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What's your comments policy?
BOSSY gets hundreds of comments a day, but never hardly ever appears to reply to any comments directly. Feck, there's always a first time, just when you're trying to make a point. Anyway, she does visit, so that's ok.
BOSSY has a teeny tiny crush (NO! Not in that way! Surely?) for Dooce. Dooce doesn't do comments at all, apparently. Boo!
Andre used to welcome comments, but got spammed to hell (not by me) and had to turn them off. Boo! Not for Andre, but for spammers. Andre has been known to post comments, just not here. Yet.
Michele is a fecking genius. She has made a career out of her comments box. Her posts generally run to just one or two sentences, but the comments go on, and on, and on...she's a very popular girl, considering she always keeps her clothes on. I'll bet she sends someone here within the next few minutes...
I generally reply to all comments and visit the blogs of my commenters; it's only good manners. I've only ever deleted one spam comment. So far.
How about you?
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26 comments:
Hey, Bossy has visitied my site... ONCE! But that one time has truly meant the most to me. I check that post daily just to see her smiling little face... LOL
I thought those were to RULES of blogging: Always say, Yes Mam, No Mam, Thank you and visit those who visit you...
I'm not popular enough for the spammers to even bother about. I like flying at treetop level, slipping under the radar suits me just fine
I visit a couple of blogs where the writer generally doesn't respond to comments, but then they get hundreds of comments per post, so it would be a full time job!
With my more modest visits I do try to respond to the comments, as I'm rather flattered that anyone thinks my feeble attempt at blogging worth visiting!
Oh, and how did I end up here? No idea, but I liked the tartan and stuck around!
I am a crappy blog hostess. I rarely comment in my comments, I try to visit my commentors but that is sporadic at best. I about 10% of my visitors to comment. That is good I think.
You are right about Michele though. Genius. Thanks for visiting.
People can do what they like but I think replying to comments builds a relationship with your readers.
In the best blogs the comments can be as good as the post. Certainly with some bloggers I look forward to what their response to my comment will be. I cite Tired Dad, Mr Farty, Ms R, Cat, and Gorilla Bananas as examples.
My aim is that my readers feel the same way about my responses.
I think not engaging with your readers in this way is a wasted opportunity. Maybe if I start getting 300 comments per post I might feel differently, but I really doubt it.
Bossy always kind of thought her readers would kick her out of her own Comment Pool. Because Bossy is the type to pee in the water.
(Why does Bossy talk about herself in the 3rd person?)
I reply to all comments and visit the blogs of those who leave them... Strangely, I tend to lose interest in a blog if the writer 1) doesn't reply to a comment on their blog (unless I'm one of hundreds) or 2) doesn't check out mine in return.
Blogging is a give and take thing in my eyes...if you're not giving back to the people who make you popular then the numbers will speak for themselves in the long run.
My blog only has the nasty "verification word" thing - because otherwise the spam-bots will leave advertising.
I do not always respond to comments. Sometimes it's because I'm out of my mind insane at work and can't - (and home, well... forget it!) but sometimes it is because I can't think of anything really to say, and "LOL" or "interesting" is so darn trite.
Same thing with leaving comments. I think leaving a comment when you have nothing really to say is actually rather rude. I don't view blogging as some sort of popularity contest where you "prove" you have more readership by your huge comment listing.
Anyone who visits my blog gets at least one reciprocal "visit" if they leave a URL for me to follow. Sometimes what they write inspires comment. Sometimes I disagree vehemently with what they write - so in the interest of not "trolling" their comments, I do the "Thumper" thing and don't say nuthin' at all.
But then - I blog for me. I don't blog for a 'readership' or to prove I'm an "online journalist" or anything. It's my thoughts, feelings, emotions, insanity - and a (possibly annual) series of quilting instructions that someone who does NOT comment requested from me.
But enough about me!! Hi Farty! Nice topic!! LOL
I always comment Farty, it's only polite.
I always respond to comments, and agree with Misssy that it builds a rapport with readers. I also agree with Sewmouse - I wrote my blog for a year before anyone read it, and generally write it for myself. I'd keep doing it if no-one commented.
