Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly meme created by Heidi at Rainy Day Ramblings in order to discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging (and some slightly more personal matters throw in for good measure). While Heidi is on an extended hiatus, there are five of us who are hosting it and providing the questions. The current team is composed of Berls at Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life, Jen at That's What I'm Talking About, Karen at For What It's Worth, Linda at Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell and Roberta at Offbeat YA. This week's question is...
WHEN DOES IT BECOME TOO LATE TO COMMENT ON A BLOG POST?
My approach to commenting, in case I stumble upon an old post that interests me or elicits my response, has nothing to do with the post's age, and everything to do with the way the blogger in question deals with their comments. If they interact (or have interacted) with each and every comment they receive, I add my own; if they don't (or haven't replied to their comments past a certain date), I pass. I understand that some people haven't got the time to reply to (all the) comments, and ordinarily, I would still comment on their blogs (especially if we're mutuals already); but with older posts, I don't have any way to know if the silent blogger does read their comments or gets alerted about them anymore, so I might be talking to the wall and be none the wiser.
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| "WHO knows?" Tom Baker a.k.a. the 4th Doctor in a very tongue-in-cheek scene with Matt Smith a.k.a. the 11th Doctor |
Well, that's it for now. Did you enjoy this post? Would you like to participate in the meme on a regular or semi-regular basis, and get emailed the prompt list? Just head over here and fill in Jen's form! (Of course, you can jump in anytime you like - you are under no obligation to actually do all the posts, or even most of them, just because you signed up, and you can remove yourself from the list at any time). And if you're interested in participating in a more casual manner, or only in commenting, here is the TMST prompt list for the rest of September and the month of October:
- September 21st: Have you ever bought a book just because you fell in love with the cover? And did such book live up to it? (a question I submitted)
- September 28th: Do you read 1 book at a time? or multiple?
- October 5th: It's been a while... tell us more about you!
- October 12th: Paper, electronic, audio...how do you read?
- October 19th: Do you prefer to read standalone stories, duologies, trilogies, series?
- October 26th: What's your real-life superpower? (a question I submitted)
I'll be back on October 26th, because as much as I would love to answer all the questions above, I know that I won't have the time, and I have a few other posts scheduled already. But I'll definitely visit your blogs if you're going to participate in the next rounds of the meme!
Now tell me something...do you comment on old blog posts? and if yes, how old?
I agreed with you that if a blogger don't reply to their comments, it really would be like you're talking to no one if you leave a comment. I would still leave a comment for such blogs but only if the post had something I really wanted to comment on.
ReplyDeleteBloggers get email notices when they get a comment which is one of the best features of blogging, I think. But there are still a few bloggers that leaves comments on my blog (old and new) that I do not get email notices from - I still haven't found the reason why. I did once ignored one person's comments on several old posts because I didn't get email notices for their comments and I only noticed their comments because I occasionally check the comments in my blogger dashboard for that reason. And it did produced a sort of angry-like reply on one of the posts which there is no one to blame but maybe the machines?
I don't think it's ever too late to leave a comment. Blogs are not like social media in that we have to be up to date all the time, that's what I like about blogs. I do try to reply to comments on my blogs but often a bit late. I do get some replies to my replies but most of the time, I'm just not certain if people read my replies.
Sometimes it really is nice to be acknowledged that someone had read my comments. Comments can get lost within other comments so if my comments are sitting among the others, it's still okay. I had my say and maybe that's good enough.
Have a lovely day.
"there are still a few bloggers that leaves comments on my blog (old and new) that I do not get email notices from - I still haven't found the reason why."
DeleteIt happens to me with only one person - Mary from Dark Thoughts - and I can't figure out why either! I can only see her comments if I enter my dashboard. I don't think that person had the right to be angry about that, if you explained what had happened...
"I don't think it's ever too late to leave a comment. Blogs are not like social media in that we have to be up to date all the time, that's what I like about blogs."
I like your reasoning here. Blog posts are sort of timeless, at least some of them are...there's no reason why we shouldn't reprise a conversation even if it's been a while.
