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Sunday, March 13, 2011

A Good Host and Comments

Have you ever commented on a blog and gotten no response?  I wonder about that, the blog owner I mean.  Why are they blogging if not to interact with the people that read their blog.  Knowing first-hand how rare comments can be, why would you ignore them?  I know there is the occasional comment that doesn't warrant a comment be it a commercial inquiry or other.  And sometimes responses to comments are best made in a less public forum.  But for the vast majority,  I think the blog owner has a duty to respond unless their site is so crazy busy that it is impossible.  To me that is really the only excuse. 

The other day I commented on a blog, me and a few others.  Not that this was a heavily trafficked blog, there were many posts where there were no comments at all.  So when there was a comment, you would think you'd want to encourage comments by interacting with them.  Not this blogger - instead they carried on as if no one had knocked on their door.  That's what it is really, a guest has arrived, acknowledge them.  And this blogger didn't.   Maybe it's just me but it seems rather like hosting a party and then refusing to speak to the guests.  Isn't that just plain rude? 

It's definitely a missed opportunity.  I don't know about you but ignore me once maybe, twice and I won't stick around unless you're offering some pretty awesome material. 

What's your take on a blogger's response to comments?  Or are you a blog owner sans the comments?  And if so - you must have your reasons - care to share?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Did you know that summer is only 98 days away? Is is time to get out the ice and the blender?  Maybe save some of that winter surplus of ice before hallelujah, we hit the big melt!

8 comments:

Oh said...

Egads, R, I panicked wondering if it was me. No. Couldn't be. Well, could, but...no. If I don't respond directly to the comment on my blog, I go to that person's blog, instead, and leave a comment. One way or the other, I say something. I think that counts.

Egads, and I'm such a sporadic non-techie that I might even miss a comment? specially if it's made on an entry that's "older", by about 4 entries or so.

I dunno. I think people get really wrapped up. Most bloggers say something and are glad to do so, to reach out.

Have I ever been "ignored" regarding a comment? I don't know. Going across blog types (blogger, wordpress, etc., you often don't see the other's reply to your comment unless you go back there; it doesn't always show up.

I don't know. I just go blithely forward.

BTW, you don't have to reply here.
I'm just checking in, visiting others which I haven't done (well) in more than a week and was intrigued by this entry of yours.

Here's to Spring!

Ryshia Kennie said...

No worries Oh it wasn't you. It was a blog I don't normally visit. I don't think it would have been such a deal if it had just been my one comment. But there were three or four others, all ignored. Course - you're right life does happen and sometimes we miss, are sick whatever. I was just thinking in terms of bloggers who see the comment and just carry on as if it didn't exist.

Cathy said...

Agreed! What goes around comes around, in the blogging world as in life. As a writer, any comment, unless it's confrontational, rude or heavily seasoned with spam, is valuable. If a reader feels strongly enough to read and comment on my work, they may someday feel strongly enough to consider buying my (eventual) book. If I post a comment or two on a writer's blog or respond to one of their posts on a social media site (She Writes for example) and the writer ignores it, I won't comment again. I may not even read future pieces.

Ryshia Kennie said...

Cathy you're giving me spasms of guilt. After blithely jotting off that post I forgot to factor other social networks that I check much less frequently than my main blog. No more!

Thanks for the reminder!

Lisa said...

Well put! Thank you for posting this...and I hope it wasn't me, either. Again, great post! Lisa

Ryshia Kennie said...

Thanks Lisa and no it wasn't you. In fact, I'd never commented on this person's blog before nor had they ever commented on mine.

Ellz said...

GUILTY. I try to follow up with comments but Grad school wins. Often it takes all my spare time just to get posts up.

I do try to visit the commenters blog and leavea comment though. Try is the operative word.

Ryshia Kennie said...

Elie - you might miss a comment or too but I think visiting the commenter's blog is a fantastic idea!