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Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings, where the blog's owner Heidi discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog.
Here is what is on deck this week:
WHY SHOULD YOU COMMENT?
Commenting is the heart and soul of blogging. That's not to say that, even if you're friend with someone, you have to comment EVERY. SINGLE. TIME they post. There can be times when you simply don't have anything to add to the discussion, or you simply don't have the time right after reading a post and later you get sidetracked. Not commenting is NOT a crime - and not reading every post your friends come up with either. So many factors can play a part in it.
But as I said, commenting is the heart and soul of this thing we do. A blog is an open diary, so it wouldn't make sense if we only posted for ourselves - a simple copybook would suffice. Or, in our particular case as book bloggers, a blog is (also) a way to share content. Can it be read without actually interacting with it? Of course it can. I do admit to reading posts without leaving a comment sometimes (and there's still a little merit in it, because if stats mean anything at all to you, even my silent read contributes to those). But...
But as I said, commenting is the heart and soul of this thing we do. A blog is an open diary, so it wouldn't make sense if we only posted for ourselves - a simple copybook would suffice. Or, in our particular case as book bloggers, a blog is (also) a way to share content. Can it be read without actually interacting with it? Of course it can. I do admit to reading posts without leaving a comment sometimes (and there's still a little merit in it, because if stats mean anything at all to you, even my silent read contributes to those). But...
- commenting is a way of letting the blogger know they did well
- it's a way of telling them they matter
- it's a way of encouraging them when they're in a rough spot, or when they need support/advice
- it's a way of weighing in and creating a civil discussion
- it's the only way you can build up a community
- plus, though you may feel like it's a chore sometimes (and it that case, you should probably pass), it's indeed a lot of fun! Especially if the blogger (or someone else) replies to your comment and strikes a conversation (that's another sore point, because do we reply to comments? do commenters check for those replies? Personally, I do both, but I understand it's not always possible when you post a lot and have several followers...).
Well, that's it for now. And if you're interested in participating, here is the TMST prompt list for the rest of November:
- November 20th: What are you thankful for?
- November 27th: Do you procrastinate writing reviews?
I'll be back for the meme on Nov. 27th, because sadly, I'm at this point in my life where I feel more angry that thankful (though I AM thankful that I found a few kindred humans via this blog and/or Twitter/Goodreads!), and I'm just not feeling the spirit. But I will check everybody else's posts!
Now tell me something...why do we bloggers need comments? why do you leave them? do you think you're doing it enough?
ROBERTA. ARE YOU LURKING ON MY BLOG?!?!?! HOW RUDE.
ReplyDeleteJK, JK, I admit I do that often as well because I don't feel like saying anything, or have nothing to say, or I completely forget to say something. I have a goldfish memory after all...
It is definitely a chore to comment and comment back though - I try my hardest but sometimes I still end up like 8 months behind... I think I've only recently caught up only to fall back behind just a little again. I've gotten better though, I think?
Hehe, aren't we all lurkers? 😉
DeleteRelax, you have gotten better. Though sometimes I get notified of replies to comments I don't even remember I wrote, but hey, it's nice to get surprises! 😂
We'll see how long this lasts, right?!?!?! Just so you know, I'm 4 posts behind again, whoops.
DeleteAnd sure, it's a nice surprise. Maybe I should reply when you're asleep and start with: GOOD MORNING ROBERTA DO YOU REMEMBER THIS COMMENT? 😂😂😂
And I'm in need of new posts to schedule, but I'm too tired to function...maybe a little rusted, after my invisible hiatus. WE CAN NEVER WIN 😭.
DeletePlease don't do that. Yell me awake? I already hate mornings as it is 😂.
WHAT. You can't hate me!!! I am not morning, I bring glory to mornings. 😂
DeleteDon't worry - I'm almost out as well. 😥
We only need to work our little asses off a bit...*sighs*
DeleteHi Roberta, thanks for this insightful post. Nodded my head as I read it. Yes, commenting takes time and commitment but it is just as important as the reviews and blogging. Otherwise why bother? I am sorry I have been absentee, so much going on. I still have your email in my box, I promise I will get it answered in the next day. Trying to catch up a bit today!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes, I read about your being busy lately, so no worries 🙂. I've been kind of absentee myself, when it comes to participating in TMST. But I still love the meme and plan on being more active in the future!
Deletebloggers don't need comments, it's more like want. I'm not on any social media so my blog is the only place people can reach me on the web so I do like having comments. I don't need them but it's certainly nice to get them. I know a few bloggers that have their comments turn off so I guess they're saying they don't need comments but I'm sure they want them.
