Before I go on about how I feel about comments, I think you should all schedule 45 minutes (after you spend 45 minutes reading this long-ass-rant-post) and watch Sarah Haskins’ new video: Target Women Super Special. She’s my favorite comedian du jour. Also my favorite feminist. I hope she stays funny and never decides to go crazy and start a colony on a Christmas Tree farm. As soon as I can figure out how to be as funny as she is, or at least learn how to embed a video, I’ll come back to blogging.
So comments. They’re the best and worst part about blogging. I know many a blogger, including me, who judges her or his self worth on the number of comments her or his most recent post got. This is bullshit, because commenters are so fickle. So let me start with what goes through my head when I comment.
To start off, I know that I need to comment on other blogs to get them to comment on mine. The best way to develop one’s readership is not by being a good writer, it’s by commenting regularly on as many blogs as humanly possible. It doesn’t matter if those comments are quality, they just have to keep coming. Of courese, being a good writer does help keep people coming back, but if you want the huge stats, you got to go spread the love, even if you made up the love. Which is what is also known as “ass kissing” or “the cult of commenting.”
I read my blogs on an RSS feed, so in order to comment, I have to first read the post, and then decide if I want to click through to have something to say. Many times, if a blogger does not post a full RSS feed, I use that as a justification to not click through. I actually get annoyed if I have click through to read a full post, and sometimes take revenge by not commenting, but sometimes I do anyway. There’s no rhyme or reason.
Once I get to a post, I have to decide what I want to say in response. So while I’m reading the post, I’m often thinking about the most clever thing I can say rather than actually reading the post. Sometimes I’m in a hurry, or I’m angsty that I’ve opened too many blogs in tabs, so I’ll just skim and then try and come up with something to say that shows I actually read the whole thing. I get a feeling reminiscent of the comprehension section of the Iowa tests I took in elementary school. (And how many of you right now are thinking, “I took Iowa tests! I can comment about that!”) Caught you.
I never feel like I have time to read all the other comments so I can join the discussion. And if someone has dozens of comments already, I get overwhelmed, and I don’t say a thing. Who needs more than 50 comments, anyway? Okay, I do.
And please, let me get started about how much I hate, hate, hate commenting on Blogger. First off, I have two Google accounts, my blog one and my personal one, and the default comment ID is the current account. If I’m signed in under my personal Google, I run the risk of accidentally commenting as [my real name]. I can choose to fill in the box with my name and URL, but blogger doesn’t remember that I’ve been there before, so I have to go through the whole rigmarole of typing out all my info every single time I comment. Also, Blogger lets me start typing comments before the screen fully loads. When it does load, it erases everything I’ve typed. Many, many times I’ve lost my comment because I didn’t realize the screen wasn’t loaded yet. And one more thing… Captcha? I HATE IT! Typing in a group of random letters after typing a comment pisses me off. Unless I have something really good to say or some other compelling reason to comment, I am usually tempted to skip commenting on blogs that require captchas. In a word: WordPress. It allows you to “whitelist” commenters so once someone is known to you, they don’t have to be approved ever again. If you want more comments, take down the barriers to commenting. I don’t get why Blogger has taken so long to fix this.
Phew. I feel good saying that. Here’s some other things that will keep me from commenting on your blog: obscene amounts of typos, or sometimes just one. I worry that I won’t be able to refrain from saying something critical. (I guess that’s why I’m saying it now.) If you never comment on my blog, I will stop commenting on yours. If I can’t find one thing to relate to in what you wrote, I probably won’t want to comment. If I read your post while I was at my old job, and opened it in a new tab on Wednesday morning and then was forced to close my browser and turn off my computer when it ran its weekly virus check at noon thereby loosing my browsing history, I didn’t comment on your post. If I think a post wasn’t all that great, and most of the comments say things like “that was the funniest thing ever!”, I’ll probably go back and re-read your post, but I might not say anything. And sometimes, I just have nothing to say. But despite all that, I often comment anyway, because I want to keep up my own numbers. I also want bloggers to know that I’ve been there, especially my good buddies.