About comments, I love how you always take the time to write long, articulated ones 💚. And I do come back to read your replies to mine!
"I agreed with you that if a blogger don't reply to their comments, it really would be like you're talking to no one " Ulp, me. :( But I read all my comments and am tickled when I get 'em. I've replied to comments before too and then deleted the reply sometime later if I thought it was silly or realized I made a bad typo or it seems garbled lol, which happens if I try to reply when on my phone or something. I'm OCD that way I guess...
DeleteI never used to check my Comments in Blogger dashboard but I have been lately and thank goodness! because I saw some comments I otherwise might not have. I've been thinking lately I really should slow down with posting because I LIKE to post a lot, but it has affected my ability to keep up with comments... and when I look back at my blogging a couple years ago I was a lot better at replying. Which- engagement is the point, right?
Oh and just so you know I always go back to both of yours' posts and check for replies. I do that with a lot of blogs, the ones I frequent regularly I guess. It takes time but I always like knowing if there's a reply so I don't miss a conversation! Now if only I could reply better at my own site lol.
Hope you don't mind me butting in. :)
"Ulp, me. :( But I read all my comments and am tickled when I get 'em. I've replied to comments before too and then deleted the reply sometime later if I thought it was silly or realized I made a bad typo or it seems garbled lol, which happens if I try to reply when on my phone or something. I'm OCD that way I guess..."
DeleteLOL, we weren't making oblique references (at least I wasn't, but I'm sure Lissa wasn't either). There's a difference between bloggers who NEVER reply to their comments and those who try but ultimately can't keep up. Also, if one doesn't reply to their own comments but visits your blog, it's just as well. And I hear you about deleting stuff with typos in it! Now, silly stuff, I've never seen you post any 😉. But I think we are our worst critics!
"Oh and just so you know I always go back to both of yours' posts and check for replies."
I noticed! You're one of the few people I find myself actually conversing with via comments 👍.
Oh good. :) I do try to get back to posts and you are ALWAYS good about replying to your commenters. :)
DeleteLOL, it's mostly because I have a manageable number...(...a SMALL number, more like 😂). But thanks!
DeleteGreg: I get not everyone can reply to comments on their blogs and I'm okay with that. Thank you for commenting even if my replies are a lot later than most people.
DeleteRoberta: I must say, I'm not as articulate as I sometimes sound. I just like to babble away now and then. But you always post some interesting thoughts that sort of provoke me to say a lot more than I usually would. Thanks for listening/reading to my rambles.
Both of you, have a lovely day.
"But you always post some interesting thoughts that sort of provoke me to say a lot more than I usually would. Thanks for listening/reading to my rambles."
DeleteAww, that's great praise! 💚 Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts.
Thank YOU Lissa. Like Roberta, your comments are always awesome and I love seeing them show up. :)
Delete"Both of you, have a lovely day." You too!!!
When I was brand-new at blogging, I would comment all the time on blogger's posts, whether they were one day or two years old. I suppose some bloggers might have found it a little random that I was commenting on such old posts, but like you said, I was none the wiser. Now, I do tend to more often comment on new posts. I just don't have that much time anymore to do major blog hopping in which I'm going that far back. However, I don't ever mind if people comment on old posts. I'll get back!
ReplyDelete"I just don't have that much time anymore to do major blog hopping in which I'm going that far back."
DeleteI guess it's a common problem when we've been around a lot - but for instance, when I find a new-to-me blog, if it has a menu I have a look and see if there's a post that strikes my fancy. Or if a blogger links to an old post of theirs, I click on the link (and comment if I see it fit).
It's nice of you to reply to comments on old posts! Not everyone does that.
I tend to leave a comment if the blog is still active and the post has engaged me in some way. I perhaps wouldn't if the blogger hadn't responded to any comments, I agree that it feels a little pointless in those circumstances.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, nice to meet you!
Delete"I perhaps wouldn't if the blogger hadn't responded to any comments"
Yeah, you don't know if the comments have been read at all, plus...comments (ideally) should be a way to make conversation, and if no one ever replies, it gets awkward. Unless that person gets too many of them to be able to reply to everyone, but they still visit your blog or chat with you on social media...