ReplyDeleteI've been slacking in commenting but mostly I find most people post things I care very little about so I don't comment as much. and I don't like repeating what others said as it makes me sound dumb or unoriginal. I do admit, I often find very few things to say even it's something I care about. sometimes there's really no words.
have a lovely day.
Writing a comment for the sake of it or saying something that doesn't mean much is certainly worse than not commenting at all! It's not like one has to post a philosophy essay of course, LOL. Sometimes you can say a lot with very little words. But those bare "Great review!" or "Nice post!" comments are cringeworthy, because you realise they're just meant to get reciprocated without adding anything to the conversation...
DeleteI will admit, I don't comment on every post, though I do spend time reading them. I think it's just my personality. Sometimes I just don't have anything to say (or sometimes with discussions, I don't have anything NICE to say), so I don't comment. I have a love/hate relationship with "throw-away" comments. It's nice that the person took the time to comment, but sometimes I see that same comment, from that same person on like 20 blogs. I am being super judgy now, aren't I? I do agree with your reasons FOR commenting, and I know I have been happy to be on the receiving end of that love.
ReplyDeleteQuote: "Sometimes I just don't have anything to say (or sometimes with discussions, I don't have anything NICE to say)".
DeleteLOL. As I said, I know how it feels not to have anything to say - I think everyone of us does. Usually, we make an effort to comment all the same when the blogger is a very close friend, but if the post is, say, a review of a book we haven't read or don't mean to, it's difficult to find the words. On the other hand, when you pour so much time and effort in a review, it's nice to get validated, even if you didn't convince your readers to pick up the book in question - which was the point all along...
And no, you aren't super judgy. Better to lack in the comment department than to have a bunch of insincere (?) ones.
For me - commenting is just part of the job of blogging. It's very time consuming but essential if you want to be part of the community in any meaningful way.
ReplyDeleteAs my blog roll grows, it gets harder to keep up and I only get to them a 1-2 days a week instead of daily but I try to some make time every day.
Short comments don't bother me at all because I get the time crunch issue but I hate when they only pop up in a way to get you to visit their blog for hits.
There was a time there when dozens of new bloggers were popping up complaining about lack of page views and comments but never bothering with other blogs - or smaller bloggers that they didn't feel helped their stats.
That's why I dont' participate in features/memes anymore. Most were just running through the link list to say great post and moving on so that they will visit back.
I might dabble in the Sunday posts again because it seems to be a smaller (than it used to be) group but people who really want to connect.
Okay - done babbling lol
Karen @ For What It's Worth
I totally get you about short comments (BTW...wow, this one was HUGE! LOL). Not every comment has to be a poem or something - even when one just says a few words, you can tell if they're being sincere.
DeleteI feel a little bad when I pour my heart and soul into a review and it doesn't get comments (though I can see it's been read at least), but who am I fooling - even when "I" read a review, more often than not I end up commenting only if it made me discover a book up my alley/I've read the book already/I have it on my list.
I know how you feel about memes, especially the ones with a link-up. Maybe you struggle to find something meaningful to say to everyone, while a bunch of people take the "great post!" route without even reading it. I like smaller, laid back memes though - or seasonal ones where you only have to post for a few days. For instance, I became friends with Veronika and Ruzaika from The Regal Critiques thanks to the Summer Blogger Promo Tour in 2015...and with you when you and Pam were hosting the Book Blogger Confessions. Those were fun times!
You said this so perfectly! Sometimes just leaving a short comment to let a blogger know that their post is good, helps them to feel support (and don't we all need that sometimes!) because there isn't always enough time in the day to leave long comments. So, as long as we all know that people are reading (even if this is sometimes just by "silent stats") and that we have support - that makes all the difference in the world.
ReplyDeleteIt does! And even when we don't inspire someone to read a book we've loved (which was my original aim when I decided to open a blog), it's nice to hear that they've loved our review at least, or they feel the same as us about something.
DeleteI try to respond with at least two sentences, and with something meaningful. I'm not really a fan of comments that just mention the cover or how interesting something sounds. Yes, sure it's interesting, but WHY? What about it interests you? I want comments to be a place for discussion, which is hard when people only state how beautiful a cover is. My responses are severely limited with that. I want to know what you're thinking!
ReplyDeleteWhenever I comment on someone's blog, I want them to know I took the time to read what they wrote, and that I was invested in what they had to say. People spend a lot of time writing posts, and I believe their time and effort should be appreciated.
