What is blogging etiquette? That is what I want to know. So, readers, you can tell me.
I follow several blogs. For the great majority of them I follow by email. Of course, the email usually arrives a day late so I tend to be a bit behind. Other bloggers who tend to post on a more regular schedule are listed on my blog page and I change it up from time to time.
Let me say that I do not always leave a comment when I read a post. Sometimes I have nothing to say, nothing nice to say (LOL), or do not have the time. Often I go back a make a comment after quiet thought.
My question becomes one of what should be expected by bloggers. I have few comments on my blog. That is not what bothers me. What bothers me is the many number of bloggers whom I read who never reply to any comments on their blogs, never visit my blog and comment, or perhaps never even read my blog. (One blogger was actually very rude one time and told me she was a serious garden blogger and did not have time for silly awards.)
There are a few bloggers who, after I comment on their blog, come to my blog and post something. Fair enough. But what about the rest of them?
To me, you either reply to my comment or come to my blog. Am I wrong? Am I too needy?
Frankly, I do not care one way or the other as I do not post for others, but for myself. But I am curious as to what other bloggers expect. Do you expect a comment from your readers, though I am sure we are all thrilled to get them. Do you prefer to reply to the comments on your site or go the the bloggers site to comment? Do you just want folks to visit your page and say 'tough cookies' to their site? (and I am pretty sure some bloggers fit this category though they may be loathe to admit it)
I have been thinking that I could save myself precious minutes each day if I just ignored some of these folks I have followed for years. Their posts may be interesting, but it is like picking up the check for coffee every time with never getting even a 'thank you'.
This all becomes a question as I gear up for the A to Z Challenge. Many of the blogs I follow were found during the challenges over the past few years. And, many of my followers came from the same challenge.
So, readers, what say you?
I have noticed that if I post a comment on a blog, that person will respond with a comment on one of mine. I love any comment I get, but especially when I know the person has a real interest and it doesn't bother me if someone doesn't "pay me back" with a comment. I also often ask a question in my comment and if I get an answer I love it. It does help when you get an email that says you have a comment, so maybe some folks don't have that. I guess I am not being much help Denise. I am hoping you get lots of comments today that will help us!
ReplyDeleteI admit that I read your blog when I get emails (Canada Garden), but not sure if I ever respond on there. I try to respond here, but admit I do not always do that either.
DeleteI make a practice of always answering comments on my blog and also using the name of the person so they know I am replying to them. Usually I return the visit to new commenters as well. However, if theirs is a blog in which I have no interest, I don't return again.
ReplyDeleteBlogs that I have no interest in are a problem for me too. One commenter had a blog that was full of advertisement. Ugh.
DeleteI like comments but like you I only comment when I really have something to say. I follow around 100 blogs on my reader so there is a lot of content to digest.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, I am not going to participate in AtoZ this year because of the non-list of participants. I am hosting my own challenge over at the April Alternative Challenge. (I won't place a link, just want to mention it). On that site, I have closed comments as I don't think it is necessary for the type of blog it is.
My biggest concern with no list on the challenge will be how do I know what blogs I really want to read versus those I want to avoid? I liked that folks could code what their blogs were about.
DeleteI just can't make up my mind if I want to do the challenge this year. I am thinking I might just keep doing my own thing. I have quite a few "regulars" that comment on my blog. I always reply to every comment. I know there are many who come but don't leave comments. I guess I am okay with that but I always like any comment even if it's only to say "I was here" LOL! And if it is a new person commenting then I always go to their blog and comment too! I become a follower of theirs if they visit me more than once!! Know what I mean??
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean. I already had my challenge posts picked out, so I'll see how it goes this year.
DeleteArrghhhh! When I first started blogging years ago, I got caught up in the, "I'll follow you if you follow me" and of course, I ended up doing all the following. It's just the way it is.
ReplyDeleteI try and comment on my favorite blogs, if I have something to say. It might not be every post they make but I try. As for those who make comments on my blog, since I have to approve the comments, I am working hard at replying back. Sometimes, I fail but I am working on it.
Have you ever wondered about the bloggers with hundreds of followers who never comment on your blog or reply on their blog. What is their secret?
DeleteUnfortunately, the Blogosphere is filled with selfish people who only want to take, take, take. That said, I've been doing this long enough now to have built up some great blogging relationships. We visit, comment and share each others' posts regularly. I do my best to respond to all comments and pay a return visit, but in situations like the A to Z (which I'll be doing for the 4th time. The lack of list doesn't bother me that much.) it is hard to keep up. The number of post views always far exceed the number of comments, but that's a common complaint. At least some people will click on the "like" button and/or share the post on social media if they don't leave a comment.
ReplyDeleteI have found many of the blogs I follow during A to Z, but agree that the list was daunting and lots of folks dropped out which wasted my time.
DeleteI have to say I am absolutely TERRIBLE about responding to comments on my blogs. Have been since the beginning and probably won't change. However, if a person asks a question about something, I'll email them if their email is part of the comment and answer it or will leave a comment on their blog to answer their question (make sense?) My rationale, which is only my rationale, is that I follow so many blogs and leave comments on so many blogs that I honestly do not have time to go back and read the comment that the blog owner might have left on what I said.
ReplyDeleteI hate "fly by" comments. You know the person didn't read your blog post but want to make sure you follow their blog and comment back. A "fly by" comment might sound like "have a good weekend" and nothing else. I try to leave a comment that is related to what the person wrote about, indicating I took the time to read what they wrote.
