I’ll be interested to find out how your readers handle this, Barbara.

If someone takes the time to add to the blog conversation with a thoughtful comment, I can understand why they might be a little disappointed when their voice isn’t included.

That said, spam filters are a fact of blog life and I guess there has to be some leaway given to the busy blogger.

I do, however, get somewhat disappointed when I see many comments go unacknowledged consistently on a blog. This would be more to do with a conscious decision by the blogger than any technological mishap.

If a blog’s readers expect no reply to their comments, then this is ok. On the other hand, it would be odd if a blogger suddenly stopped replying when readers had become used to it.

Once again, I think it all comes down to what your blog readers expect- and need

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Hanging chad – that’s brilliant, Barbara!

I don’t take it personally if I become a hanging chad if I think it was an honest mistake. In fact, I’m OK with my comments not getting replied, but I will feel less connected with the blog.

I think if someone finds a hanging chad for their own blog, the statute of limitation should be one full post. If that hanging chad was done beyond your previous post, then it’s too late and you should let the hanging chad stay that way. (I just made that up, but it seems reasonable).

Al at 7P’s last blog post..10 Tips for Immediate Productivity Results

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I find when comments move into conversation, I don’t respond to each post, but when the commentor says something directly to me, I’ll either respond directly to them, or if it’s similar to what someone else has said, I’ll group several together at once.

When a post turns into a commenting-conversation, I probably to leave hanging chads, but now that you’ve pointed it out, I’ll try to pay more attention and not hurt anyone’s feelings.

Alex Fayle’s last blog post..Are you a Pooh-Bear?

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While my parenting blog is only a week old, I’ve had blogs for my comic strip for years. I’ve attempted to respond to every comment, even if the person says the same thing that four other people prior to them said.

A very small percentage of readers actually take the time to comment on blogs. So when they do, I believe it is my responsibility to acknowledge them and let them know their participation is appreciated.

If they responded late to the party, and it took a while for me to notice their post, I will assume they stopped checking the page for a response from me. At that point, I will email them, if I have their address, apologize for missing their comment, and thank them.

I realize that some of the bigger name bloggers or busier small bloggers may not have the time to respond to every post, so I don’t take it personal if my comment is missed.

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Hi Joanna,

Welcome to the BWAB community.

Your comment is a perfect example. While I was responding to comments, yours went into moderation. By looking at my response, it appears I had missed your comment.

Acknowledging our commenters by name is important, isn’t it?

I agree, those of us who visit Problogger know we aren’t going to get an answer. But with the value Darren provides, I’m okay with that.

Hi Blogger Dad,

Welcome to the BWAB community.

Yes, when others take time to leave a comment, it’s only right we answer them. To me, it’s part of the responsibility that comes with having a blog.

I love your idea about emailing a person whose comment might have gotten overlooked. That adds a personal touch and if they had the wrong impression about you, the email would prove it was an oversight.

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Hi there Barbara – I just searched my comments and I didn’t reply to a comment left by Theresa – mind you, I didn’t respond to anyone in the thread either.

Sorry Theresa – it looks like you came by my blog for the first time when I was in Mexico for two weeks. I didn’t get access to the Internet much, so I barely responded to any comments.

I thought I’d responded to them all when I came home but it looks like I missed a whole thread – Are You Lost In Social Networking? and didn’t reply to anyone.

Sorry – I feel really bad that I didn’t reply on your first visit.

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Hmmm, I copy and paste the comments (when I have a lot) from my blog in a word document and as I answer them I delete that person’s comment from the Word document and work my way down the list until they have been answered. then I cut and paste all comments into my blog.

The comments are emailed to me, so I keep them in a separate folder, not my in box, so that I can review them later.

Like you said, when people come late to the party, it happens. I’ve done it several times, people are still commenting on posts I wrote months ago, so when the new comments come in, it’s hard to remember the older comments have to be responded to. I just say sorry for the oversight…which it is….not done on purpose.

Most times its just being forgetful…we shouldn’t get too much of an attitude until it happens on a regular basis, then you might know something is wrong. Every blogger loves comments, nobody is out to get us or ignore us on purpose.

My comments have been overlooked and in the beginning I did get upset, the blogger had 100’s of comments and it’s hard to answer them all so he answered what he could. I also didn’t agree with his post

Good questions and thanks.

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Hi Barbara – hmm, maybe we’re defining the hanging chad differently. I was assuming that we accidentally overlooked a comment and we were talking about a comment that might be weeks old or something that we discover.

For new comments that are on older post, we’re in agreement and they would get an immediate response. I guess I answered the wrong question.

Al at 7P’s last blog post..10 Tips for Immediate Productivity Results

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Hey Barbara, I used to every single comment left on my blog a few weeks ago but recently stopped. After reading your previous and current article, you have brought me back to my senses

When I comment on other blogs I don’t usually expect an answer, unless I’m specifically asking a question, in that case I would be offended if the blogger doesn’t reply to my comment.

Rajaie AlKorani’s last blog post..Top Commentators Widget Added

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How do you ensure that you catch every comment?

I moderate my blog and review Askimet daily for valid comments.

What do you do when you miss one? Do you answer it, or leave it hanging?

Hopefully I don’t miss one, but I am human. If I find one that I did not respond to, I do respond. Isn’t part of having a blog is interacting with our readers.

Have you ever left a comment on another blog, not to have it answered? LOL yes, of course.

If so, how did it make you feel? Figured the person was writing for their own amusement.

We need to ensure our blogs are set up in a way for people to easily interact with us. Something I need to change on one of blogs now.

Glenn in Bonita Springs’s last blog post..Estero Condominium Market Update

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“Have you ever left a comment on another blog, not to have it answered?

If so, how did it make you feel?”