Let’s not forget that commenting is how I find new blogs and develop blog friendships. Commenters are awesome when I’m feeling down or when I need advice on something. Sometimes it allows me to voice my differing opinion on another blog. (Anyone here been the victim of that?) But as the rules of ying and yang and “if you can dish it out, you have to take it” go, there are times that people have disagreed with me on this blog, that one awful day of comment abuse thanks to the reddit crew, a smattering of weird anonymous comments, and a crock pot full of spam comments. But bulk of the feedback here has been positive to me and for me.
All this commenting is getting overwhelming, and it’s a reason I want to have a hiatus for a while you all switch over to WordPress, or convince Blogger to completely change their format. I’m going to relish being a lurker, with the rare exception of being lured out by something that truly provokes me. Now pardon me while I “mark all as read.” Please don’t hate me.
Posted by deutlich on February 3, 2009 at 2:14 pm
I thought for sure I wasn’t going to see a post from you anytime soon. But yay! I was wrong!
Posted by Man Of Action on February 3, 2009 at 2:16 pm
No comment.
Posted by kir on February 3, 2009 at 2:17 pm
what the heck is an Iowa test?
Posted by 3carnations on February 3, 2009 at 2:37 pm
You sometimes voice a differing opinion on someone’s blog? Really? Shocking! I certainly have never experienced that from you. :-p
Pardon me while I go remove word verification from my blog. You’re the second person to post about this in a week, and apparently it’s not keeping the spam away, because just this morning I deleted a comment about some stop smoking aid.
Posted by adriana on February 3, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Oh my gosh I hate when Blogger resets the page when you’ve already started writing!
I sometimes use comments to rant about something I can’t on my own blog – like my boyfriend leaving milk out on the counter or whatnot…
Anyway, I love this post because I love comments on my blog and I’m happy other people do too!
Posted by Kelli on February 3, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Geesh, I go away for a few days and come back to find you are taking a hiatus! (I know, I know, it’s in the post before this one, but I’m doubling up my comment efforts – shameful!)
Anyway, I know what you mean about the commenting issues and agree w/ you on so many points!
And, on a similar note, I keep telling myself one of these days I’m going to switch to WordPress, really. Probably once I turn 30 and can no longer roar though my 20′s anyway.
Regardless, I hope you’re not on hiatus for too long AND my fingers are crossed about those job prospects you’ve got lined up.
Good luck!
Posted by Dingo on February 3, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Blogger frustrates the hell out of me for the very reasons you’ve stated.
Commenting is overwhelming. I’ve cut back on commenting as much as I used to. It worries me that some people think I don’t “like” them anymore. It’s not that, it’s just that with over 300 blogs in my reader, I wasn’t getting any other work done. Commenting is addicting.
On another note, I love Sarah Haskins!
Posted by -R- on February 3, 2009 at 6:36 pm
I have in the past felt pressure to comment in order to keep up the number of my own comments, but I’m now at a place where I sincerely don’t care how many comments I get. Of course, I love getting comments, but it doesn’t bother me if I only get a few. I get annoyed when I can tell people comment on my blog or on other blogs just for the sake of getting more readers. I’ve never felt that way about you though.
Posted by alexa - cleveland's a plum on February 3, 2009 at 9:21 pm
preach on sister. honestly, sometimes i just don’t have time to comment. it sucks, cause it is a part of the blogging community but if we all want something interesting to blog about we have to get out from behind our computers (at least that’s what i tell myself), so that doesn’t always leave time for commenting. shrug.
don’t leave!
Posted by Little Fish on February 3, 2009 at 10:39 pm
“things that will keep me from commenting on your blog: obscene amounts of typos, or sometimes just one” Uh oh, how do you feel about poor grammar?
Posted by stef on February 4, 2009 at 2:24 am
AMEN SISTER! google does many things right, but their blogging software is definitely not one of them. i have my public wordpress blog, and a private blog that i started on blogger years ago. when i comment on someone’s blogger blog, i’m always afraid i’ll accidentally leave the default info in there, thus publicizing my private blog.
down with blogger! (or, at least their craptastic comment-abilities.)
Posted by Allie on February 4, 2009 at 7:51 am
Sometimes you just have to hit Mark All As Read. I did it a few weeks ago, and it’s gotten me back to a manageable number in my reader every morning.
Posted by The Modern Gal on February 4, 2009 at 9:11 am
I didn’t take the Iowa test, so there. I took something called the TCAP, which was Tennessee-specific.
