Every time I write a post about comments and how to receive more, it becomes a popular one. The most recent one, Five Ways To Increase Blog Comments, is no exception.
What this tells me is most bloggers WANT comments. Bloggers like to have their thoughts validated. Bloggers also like to communicate with their readers and via comments, ideas can blossom into great discussions which can lead to bigger and better ideas or solutions. Comments create community on blogs and it’s through comments, online friendships are often made.
Comments are what makes a blog interactive and is why many people enter the blogging arena.
To be heard.
Today’s Lesson
When I commented on Betsy’s post Life Skills: You Don’t Have to Explain Certain Things I went back later to read her response. In a comment that followed, Betsy wrote, in part,
“…sometimes they’re just not that into us”*
Her words reminded me how with blogging, as much as we love receiving comments, one of the reasons we may not not get any (or very few) is just that, our readers are just not that into what we’re posting.
Ouch! That’s a blow to the ego.
In fact, when we hear that, our first reaction might be “Then why do I bother to post?”
And in truth, that’s a good question to ask ourselves. “Why do we blog?”
If it’s only to receive validation or to PROVE our point(s), we could be setting ourselves up for disappointment.
Maybe, no one cares.
Or maybe, as Betsy eludes to in her post, our readers don’t feel the need to explain themselves on the issues we’ve written about.
So that leads to the question, “Does a lack of comments mean our readers are just not that into us or what we’ve posted? Or might our visitors be reading but feeling they don’t need to explain their viewpoints to us?”
Since bloggers are usually the readers who comment most often, for today’s lesson, let’s take the commenting discussion further and share what inspires US to comment, or not.
Today’s Assignment
When you read a blog post, what inspires you to leave a comment?
Also, what hampers you from commenting?
Care to share?
*A book with a similar title, He’s Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys
Until comments begin to show up, new bloggers often feel like they’re in an echo chamber – talking to themselves.
Hi. I'm Barbara Swafford and I'd like to welcome you to Blogging Without A Blog. Grab a seat, share your thoughts and join in the conversation. 
I recently watched a video named “Owned and Operated” on the Crackin Films site.
In a nutshell, it’s a movie about how the world is changing and not necessarily for the better. The film goes on to show how we, as citizens can make a difference if we choose to.
After watching the movie I shared a link to it on Facebook and included a note that the film contains profanity.
Today’s Lesson
I knew I didn’t have to warn my followers about the profanity in the movie, however I didn’t want anyone to be caught off guard, especially if they decided to watch the film with young children.
But, it’s not just in films we see profanity, we see it in blog posts, comments and in social media sites, too.
With freedom of speech, many of the people who converse online feel it’s okay to swear.
And, it is.
The problem is, some people are offended by curse words.
Since social media and blogs aren’t rated or categorized according to content, what’s shared online is there for anyone to see or read.
We can’t protect people from what they might find online, but as blog authors and members of social media sites, we can post a warning to alert our friends or visitors of profanity or potentially offensive language or images.
We can, but…is that really necessary?
Today’s Assignment
Do you think it’s our job to warn our friends, followers and/or visitors about profanity and/or offensive language or images on sites we own or link to?
Care to share?