In blogland we take daily, weekly, monthly, yearly efforts to write down our thoughts and dreams and anything that we feel we want to share with the world. We reach out and hope that we touch someones life and when we hear back from them in the comment section when they relate back to us how this touched their lives in some way, either expressing an opinion about the topic or sharing a bit of their lives that is relevant. But sometimes, though we poured our hearts out the topic remains commentless, why is that? Why when some people look at the comment section it shows a great big ZERO. Is the topic boring? Did the author go into such detail to render the comment useless?
Also lets discuss the blog followers. Some blogs have a lot of readers and not commenters, other blogs have commenters galore! Why when the same people comment on Blog X then they come to BLOG B and feel like not commenting? Thus Blog X has 54 comments and Blog B has ZERO. We all take the time to comment on others blogs so people should reciprocate and comment on yours.............or should they?
When people make new blogs it is standard that they wont have almost ANY comments for the first posts until they gain a readership. HOW do they gain a readership, some may ask.... By going to other's blogs and commenting in a way that is sincere, knowledgeable, funny, or outrageous enough for the other blogger and their readers to take notice of the NEW name and click on it to see what it's about.
OK so great now we have a few commenters and as we post more and more the comments grow and the readers multiply. You do your part by sending our more thought provoking posts daily and weekly ensuring when the readers come there will be something fresh to comment on.
Some bloggers really don't care about comments though and if they have zero or they have 50 it doesn't matter. They are just getting things out of their heads and off their chest. Should we all think like that or should we strive to respond to what our readers are looking for?
Wordpress has blog stats about which articles are read the most and how many people are reading your blog. While Blogger doesn't have this it does have Profile viewed numbers (which are hard to go by). So you can see where people came to your blog from and why on wordpress but on Blogger you just have to guess.
SO what happens when you're getting around 15-30 comments each post and suddenly they start slacking off? Suddenly you're getting 2-5 comments only again? Why is this? Are your readers too busy to comment or are your posts not interesting enough to gain comment? Should you change what you write or just let it go?
I did a poll of how often readers visit my blog because I wanted to know how often I should be making new posts approx. How often were people coming to me and expecting me to have something fresh and interesting to look at and ponder at. The poll shows that about 10 people are coming daily and about 10 more come around once a week to once a month.... so if I'm making a post almost daily the daily readers have something new to comment on or to read past comments....but the weekly and monthly readers have anywhere between 7 to 15 posts to read...... not likely that they will comment on every single one.
So now that i have an idea of my approx reader base (who answered the poll) do I try to figure out what they like to read about or just keep up my quirky and various topics, to keep them interested and commenting? I've been wanting to write this post for a month now but i wanted the results of the poll first. Do we as bloggers write what we want, write what the readers want to read, or try to "toe the line" between the two?
If we slack off commenting to other blogs will the bloggers still come to our blog? Do we have an obligation to go to other's blogs and comment if we want comments back? I have a lot of cool blogs i like to read and try to comment on! See that growing list on the sidebar hahahha... one night while my kids wouldn't sleep I tried to go through the whole list and read and comment on all the blogs on the list and after 4 HOURS straight not only was I very tired but I couldn't even complete the list! I got down to the S's on my list before giving up and going to bed. Then the next few days I tried to get through the rest of the list but that meant I couldn't visit the blogs that I like to daily. My favorite blogs i visit daily and the others because of the high number I have, i visit bi-weekly or so. I do feel bad because they are all very interesting and thought provoking but where is the time?
So should we not post once a day to give our readers time to comment a lot and absorb what we say or should we just do as we please no matter the number of comments?
This is a post about Comment and Blogging Etiquette... Let's see if it gets any comments....or will I see a big fat ZERO?
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32 intelligent thoughts:
I think a blogger shud blog wat he/she wants to write 'bout n have in mind n wat affects them.And bout the comments, well id still just go ahead n blog even if i dint get comments or if the no of commenters are gettin less coz atleast i wud hope SUM1 is reading em :-S and i so agree that ur blog gets noticed more if u comment on others, well atleast they becum aware of it.'Bout the topic being boring, well i guess some readers might go according to wat the topic is. ~shrugs off~ I guess im for blogging once a day or two.
I'm one of those bloggers who blog only to vent out...