Memes are hit-or-miss, because sometimes you find bloggers that are genuinely interested in what you have to say. Other times it's just a short phrase so they can say they "stopped by." It's why I don't comment as often as I would like, because I want to make sure I have the time to sit down and be committed to what I'm doing. I want to be able to read a full post and share my thoughts in the comments.
Lovely post!
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?
I can always tell that you're being sincere and that you pour your heart into your comments. And I did notice your trying to get the conversation going on your own blog. I really appreciate both things! And I do agree about memes. I've tried some, but when they're too crowded, it becomes a momentous task to visit/reply to everyone, not to mention the perfunctory comments one gets. But I do like the ones where you can "talk" (like this one) and people only respond if they're genuinely interested or have something to contribute to the conversation.
DeleteThank you!
I know what you mean about comments! I visit most blogs of people I follow daily if I have time but sometimes I have nothing productive to say so I say nothing. Better that than 'oh I don't like stuff like this' which I used to do for the sake of leaving a comment but it's not greatly helpful to keep saying that! I do try to leave a couple of comments a week, more if I can but it depends what it posted I guess.
ReplyDeleteHaha, yes, it's hard to comment on a post about something that isn't up your alley. Likewise, I don't usually read/comment on romance reviews because I don't like the genre. Also, time is always a factor!
Delete<3! This is such a great post!! I agree, commenting is SO important. Even if it's just a quick "great post," that helps show that you were there and that you checked out their content. I try to comment as much as possible! :)
ReplyDeleteI probably have to do better in the comment department, but time is not always on our side, you know. I'm trying though! Thank you for checking out my post 😀.
DeleteWhen I started blogging, it took me a LONG time (too long if I am being honest) to figure out how important commenting is. I always appreciated it when other people commented on my posts, but it never occurred to me to go blog hopping to leave comments for other bloggers. Eventually, I figured out that blogging is not only the best way to get to know other bloggers, but it is also a great way to get more people to come to your own blog.
ReplyDeleteI try my best to comment on other bloggers' posts and I think that I am fairly successful. My only downfall is that I leave novel-length comments that take a long time to write, which probably means I don't write as many as other bloggers. I have some favorite blogs that I frequently comment on, but there aren't any blogs that I comment on for every post. Like you said, sometimes I just don't have anything to say or a post isn't really up my alley. That doesn't mean that I didn't like it, I just don't feel like I have anything to contribute to the discussion.
On the other hand, I STRUGGLE with replying to comments. I appreciate and read every comment that I get, but I don't always have the time to respond. I always say that I want to get more comments and more interaction, but then I realize that also means I have to do more responding. While I love talking to other bloggers and readers, I also only have so much time and effort. That sounds terrible, but replying to comments sometimes feels like more of a chore to me than fun.
I was like you when I started. And I had this naive belief that it was enough to put a post out there and wait for people to find it...you know, "if you build it, they will come" LOL. I'm also like you when it comes to length 😂. Sometimes I may write a touch and go comment, but it's rare when it's less than two paragraphs long LOL.
DeleteI do appreciate any comment (unless it's the derogatory "great post!" with nothing else attached...c'mon, you DIDN'T read my post, did you? 😏), because it shows that people have visited and they care for you, or at least they make the effort to acknowledge your putting a post out there. But yes, it's not always possible to write/get a comment when you basically don't know what to say even if you did appreciate the post. Great review, probably great book, but I don't think I'll ever read it? I think this happens to each and every one of us, so no shame in being lurkers sometimes 😉.
I do like to reply to comment (even if I'm sure most commenters never come back to read replies...), but I see your point. Sometimes it takes me more time to respond than to write actual comments on someone else's blog. And I understand where the bloggers who never reply to the comments they get come from, also because, usually, they're the ones who get a ton, so no way they would be able to reply to all of them. But comments + replies create a conversation, albeit brief, so it's a pity when you don't get the chance.
And of course...time. Time is always a factor, and until the Doctor doesn't take us on a TARDIS trip, leaving comments or responding to them will always be a hard task at times 😄.
You're right about commenting being the heart and soul of blogging- it creates a sense of community and togetherness and shows that people actually CARE about what you put out and encourages you to work more and...yes, it is a very important (if a tad tiring at times) part of blogging!
ReplyDeleteDespite what I said, I know I have to work more on it. You, on the other hand...have been commenting on TEN of my posts at once this time! 😘
Delete