This is a little different subject, but since you mentioned it, I thought I'd also respond. Personally, I try to respond to all comments left on my blog that are responding to original content I write (so not to guest posts, author interviews, excerpts). Those comments usually come within two weeks of the original post. If I get comments on posts older than that, they tend to be spam. I guess if someone had some thoughtful comments, I would still respond on really old posts. As for me, I tend to only look at posts that are within the last week, or I'd never be able to keep up, so I only comment on posts that are a week or so old.
ReplyDelete"I try to respond to all comments left on my blog that are responding to original content I write" [...] "I tend to only look at posts that are within the last week, or I'd never be able to keep up"
DeleteBoth things are understandable, when on the one hand you get lots of comments, and on the other you visit lots of blogs. I guess I would do the same thing if I were more popular/had more friends, but the fact is, I hate the idea of old posts going unnoticed LOL. A couple of times I got a comment on an old post and I got so excited.
"This is a little different subject, but since you mentioned it, I thought I'd also respond."
Yeah, I've realised that Berls' question had a different angle than I thought LOL.
It's never too late! lol okay seriously. That's a great point. When DO we draw the line at an old post? I think I agree with you- it's hard to know if they'll see it, especially if they're one (like cough me cough) who hasn't been good about replying lately.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that I used to be a lot better? :) I was looking at old posts and I was like- wow, I replied! Ha okay I digress a bit.
Anyway I keep thinking I'll be better. Post less, reply more I should I suppose... but yeah I think I agree. I do love discovering cool older posts on favorite bloggers' sites at times. Do you ever recycle old posts? I've decided to do that a little- some stuff that no one ever saw because it was early in my blogging, or it was niche and didn't have a lot of appeal but I want to share again... *shrug*
Blogging's weird :)
"I was looking at old posts and I was like- wow, I replied!"
Delete😆
"Do you ever recycle old posts? I've decided to do that a little- some stuff that no one ever saw because it was early in my blogging, or it was niche and didn't have a lot of appeal but I want to share again... *shrug*"
That's a good idea! I don't, in the sense of "editing and reposting", because I said what I said...but sometimes I link to my older posts (not that it's the same).
Greg: I like the idea of reposting/recycling older posts. On a blog, at least in my way of thinking, everything can be new again. I'm sure I didn't read all of your posts or as forgetful as I am, I don't always remember if you or any blogger had posted anything before. Plus, recycling is good! Pretend you're seeing a smiley face here. (I have no idea how to put the little graphic here...)
DeleteHave a lovely day.
"(I have no idea how to put the little graphic here...)"
DeleteRight-click on your mouse and select "Emoji" in the menu that appears, then click on the smiley face at the top of the window and you have a selection of emoticons where you can choose your own!
I didn't know how to do that either. 😂
DeleteNow I do!!!
😁👍
DeleteRoberta: I'm on a Mac. I can control-click and a menu would show up but there's no emoji selection. But it seems in firefox, there's an emoji option under edit which I didn't know about. 😊 Thank you anyway. The things you find when you're looking for it...
DeleteHave a lovely day.
Oh, right, I assumed you were using Windows. But I'm glad you found the option anyway. So...let's celebrate your first emoji! 🎉 😉
DeleteI don't think it's ever too late. I find it odd to comment on a weekly/monthly wrap up way after it was posted, but everything else is fair game. I have stumbled upon reviews of older books and left comments. It would make me giddy to know someone was reading one of my old reviews.
ReplyDelete"I find it odd to comment on a weekly/monthly wrap up way after it was posted".
DeleteYeah, it makes sense, especially if it's old. Those are disposable posts, you might say.
"It would make me giddy to know someone was reading one of my old reviews."
Same!
That sounds like a good approach to comments on old posts. I do comment on old posts sometimes, usually because I’ve come across them on social media and didn’t realise they weren’t new until I’d already left my comment :’) I must admit the biggest factor in me leaving or not leaving a comment is the number that are already there - if a post already has 10+ comments, I am less likely to leave my two cents, because I feel like it’s probable that someone else has already said something similar.