I didn't tell any of my friends of family memebers about it so that It will be honest and out of myheart ;)
I read your public blog regularly even though I don't comment that often ;)
You know I joke with you ALL the time about pumping out those posts faster than i can get a chance to read them...I say if there in your head and you want to get them out...just do it.... it may be that a piece is so deep or so eloquently written that most dont know what kind of comment to leave...... ;-)
At the same time its hard to read a blog that has a new post daily..unless that persn only has a few blogs that they visit,in that case it would be refreshing to see a new post daily.......lately i havent been able to view all of my blogs and then I added a few more, so thats makes it harder to keep up and add to that,that ive been really busy and I TRY to keep up with my most faves...but I cant.So yeah......lol...you read my mind though with this post,I was about to write something similiar to this on my blog...
While my blog is partly a place to vent, it is also an effort at finding a supportive (cyber) community. It makes me feels less isolated and more understood...
I wonder how to get more reader and commenters, since the comments are the only way to get feedback and find out if people understand you.
I try to comment on others' blogs, and explore the blog links on the different pages I view. I find that I check most of my favorite blogs almost daily.
I am a daily reader of your blog, but i don't think I have commented often. One reason is that I usually find my opinion in some of the comments, so i think, y more on same topic? And as for my blog, I just hope some one with no time to comment is reading my blog!
:)
AsSalaamu Alaikum,
Interesting blog. I just started a new blog. I've been given people responses for a little while now but now that I've decided to make my own blog.... naturally I always look to see if someone commented, but I've decided to stick to the purpose of my blog, which is to publish things and discuss issues important to me. InshaAllah those who view my blog enjoy it and feel stimulated by inshaAllah, but if they don't Alhamdulillah. Allahu Akbar.
It's a nice freedom either way.
AsSalaamu Alaikum
Hab: thanks for your input :) I appreciate it.
Ruba: Good point that if you want to really honestly vent you gotta remain mostly annon.
PM: thnaks for letting me know it's good o hear that people are reading it even if they dont always leave mesages. I curious for your reason WHY you don't make comments though on some? Are the topic already talked out, too many comments that you agreee with? etc... Why do some peolpe not comment on blog and comment on others ??
*c* thanks and welcome! so far the only way I know of to get your blog seen is to advertise it somewhere on a blog place or to go to blogs you like and comment alot in a way that makes you noticed. LIke many poeple I have on my blog roll aren't nessisarily people that come to my blog back but now and again they might. I got their names from reading MANY of their commetns and then getting curious to who are they. Abu-Sinan-Sayf is one of those for example. I don't normally go looking for brother's blogs, but he had a lot to say on AMerican_Bedu's blog so I checked out his blog and it's very interesting. Maybe once in a blue moon ;) he comes and comments on mine.
MM good point about a reason some peopel may not comment.
Hehehe I now I've really tried to calm down on the posting really i have! I have a WHoooole list of ready posts that are typed up and waiting for your viewing pleasure but after I've gotten a few remarks about my posting I've decided to keep it a bit slower...(umm maybe every day or once every other day or whatever...)
heh i know how you feel though it's taking me ages to go through my blogroll list and leave comments for each one...by the way i've checked your blog daily and ummmmm....can i be brutally honest? you have to at least post the comments! I understand not posting everyday but at least let me have comments to read that is new hehehehe.. I'm messig with you dear.
Najeeba thanks for comemnting! I'm so happy to hear you read my blah blah daily hehehe. It's ok if you comment the same I don't mind people showing a trend towards the same comment. SO if you have the time please feel frree to agree or disagree ;)
Abdul At-tawaaab:
thanks for poping by! I'm glad you are taking the initiative to start a blog now. I've seen your commetns here and there and thought to myself where is this guys blog? :) i wish you well on it and thanks for the input.
Link me up when it's ready...
Defining your blogging purpose is most important. Sounds like you would be more inspired and supported if you had more comments.
Well, my first recommendation would be to switch over to Wordpress. Commenting on Wordpress is so much faster and easier than on Blogger, where you have to enter those impossible, distorted letters, and then enter your name or website ID. Frankly, I have lost comments on Blogger blogs because of those stupid letters, or some other technicality. Therefore, I tend to comment less on Blogger blogs.
I'd like to know what others think on this matter.
Another tip would be to write about something either controversial or heartwarming. People like to comment on those posts.
Leave the rants for your private journal, and leave the casual dribble out altogether. I don't mean YOU specifically! I would say that to anyone, including myself.
Case in point: I went to Najeeba's blog, and wanted to comment on her wonderful dog story, but Blogger would not even let me do so with my Wordpress ID. It wanted a Blogger ID, so my comment was lost.
