To Bloggers Who *Do* Reply to Comments . . .

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

 

What do you think of this?

 

I recently joined a popular meme/hop--the kind in which it's considered perfectly all right to leave a link directly back to your own participating post in other bloggers' comboxes. I managed to visit every blog on the linky and noticed that there was one blogger who visited every blog she was invited to but commented on those blogs in her own combox. So after a while, her thread had several repetitions of this:

 

Commenter: I can really relate to your answer because . . . [etc] . . . I'd be happy to read what you think of mine . . . [link]

 

Blogger: Thanks for your comment! I loved your post. Your sense of humour really came through in that story you told.

 

But the blogger in question never left comments on the other people's blogs! She did read the posts, but wasn't willing "to share" the discussion.

 

Now, I like keeping discussions in one place, too: if you ask me a question on my blog, I won't answer it on your blog and leave my readers hanging and your readers scratching their heads. But given that this meme/hop encourages visits and leaving comments, I found this blogger's decision to respond that way very off-putting.

 

(Yes, this is a "spin-off" of the earlier thread about not responding to comments. I almost asked the question there, but figured it would get lost in the discussion.)

[Kelli Wheelwright]

I completely agree! I also have noticed that I find myself commenting more regularly if its a GREAT review or they leave it open for discussion either with a question at the end or just in the style that they phrase the review.

 

I definately dont want to be one of those, "Hey just hopped over from the blog hop, check out my blog!" types :)

 

KW

http://www.ekfamilybooks.blogspot.com

 

[Popin]

If someone is commenting on my blog, I'll reply back to it. But if it's for a meme, I'll try to comment on their specific post in their blog as oppose to replying to their post on mine.

 

I think if the person is only commenting on their blog and not others, it's only really affecting the blogger, since commenting on other people's blogs helps generate traffic back to you.

 

~ Popin

 

http://pdbkwm.blogspot.com/

http://fivelines5.blogspot.com/

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

 

That's true about the traffic, Popin. I use your method for memes, too. =)

[Sonia Lal]

If it is a meme or a hop, I would comment on the other person's blog. If it is their post and I want to say something about it, I would comment on theirs, too, but if someone comments on my post, I just reply on my own blog. That's usually the way most people do it. Isn't it? Anything else is a bit odd.

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

 

Yes, that seems to be the way it's done.

[Lesa]

That is a very odd way of commenting. I really don't understand the logic. And reading the com-boxes of the other blogs in the meme would provide an example of how meme/hop commenting is done to the benefit of all participants. Is this a brand new blogger? Do you think it is possible that she has never read any other blog's com-box discussion? 

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

 

I cleared my cache recently and will have trouble finding the blog again, but yes, I did get the impression she was a new blogger. It has been a while since I ran into her blog, so perhaps she has figured out since then that leaving other people comments is a key to getting more traffic.

[Bryan R. Dennis]

I'm not a judge of ethics, but anyone who comments on my blog is almost certain to get a comment back on theirs. How's that? :)

 

indiesnippets.blogspot.com

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

 

It sounds cool! =)

[Chaplain Winston T. Muldrew]

I can understand your feelings about this blogger, but personally I want to defend this method. It seems to me most bloggers have very little to write and spend most other time and effort reading and commenting. I have thousands of thoughts written over 15 years I would like someone to read and comment on. I have received two comments on blogspot with over 1,000 readers. The numbers keep growing but stilol no comments. I am so busy organizing and producing I don't have must time to comment. Today is comment day on several post networking what I have learned from experience. This is like a status report Like I used to do as a Geek for Bank of America and Chevron I.T professionally. My goal is to increase readership and to find out what others like to read. As I said, most authors works are not commented on (ever do so for a book purchased?)

I provide a lot of information you will never read published. It will end up on the editors floor like all media information since the beginning. Blogs and ebooks have given opportunities never known to mankind!!!!!

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

 

I see what you mean, Chaplain, but this blogger had linked up to a meme (which means it's only right to visit other people) and had been personally invited to comment on the posts of those who had commented on hers.

 

If you don't mind some completely unsolicited advice, I suggest you spend more time reading and commenting on other people's blogs as well as writing your own. As someone else has pointed out, comments for others can create traffic back to you, which often means comments for you, too! =)

[Chaplain Winston T. Muldrew]

I appreciate your advice. In fact I logged on to to set up a post to invite people to visit my blog, review it, and leave a comment. I think I have time for that now that my blog is setup the way I want it to be. I was searching through my discussion when I found your response. I am ready to hear it now.