I’ve cut back on commenting for the same overwhelming feeling, but I’ve just gotten used to the idea of getting a couple of comments for each post and double digits only if I’m lucky. I keep telling myself to only leave a comment if I feel compelled to do so.
You’re actually the reason I got rid of word verification and switched to full RSS. I think you left those suggestions on a post of mine where I asked for them. I can’t promise I’ll be switching to WordPress any time soon, because the whole switch seems like it would be more of a pain in the ass than I want to deal with, but your complaint is duly noted
Hopefully Blogger will get its ass in gear soon (for the record, I have a WordPress account under my real name for a work venture and have accidentally commented under that account …)
Posted by nancypearlwannabe on February 4, 2009 at 9:35 am
I think you probably just hit a nerve with anyone who has ever had more than 10 comments on their blog. It gets to a point where it doesn’t matter who is commenting as long as there are a whole lot of them. Thankfully, I think I am finally returning to a place where I don’t care if people want to comment or not.
Your break also comes at a point where I’ve been thinking about how often I post and seeing how it affects my writing to cut back to a few days a week. Maybe it will improve the quality… or maybe I’ll decide not to do it anymore. Four years is a pretty good run, I think.
Anyway. I already miss you.
Posted by Kyla Bea on February 4, 2009 at 9:48 am
Don’t feel badly about any of it- the hiatus, the commenting, the marking all as read. It’s not worth it. You’re not obligated to do it.
I think the best times I have when I’m blogging is when I recently paired down to reading about 100 blogs regularly. Everyone writes at a different pace so I can get through my reader in an hour if I just sit down with it and some coffee, they’re blogs that I really enjoy, and they’re people who I really care about.
It’s the same as my relationship with facebook. If I feel obligated to be on there, and like I’m revealing too much I clear out my friend’s list and take down my personal information or deactivate for a while.
There is a real risk of information overload between e-mail, twitter, blogging, and social networking. I’ve been so relieved since I found a more definite line between those things and me.
Good luck with it! = )
Posted by courtney on February 4, 2009 at 10:00 am
Nah, I don’t hate you. But now I’m feeling anxious because (a) I am still on Blogger (but turned off the word verification!) and (b) I’m technologically retarded and am not exactly sure how the whole RSS thing works, so it’s possible that my blog is annoying you. Sorry! I’ve been considering switching to WordPress, and this may be the push I needed.
I’m like you with the commenting, though. I only leave one if I feel compelled to do so. I also don’t read nearly as many blogs as you do, because I don’t want blogging to feel like a chore.
Take as long a hiatus as you need, but I will miss you!
Posted by charmcitykim on February 4, 2009 at 10:31 am
Brilliant. I couldnt’ have said it better myself. I want comments but sometimes I just don’t have anything clever to say on another person’s blog aside from “too funny!” or “I totally agree!” Shoot me.
However, I do agree about Blogger and that’s why I moved to wordpress.
Posted by cadiz12 on February 4, 2009 at 11:04 am
i’m saddled with the blogger commenting function (through which i’ve outed my real name a few times myself), and i tend to keep the one address open in firefox and the other open in safari/i.e./chrome to avoid such problems. but i agree, the blogger method sucks. maybe when i finally get around to overhauling the blog i’ll do away with it.
btw, sarah haskins is hilarious. i love the yogurt one.
Posted by lizgwiz on February 4, 2009 at 11:58 am
I’ve never gotten all that many comments. I’ve reconciled myself to it.
You’re not giving up facebook, too, are you?!
Posted by bing on February 4, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I’m completely with you on loving the comments and feeling slightly bummed when they decline…
And blogger can be so frustrating, especially when it reloads the page. Or even worse, when you hit submit and you get a duplication error and lose your whole comment. Hate that!
Posted by Kristabella on February 4, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I fucking hate Blogger. When I was first starting my blog, I had a friend on Blogger and I hated everything about it. All I knew is that I didn’t want to have a site on Blogger. I heart WordPress.
This was a good post on commenting and pretty much touches on why we all do it. I go through phases where I want to read and comment on everything and then I have weeks where I would not like to read a blog at all. But I know that’s how I get traffic. And that way I can buy a can of Hormel chili with my BlogHer ad revenue.
