation for everybody. Maybe some blogs really are just platforms and I shouldn't be trying for anything more than "nice post" feedback. :\
ReplyDeleteKel - Yes, I guess that is right that some don't want dialogue. I tend to thnk "well why have comments then" but I guess you can want feedback without wanting dialogue. Me, I want to connect to the person I'm reading but not everyone is like me I guess.
Yeah, c'est la vie exactly. I don't think we HAVE to respond to every comment.
Tess - yeah, I like that bouncing back and forth that can happen with good comments too
Lucy - haha, sorry for making you paranoid :)
I see that all responses from here have been from women ... :)
Heh, heh.... busted for lurking so I'll chip in for the guys side.
ReplyDeleteFor me the whole back & forth between writer and readers is where it's at. The only time I don't respond to a comment is when I've been off-line for days on end and I figure then that it's too late. (That's happened a couple of times lately, unfortunately.)
Generally though I feel if someone cares enough to comment I owe them the courtesy of a response.
three cheers for Norm :)
ReplyDeleteg'day mate....nice to have a bloke's opinion in here
says she boldly on behalf of sue ;)
Hi Sue, Love this post and along with Lucy and others, I've finally given up reading certain blogs as the comments are never acknowledged nor do they ever visit my site to even take one look. It's a little playground like in it's character but if "you don't want to play with me, well then there, I'm outta here!:)
ReplyDeleteIt only takes a second to respond and I seldom read blogs that don't have some aspect that intrigues, tickles, or annoys me - all worthy of a little comment.
Thanks for this post of yours - I concur with your rules of etiquette.
Norm - thanks for coming in amongst all the estrogen :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, look, we all forget to respond to posts and that's fine. I have just realised I've forgotten entirely to respond to a post I wrote several days ago so oops! :)
Kel - yes, what you said :)
SS - I guess it is a little playground-like sometimes, isn't it "nyah nywah I'm not gonna come back to your house if you're not gonna play with me" but ... yeah.
Absolutely...and I am quick to drop blogs that have no responses. It's not a judgement...I'm just in it for the conversation, it's where I'm at.
ReplyDeleteBut what I really hate is when I'm new to a blog, and the author will respond to all the other comments from people they know, and not from me the new person. That irates me.
And yes I meant to spell that irates and not irritates.
That would irate me too, Erin. How impossibly rude!
ReplyDelete