Commenting on comments

Excellent piece on the "science" of blog comments on Gone Away today, which I found via ProBlogger.  Clive gives these "principles" for establishing a environment conducive to receiving comments on blog entries:

1. try to build a community of bloggers who comment regularly.
2. encourage conversations and don't ignore comments that wander off the point.
3. Always reply to comments if at all possible and do it in your comments system.
4. Ultimately, it all depends on the purpose of your blog. If you blog for
   yourself and don't care whether it's read or not, comments are not
   going to matter at all. But if the purpose is to be read, comments are
   very important as they are a factor in creating regular readers.
   Quality content is paramount in this quest but, if you remain doggedly
   unresponsive to comments, most readers will wander off sooner or later.

I know that Michelle at Scrapability has blogged about feeling "unloved" due to lack of comments, and I often wonder about the lack of comments on my blog(s), when I see loads of comments on "A-list" scrap-blogs.  I have been responding to comments privately, via email, so people feel like they're getting a really personal response.  Maybe I'll start making those responses right back in the Comments section, and see how that affects things. 

Something else I think is interesting -- I've been blogging at One Scrappy Site for over a year and half, and have a Comments feature there, but have gotten only TWO comments in the entire time.  I wonder why that is?

Edit to Add: Read Michelle's comments on comments here -- she even outlines blogging protocol and netiquettes -- very informative (as usual!  She ROCKS!)

Edit to Add Another: Darren at ProBlogger also has some comments on comments -- more food for thought!

Comments

[Alyssa]

Blog comments are an interesting topic. When I first started blogging, it took a few weeks for someone who wan't a personal friend to comment. It was such a treat to get even one comment! Even then, though, many entries would go by with nary a word. It still happens, in fact. Some posts just seem to sink into oblivion. LOL!

I have developed a core group of visitors who comment. It's not a huge group, but it increases as I keep going. I think the topic helps elicit comment as well. I see your blog as informational and don't always feel like I have something to contribute to the topic. Plus, I tend to get in scrapbooking moods. Sometimes I devour idea books and information, while other times I'm focused on other things. Usually books. LOL!

I can't explain why people at OSS don't comment, especially since you get a lot of traffic there. Do you get a lot of e-mail? If so, maybe they e-mail you instead of commenting.

Alyssa

[Sarah]

I think many people who post comments on those "A-list" blogs do so with mixed motives. They want their names associated with that person and they hope that by commenting on an A-list blog, their own blog will get more traffic. That being said, you are on my personal "A-list" and that's not why I post comments to you. LOL!!

Seriously, I've never understood why scrappers seem so hesitant to speak up...how many thousands of lurkers are there at 2Peas? Tons! I run into people all the time who say "I read the boards and visit the gallery at 2Peas...but I never post." I think that's a universal experience. Scrappers don't want to speak up or don't feel it's worth their time.

I think it's my duty to make up for at least a few that leave things unsaid. Heheeee!!

[Jennifer]

Angie,

Look over on my blog...you are my first "Blogs I Read" listed! :) You're A-list to me!

Jennifer

[Angie Pedersen]

Aw, two people call me "A-list"! What a concept! Kind of takes me aback. Thanks Sarah and Jennifer!

And Alyssa, that's an interesting thought, about not commenting on informational blog entries. Thinking about it, I find that to be true, even personally. When I read marketing blogs, for example, I often don't comment, because it's "just" information. I learn something, and move on -- without commenting. Perhaps a blogger needs to offer commentary in the orginal entry, to elicit response? If it's more of a newsbyte/information post, it doesn't seem to require a response. Interesting...

Thanks for the discussion, ladies! Much appreciated! Anyone else?

[Kristy]

Angie the A list blogger.. For sure. I think you are the only gal on my blogroll with not one, but two blogs :-)

I don't get comments either, doesn't really bother me too much!

Lets start our own comment community. Just count me in!

[Michelle@Scrapability]

Anyone else -

Yes! I blogged about it, lol.

Regarding informational blogs - that's a really good point. I don't either. But I do occassionally elicit comments by adding this request into the blog entry itself - normally at the end. I read somewhere to do that also.

[Cyndi]

I wonder if some people are "commenters" and some are "readers"... Both are valid audiences. I read a number of blogs, but I think this is only my second comment. I usually don't even read them :-)

Cyndi

[Rene]

Another reader, sometimes commenter, who believes you ARE an A-list blogger Angie!
As far as why people don't always leave comments on the blogs they read (and I am guilty at times) I think sometimes one feels a bit strange if they don't actually know the person. I know several of the blogs I used to read went "private" because they didn't like "strangers" commenting on their blogs. I usually wait to make comments on a blog until I've read that the blogger actually likes comments from strangers. It's also a time issue with me, not having enough time to comment when I'm rushing through e-mail, online places like 2peas, checking other blogs etc.

[kajira]

Hi, Angie. I read your blog every time you update it. Er, maybe I don't. No, gosh, now is my face red!! I have a link to your Blog of Me on my blog, but I don't have it in my subscriptions on Bloglines. I do your industry news, I read that all the time. Okay, time for me to update my Bloglines feeds. I'm really embarrassed, now!! But I wanted to tell you that since I *do* use Bloglines, I'm often not able to leave comments. I could, I guess, link to the actual blog and comment that way. But with Bloglines, all your subscribed-to blogs show up on the left side and you click on them, and the blog itself (main content) shows up on the right side of the screen. So you could have tons of readers that are using a service like that! I subscribed to my own blog there, though, and found that, including me, I had three measily subscribers! :( Oh, well.

Now I've commented, and I've discovered a problem. I'm going to the solutions post haste!!

[Angie Pedersen]

Thanks ok, Kajira -- according to Bloglines, I only have 10 subscribers, and I'm 'famous'! LOL

I use Bloglines too (and am one of those 10 subscribers! LOL), and when I want to make a comment, I click on the link of the entry I want to comment on, and go comment at the actual blog site, just like you said.

[Angie Pedersen]

Rene, you make an excellent point as well, RE making commments on "strangers'" blogs.

Hear ye, hear ye, one and all -- I have NO problem getting comments from strangers! LOL (Of course, now that I say that, the Internet loonies will come out of the woodwork...) Since Book of ME came out, I've gotten hundreds of emails from "strangers", and have appreciated receiving each of them. Blog comments are just as appreciated.

[queue_t]

Angie I subscribe to you ! I think you are on my A list.

I enjoy reading your news and veiws and all the cool stuff you get up on your blog thanks for your great blogger outlook.

Tamara aka queue_T

[Mimi]

I thought Michelle had a lot of good thoughts on her blog, so I agree with your linking that article.

I also believe that you do begin to build a community of regular commenters, I do anyway and start to call them friends.

I also agree that you are on my Bloglines account and I read your blog quite often. I will endeavor to comment more.

[Gone Away]

Well, I had to give a comment to this, didn't I? Thanks for the mention (found you through something I've only just discovered - www.icerocket.com). Thing about comments is it's not a science. I thought it was normal to get lots of comments until people started asking me why I had so many; it was only then that I tried to analyze the reasons and my thinking so far was what went into the article. No doubt there are plenty of factors I haven't noticed yet. But that's one reason why blogging is so interesting, isn't it? It's still developing and we get to watch it grow and, perhaps, shape it in some way. :)

[Angie Pedersen]

Hey, thanks for visiting Clive! I thought you did a great job compiling all your thoughts in that entry -- made sense to me anyway! ;)