My biggest frustration about not doing A/Z this year was not getting reciprocal visits back from people I visited. As part of my minion duties, I visited the same blogs for multiple days of the challenge. Not anyone of them came visiting to leave a comment. If a visitor does visit, I will check out their blog, leave a comment and thank them for visiting me.
There are blogs I follow and after a few months if they don't respond back or comment, I move on. To me, blogging is about building relationships. If I can't connect, then it is time to find another blog that I might connect with.
betty
Betty, At least you are going to someone's blog and leaving a comment. Some neither reply to a comment or visit you, yet they have hundreds of followers. And you are right about the folks who drop by and ask you to follow them. I am not looking for followers, but I wonder what other bloggers think about comments and following.
DeleteHi Denise,
ReplyDeleteI think I have something like 5,000 followers on my blog (yeah, right). But I only get a handful of likes and comments usually. Like you, it doesn't bother me. I do try to acknowledge comments on my posts, but I don't always get to it.
I've set up some blogs to only send me updates once a week, so Saturday mornings I spend a lot of time perusing the blogs I follow. In any event, I'm ready for the A to Z Challenge and looking forward to yours!
You are great when it comes to both leaving comments and responding on your blog. I am just wondering whether folks expect a reply or a visit. As someone else said, my actual visits in the statistics and comments on the blog show a large discrepancy.
DeleteI love getting comments and I try to be a generous commenter on many of the blogs that I follow. I think it is proper blog etiquette to always respond to a comment (I would feel rude and the ghost of my dear mother would probably haunt me if I didn't). If someone "likes" a post, I do try to visit their blog, unless I can tell that it's not a blog I'd be interested in. If someone comments, I will visit their blog for sure, but I make the decision to comment on theirs, based again on mutual interests. I keep getting follows from bloggers that I'm pretty sure have no interest in what I have to say. My impression is that they are just looking for a follow in return, and I don't have the bandwidth to follow someone With a blog subject I have no interest in.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great subject and I'm glad you brought it up. Bloggers who don't reply to comments are a big pet peeve of mine and I will often stop commenting, or sometimes stop following, if it happens too often. I see the blogosphere as a wonderful way to connect and I have met lots of wonderful friends - both online and in person - because of it.
I love and appreciate your comments. It is a little annoying to follow someone for years, try to leave comments, and never see comments or replies from them. I enjoy their blogs or I wouldn't be reading. But I have often wondered what others expect. As I said I do not always leave a comment on a blog, but I always will try to answer here. I'm glad I brought this up cause I find I am not alone.
DeleteI definitely don't think you have to always comment every time you read a post. Comment if there is something you want to say. I do believe as a matter of courtesy that people should reply to comments on their blogs, and also visit the blogs of the commenters. I try to do this, though I often fall behind. Beyond the issue of courtesy, I genuinely enjoy the interaction.
ReplyDeleteJason, I had my first web page back in the mid 1990's. Comments and replies were not something I had to deal with. The pages were strictly informational, though you could send me an email. I like the interaction on a blog. But without comments, I might as well be talking to myself, LOL.
DeleteThis is a really good post, and it has been interesting to read the comments and see what others think and do.
ReplyDeleteI almost never respond to comments on my blog, but I almost always visit the commenter's blog and leave a comment. I'm really bad at responding to comments, and it seems less rude not to respond to comments than to respond to some in a more timely manner than others. It makes sense in my head.
I understand some people aren't going to comment. Maybe they don't like what they read, don't have time, don't want to engage, etc. I guess during A to Z those are somewhat okay, but the rest of the year, I think it's better to skip commenting on a post if you have nothing more substantial than that to offer.
Again, thanks for a great post that lead to some interesting comments to read.
Well, you are visiting and leaving a comment. That works. At least it is something. Interesting to see how some reply and some visit and comment. Either works, but to do neither kinda bugs me.
DeleteI am one of the guilty people who doesn't always respond to comments on her blog. Sometimes, weekdays get away from me. I try to catch up on weekends, and also try to visit the blogs of those who comment. I do appreciate your readership, Denise! I try to make it up by visiting the bloggers who comment on my blog, but that doesn't always happen, either. I am having some second thoughts about A to Z; the coding we used on the lists really helped me - for example, I am personally not interested in AC (Adult Content). I was hoping to try a new blog, one concentrating on my "adventures" related to having a developmentally disabled brother in law, but I do not want it associated with my name, nor do I want to post links to it on Facebook, and, I am rethinking the whole thing. By the way, I found you on A to Z, and there are several other blogs from A to Z I still read regularly. However, like many, I found so many blogs that had either dropped out by the time I got to them or just stopped posting after A to Z was over. People who just link-drop and think it is a valid comment do bother me.
ReplyDeleteAlana, the lack of the coding bothers me too. And I certainly understand time constraints. Sometimes I get so far behind reading blogs that there are already dozens of comments and I wonder if I should even bother. I guess my complaint are those who never visit, never comment and never answer on their blogs. I am thinking I will just stop following them. I had already planned out my AtoZ posts, so I'll see how it goes. I will add my link and tweet it out.
DeleteI too blog for myself, and to share info that other travellers might find useful, but I really appreciate when someone leaves a comment so I always try to reply. I rarely comment on other blogs but I hope to do more once I retire. Right now just doing a weekly post is about all I can manage. I look forward to your A to Z posts, Denise. Have fun with the Challenge.
ReplyDeleteI had my first web pages back in the 90's, but they were for business and committee work. I started blogging after I retired. I never would have had time when I was working.
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