Assalaamu alaikum,
I read via Google reader and am often too lazy to go over to the blog to comment straightaway even though I want to comment and then.... due to my sieve-like memory, I totally forget. Oops. :/
I also hate those annoying word-verification thingys Marahm, I find it hard to read what the letters are supposed to be sometimes. I have a wordpress account but can't work the darned thing out! I tried, believe me I tried but I couldn't even get a picture in the post. It seems more complicated than blogger although some of the features are nice (passworded posts, comment moderation for new commenters etc).
The easiest way to format posts in Wordpress, including photos, is to download Windows Live Writer. I use it all the time. It's easier than writing from the blog.
I imagine it works as well for Blogspot.
Anyway, another point about attracting readers and comments:
Make sure your grammar and usage is standard. I've noticed that most of the bloggers I read are exceptionally skilled in the written language. They keep me on my linguistic toes!
Colloquial writing is fine, but even colloquial writing should have all the correct capitalization, spacing, etc. It makes for easier reading, and hence, easier commenting.
I always comment when I have something to say. Sometimes, due to connection issues, I can't get into the comments section on many blogs. Sometimes, I don't have anything to say about a post, so obviously I don't comment.
My one question is: how come you don't comment on my blog? :)
I must admit, although it is nice to get comments, I don't blog for comments. I like the idea that there are readers though!
I know for a fact that my sister's all read my blog, but they rarely make comments. I also know that many people don't give any attention at all to the comments section. Many people just read and move on.
Marahm - I agree with you. I think that AMW enjoys and looks forward to her comments.
For me, I totally enjoy the comments but I'm using my blog to pound out my thoughts (although somewhat irregular - I am trying to post more often...). I'm a ranter, so if someone doesn't fancy that they can always stick to AMW :) :)
Wow you all are amazing that you chimed in this time and let me know really what's on your minds! I love it!
Heh ok now onto a very important part that i didnt go into in the last post is: the blogger commenting back to the comemnters.... do bloggers have to comment back to the people who commented on their blog? Do people really go back and see if the blogger resonded to them? If the blogger doesn't respond are you put off from responding in the future to that blog?
Let me hear more of your thoughts on this!..............
Marahm:
Excellent points!
And you and others have caught me... i do love the comments! It lets me know what peoepl are interested in reading and learning about and hen I'm really off the mark of full of it. ;)
Ugh i used to hate the wordpress comment form becuase I'd have to go to my blog and copy the URL and such it was a pain until i clicked on remember my entires. SO now it is automatic unless I sign in with my other blogs' name. As for the word verifiction yes that used to annoy me too especailly when sometimes I couldn't post at all because my PC wasn't showing me the picture and my speakers aren't working well to hear the letters. UGH! FInally I relized maybe some are hating this on my blog and I got rid of it (or I hope i did, as the author i don't have to see that) i'll go check my settings again. SO Blogger users out there PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR WORD VERIFICATION SETTINGS> I've never seen spammers attacking any of the blogs I read and if they do you can delete the comment. Not a big deal to slow people down from commenting!
As for controversial hahah OMG i have plenty of controversial topics but I just don't want the drama and heart ache i see other's getting for their controversy. I keep my controversy for my private blog and it's going well. (you can opt back in any time Marahm if you want in hehehe)
Heartwarming though, yes i noticed my biggest replies came from the smallest of blog ideas, organising, babay taking steps, and such. SO I'm thinking hard about this in the future. I don't want my whole blog to be about stats but I do liek it when i can inpire someone else and touch their lives in a good way. Comments let me know I did just that or not. :)
Hmmm define casual dribble plz :)
Weeelllll you can just get a blogger ID ;)
Umm Ibrahim, I too have trouble with my wordpress after using blogger for so long. I finally figured out pictures but I can't figure out my sidebar thing so It's a bit different though i do love the aditional fetures and I hope blogger gets the "recent comment" one soon.
Marah again: :) yes grammer and spelling can be a good thing to keep in check especially if you're not great at it. My problem is remebering to capitolize i's, and I am a crappy slepper sometimes which doesn't help when in comments section i don't have spell check. ALso my keyboard is messed up so sometimes it skips a letter or two and makes me sound really iliterate. But I love it too when i see well written blogs and I'm like wow I gotta do better, much better! You're is one always in top form, i love it...
RE: commenting on blogs whose writers comment on yours:
Far from an unwritten law of etiquette (and I'm not sure it is) I find joy in going to other's blogs. I discover new ones every day from people who've commented on mine. Consequently, I spend more time in the blogoshpere than is healthy; I should get off my butt and exercise more often!
