/**/
4/28/2008

on my mind, my feeble mind

There are two things on my feeble mind today. First a question about bloggers and blogging. And second, an idea, brought to my attention by a blogger, worth supporting.

What do you do about bloggers you visit, and you leave comments, regularly, and they never bother to leave comments on your blog? Now, I'm not talking about those big time bloggers who get 50+ comments before you even get there to leave your comment - I understand that, if they get to your blog, at all, it's going to be occasional, at best. And they may, or may not, leave a comment. It's the ones where there are few comments. And they don't return the favor. Is it hard for you to trim the list of blogs you visit? Do you hate having to drop them from your reader? Or do you just do it?

I ask you now to do me a favor. Visit Velvet Verbosity and read this post. I will not ask you to join in. I will not exert an influence one way or the other. Even though I have referred to this as an idea worth supporting, that is my personal opinion and even though I have joined in, the choice to join or not has to be your own.

That's the stuff on my feeble mind today. Actually, there's more, but this is a family show .....

Oh, and one more thing!!! I won this ...



from the lovely witchypoo. Thank you, you doll, you.

21 comments:

GirlBlue said...

If I like them and am not feeling paranoid I would still comment I suppose. But what if they don't like me? and think what I'm writing is utter bullocks (well it is but still). But by in large it doesn't matter much to me one way or the other, if I have summin to say I will say it.

Anonymous said...

Lou, I hope she wins.

Momisodes said...

I struggle with the comment dilemma all the time. I'm so bad about checking my reader, I think I have 10 ga-jillion unread items. It's just too daunting at times to even open it. I try to comment back as much as possible. Some days it doesn't always allow, but for the most part, that's what I try to do.

Elizabeth said...

There are some blogs that I leave comments on all the time. Then I feel like a comment whore.
I suppose that if you are still interested in what's being said and you want to contribute then by all means. But sometimes you just gotta give up the ghost, knowwhaddaimean?

Unknown said...

Re: continually visiting blogs who never visit you: if I really enjoy their posts, I continue to read until I get bored. If I have something to add, I will. If I'm not really getting anything out of their blogs AND they don't visit me, I give it a week or so and delete them from my reader. I assume they don't like me much and I'm not going to waste their time having to read my comments, and I'm not going to waste my time reading and leaving comments. There are so many great blogs out there, no reason to waste time when you aren't really making connections with that person.

It feels like Jr High all over again.

Julie said...

I don't really notice if people comment back when I comment on their blogs...although there are a few where I have stopped commenting -- I may read the feed but I won't bother to actually go to their blog, because I have commented and never gotten any response at all...

I have been dropping blogs from my reader lately -- if I haven't felt driven to comment, if they get all mushy over a TV talking head I cannot bear, if they are...harsh but true...boring.

On the other hand, there are a couple blogs where the author rarely comes over to my blog and comments, but they respond in their comments or they are funny enough so I don't care if they come to my blog.

Julie said...

Just realized my first sentence makes no sense. Surprise.

What I meant is that sometimes I forget where I comment, and sometimes I don't notice if I leave a comment somewhere and they don't visit my blog...BUT if I have commented repeatedly and get no acknowledgment or response then I either drop them from my reader or follow them just on the reader without going to their blog.

There. I think it makes sense now.

Or not.

Anonymous said...

First of, Congrats on the award.

:)

Second, well, I kick people / blogs out that don't bother to come to me and say something.
I think then, that my input isn't valued either and I'm maybe not brainy enough for them.
Fine with me.
It sometimes hurts a bit, but I get over it.
I write for me and yes, I love comments and I love to give comments.
Nothing comes back means no interest. OK, I go play somewhere else ;)

That link up there leads to "No post" btw.

Anonymous said...

Oh Lou!

I love your comments but don't always get to comment on many of my blogging friends' blogs at the moment. I'll try harder, promise, cos I do love you.

Anonymous said...

Uh oh, guilty as charged. Truth is, for me, I write because I like to write, and I write when I can. I barely have time enough to do that, raising two kids on my own and working full time. So I don't often comment or read others' blogs. But I do try to respond always to comments on my blogs, and link to others in some way.

I read very very few blogs these days, but I still come over here to check yours out from time to time, and that is mostly prompted by the fact that I'm reminded of you through your comments on my blog. There are lots I like to read, and enjoy when I do get the time, but I'm just not able to follow regularly. Heck, I don't even comment on my most favoritist blog, and I only read it about once every two weeks.