ReplyDeleteOn a slightly different note, I have started *replying* to some very old comments on my own posts. It feels very awkward, but no one has complained yet, lol.
"I must admit the biggest factor in me leaving or not leaving a comment is the number that are already there - if a post already has 10+ comments, I am less likely to leave my two cents, because I feel like it’s probable that someone else has already said something similar."
DeleteThat's true! I have, indeed, read old posts and not left a comment because of that - or more often, because I thought I should pour my energy into commenting on less popular posts.
I understand that replying to old comments on your own blog is akin to commenting on someone else's old posts - one never knows if the person in question is going to read those comments/replies. If it helps, though, I do! 🙂
I still get comments on 10 year old posts and I'm fine with that. If you find a post interesting, I see no reason not to comment on it no matter how old it is..
ReplyDeleteI read one of the above comments and didn't know you were having that problem with my comments. That just means I'm unique. lol
I am always checking my dashboard because I sometimes get hit with spam comments and then I can go and delete them manually because the spam filer doesn't catch them.
"I still get comments on 10 year old posts and I'm fine with that."
DeleteWow, 10 years is a lot! That's great!
Haha, you are indeed unique! That's why I sometimes allow your comments to get published and reply to them a little late.
Thank you, Roberta. :)
DeleteAs I'm sure you can tell as I go back through your posts from the past two or three weeks, age of post does not matter to me at all. 😅 I don't pay much attention to whether or not they comment back either (although I appreciate that you always do 💛). I comment if I have something to say. That's the only criterion!
ReplyDeleteLOL. I love that you're catching up. Not everyone takes the time to do that (not even me, because well - not enough time).
Delete"I comment if I have something to say. That's the only criterion!"
You are a queen 👑.
I don't get notified of comments anymore. WHY BLOGGER WHY??? so I often don't know if someone replies on an older post. I try to check my dashboard comments section for updates.
ReplyDeleteAs for commenting on others older posts - if I don't think they'll see the comment and I know them - I'll touch base on social media or through an email instead
Karen @For What It's Worth
"I don't get notified of comments anymore. WHY BLOGGER WHY???"
DeleteIt happened to me once. I accessed the settings section and re-enabled the "submit moderation requests via email" feature (not sure if that's the name - my dashboard is in Italian). It's always worked since. Blogger sometimes has strong opinions about things, and needs to get disciplined 😂.
"if I don't think they'll see the comment and I know them - I'll touch base on social media or through an email instead"
I noticed your doing that sometimes. YOU ARE A TRUE REBEL 😂.
I agree. I would love it if more people would comment on older posts, because I do see every new comment in my WordPress dashboard. And we work hard on our posts! I hate feeling like they have such a time limit. But I rarely comment on older posts myself, unless someone specifically showed it to me, because I know that some bloggers don't see comments on older posts, so it might end up being a waste of effort.
ReplyDelete"And we work hard on our posts! I hate feeling like they have such a time limit."
DeleteExactly!
"But I rarely comment on older posts myself, unless someone specifically showed it to me, because I know that some bloggers don't see comments on older posts, so it might end up being a waste of effort."
Yeah, THAT. I have this line in my comment section, "I don't care if a post is a million months old - you comment, I respond. And you make my day 😃.", which I do hope people see. But when you don't know if a blogger notices their comments any longer, you are much less inclined to make the effort. That's why I usually only comment on old posts if I see recent activity, or if I notice that the blogger has replied to all their comments on there.
I agree, it is never too late to comment on a post. I usually write posts hoping people will come back to them even after the date it was published. And if a post (on someone else's blog) interests me, and it is from a while ago, I tend to comment on them. Even if they don't respond, I still feel good about the fact that I got whatever I was intending to say out there. :D
ReplyDelete-Quinley
"Even if they don't respond, I still feel good about the fact that I got whatever I was intending to say out there. :D"
DeleteThat's a very positive attitude!
I always read, how else could I see if it is spam ;) Lol, but yes I love all comments
ReplyDelete"I always read, how else could I see if it is spam ;)"
DeleteHa! Good point!