I get tons of hits on this blog, and feel that the topics are worthwhile for the most part so my question is...why don't more people leave a comment. and why doesn't the writer respond to the comments?
Now I understand if you get a hundred comments why you don't respond to each andevery comment, but if you are getting less than fifty. I think the most comments I've had of a blog was my interview with author Nick Wilford, standing to date at 16 unique comments.
I guess I'm just anal/result oriented when it comes to things I do. Even though I see the hits, I'm puzzled by the lack of viewable comments. That aside, the direct emails are through the roof at 250 per day, and I love answering your questions. Thank you for emailing. Yes, some of these are junk and don't answer them. About 75% are bonafide and I take considerable time to answer and read through them carefully.
If you open up your blog for comments, why don't you answer comments? Comments are a dialog. Whether it's good, bad, or ugly is no matter. For a long time I just read my comments and didn't answer them, but I realized how wrong I was after my stroke when it became difficult for me to even write a comment.Granted, a few comments don't warrant an answer or reply, but someone takes the time to leave you a comment on what you've written of either support or other. Don't the commenter deserve at least a quick thank you?
The following questions are not for my readers who comment often, but feel free to comment if the need arises <grin>...
First, you have a very insightful place here... I am the worst at comment response, I mean I read them... I should respond better to them. I in my head believe that most people don't come back to read my response. Though the point might be different if they knew I did, so am I on uncaring?
ReplyDeleteI need to set a time aside to respond, I do and I will... sometimes life gets the best of me.
You bring up very good points and reasons... my numbers/stats are always higher than comments and that makes me feel enough people come to see my posts.
Thank you for your post and thank you for stopping by every once in awhile to comment.
Oh... I cannot read "CAPTCHA" words either, they are getting longer and smaller...
DeleteJeremy, I'm guilty of reading your blog and sometimes not commenting also like with Alex's (and a quite a few others) but I always open your posts when they come up on blog roll.
DeleteSince Captchs here has gone to pictures of numbers, I find it increasingly more difficult to read. Either I can read the text and not the number or the other way around. I end up clicking the reload but numerous times to find one that is readable with both...often very long.
Recently I find myself going bsck to blogs I have read to find answers that I've posted questions, but now I do it every day. For me now, it's become a habit to see if there is a response. When I roll through my blog roll in the morning I check all the blogs I previously read because even if I didn't comment someone else has commented that peaks my interest.
Jo,
ReplyDeleteI do respond to all of my comments, but I'll admit that I don't always comment. Though, I comment on other blogs a whole lot more than my number of comments show on my blog. And I do try to raise some good questions.
BTW, I hate CAPTCHA words! That's why I don't use it. ; )
Zan Marie,
DeleteYou are one who falls into that "comments often" category. Thank you. I noticed you comment back on your site as do Deniz and Sara (two other regulars). Your questions are awesome! They make me think.
I'm talking to the other 1,000 who read and don't comment.
I always end my posts with questions and interact with those who comment. I don't reply to individual comments, but rather a batch of them in one comment. (I don't want to be accused of padding my comments.) I usually get a hundred and fifty comments per post but I read all of them and respond to most.
ReplyDeleteIf I read a post, I will comment. Always.
Next month though, with the A to Z Challenge in full swing, I will probably be reading a few through my Reader without clicking over to comment, just due to the time constraint.
Alex, I'm no Alex Cavanaugh. It was you I was thinking about when I wrote about when 100 comments. With that many comment I would not respond to each on either. You have your own follow up system and you explain it.
DeleteJo, I use your blog to get hints about writing and am nowhere near being proficient enough to comment. I usually respond to my commenters.
ReplyDeleteDean, That's good to know. Since you are a long time stroke survivor, I could use some input in that area. As far as writing goes, do you have any questions. I know a lot even if I've forgotten a big chunk of it. Glad I'm not the only one besides the comenters above who respond.
DeleteHi Jo! Chalk me up as one who should comment more often--I always read, but if I can't think of anything productive to add to the discussion, I generally don't.
ReplyDeleteI know how much I appreciate comments on my own blog (and I make sure to respond to them all), so I need to make a better effort to engage with a wider variety of bloggers. :)
Lara, You have a book coming out. Put it in your "About the Author. That's What I did. I also tweet, FB, and LinkedIn my blogs. Followers are hard to come by in a blog saturated market. I offer something for writers and readers alike so I hit a couple avenues that keep readers of my blog coming back.
DeleteYou are counted as one who comments often.
Jo, you are always so nice and add a comment to my blog now and again. I hope that I am responsive. Lara you are wonderful and supportive to us "little guys" so don't beat yourself up!
ReplyDeleteDebra,
DeleteI do read your blog and find it interesting. You are also one that falls in the "responds often" group.
Debra, we are all "little guys" whether published or unpublished. As soon as an author stops thinking he's not the "little guy" anymore he's history.
Jo, put me that "not often" group of your readers, sorry. I was going to post a comment yesterday, after I read your post, went to the comment section and, of course, had to read the other comments! and just when I was about to write a comment, I got "paged" as my husband needed his urinal dumped, then after that he wanted his pants changed (because he dripped) then after that it was time for his meds and after that time to get him up in the wheelchair, then back into bed, then I thought, oh yeah! I was going to post a comment! But as soon as I got on your blog and onto that comment section, again I was paged for more urinal duty and after that he wanted to change into his pajamas, then I had to put his catheter on, and by then it was supper time and then feeding pump set and by then I forgot....
ReplyDeleteThen this morning, I got on the computer and remembers, oh yeah! I was going to post a comment on Jo's blog! But when I got on your blog, you had a new posting and so I had to read that first and then by the time I got to the "old" post, here I am being paged again, and now I'm back and typing as fast as I can!!!!
So I guess that's my excuse!
I hate to say I don't always answer the comments on my blog but always answer them when a question is asked.... though I do love comments, they make my day too! And I also have one of those captha-thingy's (however spelled) only because I was getting 20-30 spam comments daily most from porn sites and it was driving me nuts! And for some reason the spam filter is not catching them.....
Anyway, Jo, I can't keep up with you! and don't know how you manage to do all you do! But know I enjoy reading your blog, even if I don't have time to comment. And I gotta run, because I'm being paged (again) and so no time to even proofread this, so hope it makes sense!!!
Diane,
DeleteLOL. Take a breath honey. I know you've got your hands full with Bob. You don't need excuses. You make perfect sense. You're excused besides my email works fine. I do enjoy our personal chats.
You should see me when the power goes off in my house. It's honestly not that bad since we have solar back up now. Who knew it qualified as a medical deduction too!
I know what you mean about spams. I'm doing a blog about some of them next month. For me it's about that too but no porn site, thank God. Yet.
I write my blogs during some free moments and schedule them. If only my book writing would go the same way. The "paging" system in our house goes only one way unless it's the cats paging system. I'll have to blog about that some day.
I am one of these that is bad about responding, but rest assured I do read all of your blogs, even if I don't comment on all of them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for speaking up.
DeleteHello! I could have sworn I've been to this blog
ReplyDeletebefore but after browsing through some of the post I realized it's new to me.
Anyhow, I'm definitely delighted I found it and I'll be book-marking and checking back often!