Anyway, I think you have to ask yourself why you blog and what you hope and expect to get out of it. I myself like the comments when someone feels moved, but I know I get tons of visitors that never ever comment. I have ghost readers that have never once commented, but I figure they keep coming back for a reason.

I think you should read what you like, and comment when you feel moved by something. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

Thanks for supporting the cause!

Anonymous said...

I comment less frequently these days. my spare time is taken up by my children and their needs more and more these days.

I moved my blog to wordpress so I could write up a weeks worth of blog entries at a time and they would be published one a day. That way I don't feel compelled to be at the computer each and every day.

But it does mean less online time, which means less blog reading and commenting time. OTOH I hope it frees up a couple of evenings a week for me to get more me time in.

One thing I have found with my reduction in time - I tend to comment more on the blogs of people who comment on my blog. Try to keep the conversation going .

Anonymous said...

I was just reading the same kind of discussion on the Velveteen Mind blog, which even sounds something like Velvet Verbosity.
Synchronicity, gotta love it. What you neglected to mention is that your award is for your most excellent comments on my blog.

Anonymous said...

That is why I respond to all my comments via email. Even if I can't make time to visit, even if I forget, I want people to know that I read and love their comments.

As for blogs I comment on, there were a few that I have just deleted from my RSS because I never got a response back or a visit in return. Even though I really felt I could relate to what they were saying. They are still in my reader, but I am not going to comment/visit anymore.

Also, I get terribly paranoid about it sometimes. What if they think my comments are stupid? What if I just annoy them? Argghhh. Girl Blue mentioned paranoia as well I think.

Allison said...

If someone comes to my blog and comments, and isn't a regular reader (like some people are....nudge nudge), then I go look at their blog if I haven't already (they're usually there, though, because I left a comment so I don't want to start that senseless cycle of "thanks for visiting my blog" comments unless I want to leave them a novel), and at least say thanks for visiting.

For my regular readers, I tend to say hey and thanks in my next post, if I can....I know I have before. Otherwise, I don't often write on my blog :-| So I'm not often off reading other people's blogs, especially lately because I'm trying to keep this place up and we're trying to get out as much as possible with all this really wonderful weather, and move our frannies so we can lose some weight. I'm hoping for positive results from all this walking this week.

But I do try to comment as often as I can on the blogs that are on my "daily visits" list. Either I go through del.icio.us, or my bookmarks or someone else's blog :-|

Paranoia, though, will sometimes keep me from saying much if anything when I do comment. If I read it over or realize halfway through the comment that I sound like a bonehead, then I just forget it.

Happy reading. :-D

Emily/Randomability said...

I'm guilty too.. :(

I'm sorry. Most of the I read (I've loved your posts visiting Merry Ol' England!) and just can't think of anything clever to comment.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. :)

Unknown said...

All of you guys: This is the most commented on post ever, for me. Thank you. I fell better now. But it's not about me. It's about US.

OHmommy said...

I have struggled with that too... a lot.

I used to comment on a big blog and she has never come by to check me out. So, I gave up and vowed i would not do the same. I try and check in weekly with some of my favs. :)

I am just too busy with three kids to keep up with it on a regular basis.

Unknown said...

Okay, I'm back to blogging. Was I really gone that long? I lost track of time, with my ankles over my ears. Hate it when that happens.

Anonymous said...

I just noticed the disclaimer in your header, but for me, it's too late. Lucille is fixed in my tiny little brain. Just kill me.

imaginary binky said...

Lately, I'm incredibly guilty of the non-return. I was doing really well before my family exploded into bits. Afterwards? Not so much. Trying to get back. I hope I stay in your good graces. I've always enjoyed your words.

Myst_72 said...

The comment 'thing' has
been irritating me too just recently I must say....actually just tried to politely mention the same thing in a post yesterday...

The link you had for the post from Velvet Verbosity didn't work for me....
But I'm not commenting for non-commenter's any more - it's like sending someone a birthday card every year or something and never getting one back!
I don't blog for comments but when you check your readers and see so many lurkers that keep coming back...well....if they can read they can at least give you a 'hey'!!

I was raised with manners and have always been a bit particular in that area - call me old fashioned!

G
xx