Similarly, I regularly get comments from bloggers who write blogs I've visited but don't enjoy - I link to them out of politeness, but wouldn't comment on them, and dislike people who troll for comments intensely.
Jahooni - Farty loves BOSSY. Does it show?
Scotchman - I didn't realise they targeted popular blogs.
Tiny - Hello again. I think Zoe of MBIAT may not always respond to comments, but with over a million visits, it's understandable.
Stalker - Welcome, make yourself at home.
Misssy - I'm all for building a relationship with my readers, but not if their comments are funnier than my posts!
Oh God, Tired Dad. I'm still laughing at Monkeyface.
BOSSY - Farty thanks BOSSY for raising the tone of his comments box, he was afraid it was getting a bit rude.
Jo - With you there.
Sew - If I like a post, I think it's rude not to leave a comment, even someone's already said it all. Apparently you can say "." but that's taking minimalism to an extreme.
John - Quite.
Cat - I wouldn't link to a blog I didn't enjoy reading, regardless of how many comments they leave.
Very interesting question and topic Mr F.
I always like to reply to my commenters, It used to concern me a bit when I didn't get many for a particular post, but I realised after I went on a sabbatical that regular readers stil popped in, and my stats show that they still do. Comments are nice, but they are not everything. I'm with the majority, a random comment is always followed up by me popping into the commenters blog (nosey if nothing else!), if I like the blog it goes into a favourites folder for further browsing. I agree with Cat, my blog is a reflection of my musings and it's nice to look back on them.
I always answer all comments as I think if someone takes the time to leave a comment, I can take the time to acknowledge it.
Not being as funny as you, I have to do nice..
I moderate because I don't want my readers to be more amusing than I am. But I do check commenters' blogs, and sometimes add links.
And I love comments. Mmmmmm comments.
Brom - Thanks. Yes it is nice, if you've been away for a few days, to see people have been asking after your health.
Lady M - Funny is good. Failing that, I prefer interesting to nice.
WithaY - Comments are better than doughnuts. Mmmmmmmmmm.
A year or so ago, I received about 150 spam comments in a couple of days, so I turned on WV. I hated it so I used comment moderation instead. After a while, I wrote a post about how much I hated WV and several readers said that they'd turn off WV for me (aren't they lovely?) but that they didn't like CM. So I turned it off and, like you, have only had one mildly spammy comment since.
I reply to comments and I love it when the commenters start replying to each other rather than the post. It makes me feel as if it's a good party. I also enjoy seeing one of my readers starting to leave comments at another's, knowing they've found each other through my comment box.
And yes, I visit commenters and leave at least one comment, though maybe not straight away. I usually continue to visit, certainly if they visit me.
Z - I hate WV too, but I've found a trick - if you keep hitting Post without doing the WV first, the word gets easier.
I think Brom found Bossy via my comments box - Yay!
Flippin' 'eck, this post has generated more comments than I've had all year. Probly. I'm too lazy to count.
I turned off WV because Z asked. A few times, actually! Then she insisted, and I capitulated.
I've only had one spammy comment since, and to be honest it was such cobblers I have no idea if it was actually spam. It may have been a mentalist.
BD - I get comments from mentalists all the time. How do you tell the difference from spam?
i don't mind comment moderation (although i sometimes wonder if i really pressed go and probably double-post as a result), i also don't mind word verification. i DON'T like that blogger prevents me from commenting on sites that require google log-in, because it won't recgonise my password when i come from wordpress.
as for responding and return visits - well that's just polite. i rarely post on sites where the authors don't. you're very rewarding that way, mr f. you must have been nicely brought up.
RG - Why, thank you, that's so special.
harharharharhar - someone's been paying attention!
As Misssy put it, I am always watching.
I usually respond to comments on my blog, unless I am in a bad mood in which case I stay off the PC for a few days for fear of offending half the planet.
I do a lot of lurking and reading other blogs, but don't always leave a message - sometimes I just can't think of a darn thing to say. If someone new leaves me a message, I always go and check out their blog out of curiosity and I will leave a message if I like what I find there.
Liz - Feck that first one's a good policy, wish I had the self-control to do the same.
On the second point, I like to leave some kind of comment to encourage the blogger to keep going.
There's irony, I'm having to close this comment thread due to spam.
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