I've got a few blogs that I stick to regularly, and others I check in with weekly or bi-weekly. I always try to comment on something.
"Casual dribble" is the kind of post that has no significance for anyone other than one's self. People want to find something in blogs they can bring into their own lives, something they can't get in a textbook or popular media.
Hey, don't forget to try Windows Live Writer, I'm telling you all, it's awesome. Besides, you can write and format all off-line.
My Hijab: I guess when i re-did my blog and my pc went wacko a tthe same time i lost yours and many other's blogs from my blog roll and still have yet to get my husband to get mylist back to me from his laptop at work. SO now i went over and commented here and there. I'm glad you enjoy having silent readers too though.
L-Oman: hehehe yes i love the comments as I said above they help me focus on what is being felt by what I said.
Is yours a private blog? I tried to click it but it's locked tighter than ...ok the joke would have seemed naughty so moving on.... ;)
AMW - my blog's open - not sure why you're not able to get into it... http://shockedculturally.blogspot.com/
I check your blog almost daily. Why don't I comment? I am shy! Plus, like most of the ladies said is that I often see similar thoughts in another's comments. I don't want to be repetative, but I do want to let you know that I appreciate your writing very much. Ma salaama!
Assalaamu Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu,
Hmmm......well, hmmmm. Just thought I would leave a comment! hahaha!
Kidding....Actually, I love comments too. It lets me know what the reader is taking from it if anything. Then, again, you have to be careful what you wish for becuase you could end up 100 off the wall comments.
You can pretty much tell when people are playing the "You commented on my blog so I'm recipricating you by commenting on your blog" wink wink thing.
But overall, it isn't the quantity but the quality. Just knowing that one person truly enjoyed, identified, or learned from your post is really more than enough. :)
Marahm: thanks for the insights and I'll have to check it out!
Mrs. S! welcome and thanks you for your kind words, I really do appreciate hearing that you enjoy what I write. It really encourages me to continue to pull stuff from my head ;) Feel free to comment even if redundent... but it's ok too if you want to be a silent reader :) I'm glad you took time to comment this time.
Exactly Umm Yusuf, it's great just knowing one person's life was touch by your words and hopefully others!!! THanks for commenting!
To be honest, the reason I don't comment is because I assumed it wouldn't be welcomed. When you started your private blog I think I mentioned I would like to read it if you were comfortable with that. When you didn't respond I assumed that there was more distance between the way we think than I thought. Thus, I just read your blog to keep up with you ;)
Salaams,
PM
PM: Actually I Must have missed you asking honestly. I did think about you deeply on my own, I swear by Allah I thought very deeply about this.
The problem is in my personal blog I write a lot of stuff that many could easily take offence to (hence being private) and I write about Islam alot and my very opinionated views on some issues. I think over all our opinions clash on Islamic topics. I KNOW you're great at giving advices and I really do respect you and your very outspoken opinions. I KNOW you back up a lot of sisters with their difficult marriages. I really wanted you to back me up too but not everything I have to get off my chest is about marriage. I worried alot about you know I wrote a post that's toatlly off the wall and yu really didn't agree and we got into a row would you take it to yur blog to vent (Hense my comment to you asking you about this on your blog) even though you said you wouldn't do this still I don't want my blog to have fights in it. It's a place to ease my stress not gain more stress. And I stress out easily when someone is fighting me online. Maybe I'm weird but it does. Still some days I'm like I should let PM in, then the next day I'm like well what if she hates my posts? Then the next day I think naw she'll be ok in here, then the next day But what if she freaks out and thinks I'm like the next jihadist or something? SO you've actaully been on my mind a lot these days lol. I don't want to seem rude to you or for you to think I don't liek you at all because I do like you and as I said before I respect your opinions. *sigh* I dunno.... I really like your advices and I'm sure they would be helpful for me but what about my controversial posts... would YOU be ok with them? Let me hear now what you think PM. If you really want in after I've explained all that then I might just do it and see how things work out but if you don't want the hassle of dealing with yet another controversial chica it's up to you. Let me know what you think.
PS I always enjoy your comments on my blog and on other's blogs. You're just Unique.
I like reading your post while chomping on a snack. They are always chock full of something I can indentify with, and if not- I just enjoy them.
Good job. You must not sleep, as you just crank these babies out!
OK-my time is up, iBaby is cranking and needs some lovin'.
Ma Salama,
iMuslimah
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