Posted by Stefanie on February 4, 2009 at 6:02 pm
I took the Iowa Basic Skills Test too!
Also, I relate to more of that comment overanalysis than I’d like to admit.
Also (also), I’m sorry I annoy you by having a Blogger blog. At least I use a full feed!
And finally, you are such a tease. What a nice surprise to see a new post from you the day after you announced a hiatus!
Posted by Erin on February 4, 2009 at 7:47 pm
I’ve been wanting to switch from Blogger to WordPress, but I’m afraid something will go awry and I’ll lose all my comments!
I love comments just like everyone else — partly because it’s validation and partly because it’s proof to new viewers that SOMEBODY reads me. I’m kind of self-conscious when my posts don’t get a lot of comments.
But that’s silly, because I’ve been totally bored by many of the heavily-commented blogs I’ve checked out. And I’ve been VERY impressed by some blogs with not-so-many comments.
May I list a few? Not shilling – these are people I don’t know personally but whose blogs I really like.
OK, not waiting for permission.
http://chilangabacha.wordpress.com/
-I never have been to Mexico, but this blog makes it feel like home.
http://www.nestmaker.com/
-Never thought a garden blog would make me burst out laughing and get in trouble at work.
http://imaginary-review.blogspot.com/
-This one is starting to grow a bit. Beautiful parody writing about hilarious, made-up stuff.
http://utahbeer.blogspot.com/
-Think it’s easy to write an authoritative, diverse-yet-focused, daily blog on beer in Mormonland? Good presentation (within Blogger confines), entries are the perfect length, and there is more material than you ever thought possible on this topic.
Check ‘em out. Don’t even feel pressured to comment, because these guys appear to be operating on another kind of fuel!
Posted by Erin on February 4, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Don’t tell them I said not to comment, though!
Posted by Adorable Girlfriend on February 4, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Happy to see you on the blogs, in comments, or just lurking about.
Whatever keeps you going for now.
Posted by Eddy on February 5, 2009 at 4:53 am
Hello from a well established lurker! As a blogger user for as long as I can remember (I’m now on my second blogger account…) I have never really tried other mediums like WordPress, but can attest to how awful the blogger comment system can be.
My blogging isn’t fueled by comments the majority of the time, I write because I have nothing better to do, but I feel commenting on other blogs is necessary; there is definitely a nice feeling from finding someone somewhere is reading and caring what you have to say!
Good luck with the job, by the way! As a recently redundant worker myself I know how much this whole process sucks.
Posted by heidikins on February 5, 2009 at 10:30 pm
I totally took the Iowa tests!
….
Ok, not true. But I hear you on the comment thing. My new job actually blocks blogspot and wordpress, and sometimes even google reader…which means my commenting has drastically dropped, both on the giving of and receiving ends of things. Shrug. I still think I’m witty.
Great post.
xox
Posted by heidikins on February 5, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Um….also…I had NO IDEA there was a Utah Beer Blog. Or that anyone outside of Utah would be remotely interested in the brews we happen to brew. Crazy.
xox
Posted by jennifer on February 6, 2009 at 8:52 am
I think I may be blushing. Am I the only blogger who fell into every category of “why I don’t comment here” ? Wait! I don’t have the word verification thingy. I feel slightly better.
You nailed it. I have thought many of these things, you had the brass to say them. And this surprises me not at all.
Posted by Vanessa on February 6, 2009 at 9:22 pm
I love this post because it speaks to so much of what I dislike about blogging. Thanks for letting me vent vicariously.
Posted by rdl on February 7, 2009 at 10:00 pm
so you’re ditchin us like a prom dress. that’s ok we know where you are and you’ll be back. i for one will miss your wry humor. I wish i was more tech savy ( i know it has 2 v’s-purposely misspelled just to drive you crazy) and could figure out that rss think and which one to use. and i wish i was brave enough and had enough time to switch over to wordpress – it does look good. I also wish blogroller would figure themselves out so i would know when people updated – i liked that. I also liked stopping by here – I’ll be back!
Posted by mickey on February 10, 2009 at 5:46 pm
And now I’m tempted to point out all the typos in this post! Both because I’m a jerk and you’re asking for it.
But I won’t.