Here is my feelings on this issue, Barbara. And maybe it’s easier for me to understand this because I do blog.

But, I think that readers of blogs should be understanding if their comment doesn’t get answered. We all want our comments answered – but dare I say we shouldn’t demand it?

First of all – we are reading content someone worked really hard on, and they’re not charging a dime for it.

So though it’s definitely prudent for a blog owner to answer every comment, I think that commentors should also have a little mercy on the owner, too.

Yes, I have left comments before that were unanswered. But, I choose to be understanding and not blow it out of proportion. If the author you enjoy keeps writing good content, be thankful for it. Thankful enough to overlook a comment not being responded to. That’s my philosophy.

Bamboo Forest’s last blog post..Wikipedia: The Holy Grail

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Honestly, I seldom know if my comments are replied to or not. Because I read almost exclusively from my RSS feed, and I never subscribe to comments, I usually don’t go back to a post to see if there is a reply. If it’s a post I’m very interested in, then I’ll bookmark the post and watch the comments for a couple of days, but for the most part, I tend not to come back after I post what I have to say.

I know, that makes me a bad community person. But if I’m looking for community, I’ll usually join a forum. I read something like 150 blogs in my reader, so I just don’t have time to keep coming back to see if an author has responded to my comment. Generally my comments are there to be responded to, just to add to the conversation.

However, on my own blog, I do try to reply to every comment, at least I’m getting there. But I don’t expect that people are waiting with bated breath for me to reply. I usually reply because, well, I know it’s nice to receive comments. It says to the blogger that “wow, someone really reads my posts”. It makes me deliriously happy whenever I get comments, so I like to spread the love around.

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To be perfectly honest, I feel a little hurt if a comment of mine gets missed and becomes a hanging chad. I know it’s unreasonable, and I know the most likely explanation is that the author simply missed it for some reason, so I don’t take it to heart too much, unless it happens often.

If it does happen often, I’ll usually unsubscribe, because I already have enough blogs in my feed and don’t need to be spending time and effort on one where I’m ignored on a regular basis.

Having said that, I’m sure I must have missed comments in the past. I try to remember to check my comments list each day to see if I’ve answered everyone, but real life often gets in the way. I do check my spam filter several times a day and fish out comments that have got in there by mistake. Apologies to any one I’ve missed on my blog!

I also have email notification turned on, but I have so many emails I sometimes don’t have time to check each one individually.

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Barbara,
This is a good insightful idea for me to ponder, you are still my best commenter on my blog and I am so grateful. I have just experienced a search engine comment machine and got thousands of nasty comments which blocked up my time and I did not comment on any of them or moderate them onto the posts (They also came in on the wrong post they were attempting to comment on)
I think I am still too wordy in my comments.
I comment on 4 blogs a day – 5 days a week with a few missed days, and am mostly ignored. I am nothing if not persistent.
I have also gotten a couple of National Newscasters sending me emails but asking me not to post them and their words were very encouraging and exciting to know that they took notice and had read my opinions. Thank you for this good lesson – you keep me motivated.

Patricia’s last blog post..Purple Is My Best Shade

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Hi Barbara,
I hate it if I miss a comment.I always go back to make sure I get them as best as I can. But I check comments a few times a day so if I did comments already during the day then I am afraid it may seem like I have missed someone if a long time goes by before I do comments again. It always seem like someone must have just commented after I left the computer!

I wish I could sit in front of the computer to answer each comment as it comes in but I don’t have that type of lifestyle.

I’m curious to know how FAST everyone expects their comment to be responded to.

Wendi Kelly- Life’s Little Inspirations’s last blog post..Anniversary Stew

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Hi Eric,

You do bring up a good point; some comments aren’t interactive in nature. In those cases, I would answer something like, “thanks for sharing your thoughts”, “great to see you here”, “glad you agree”, “thanks for stopping by”, etc. Just think of how you would answer a person in real life under the same circumstances.

Hi again Catherine,

Anytime we’re away from our blogs and the comments stack up, it is easy to miss a few, especially if the comments cover many posts. Now that you’ve explained what happened, I’m sure Theresa understands.

Hi Lance,

Are you thinking about your blog and its comments too much? I’d say “not necessarily”. You are thinking about others and their feelings. That’s a good thing and shows what kind of person you are.

Hi Natural,

I hear you. Often visitors are finding our old posts, and commenting. (Especially if we get search engine traffic). If we’re not careful, those are easy to miss.

I still remember the time you found my “related posts” and left comments all over my archives. I had a hard time catching up with where you were going, though it was fun reading your thoughts.

Hi T Edwards,

Thank goodness you’re receiving comments as your blog is a must read. I’m happy to hear comments are motivating you to keep going.

Hi again Al,

Yup! We were talking about two different things. A really old comment that got left hanging could still be answered, but it’s likely that reader moved on.

Hi MizFit,

Re: commenting on other blogs. It doesn’t have to be tit for tat, however, it is nice to have our words acknowledged.

Hi Rajaie,

I’m happy to hear you’re back on track. I’ll be looking for your replies to my future comments.

Hi Chris,

As long as you’re trying, that’s all that matters.

Hi Glenn,

It’s good to see you here again.

I agree. If we set up our blogs for interaction, and say we want to build a community, it than becomes our job to follow through.

Hi Mark,

Showing gratefulness is what answering comments is all about. Like you said, you don’t NEED it, but you appreciate it.

Hi Bamboo,

Like you, and many others here, I visit blogs where my comments aren’t acknowledged. When I look at the big picture (how the blogger is helping so many with their (free) words), I totally understand why they don’t have time to address comments.

Should we DEMAND our comments get answered? No. However, like many others, I do appreciate it when my words acknowledged in some fashion.

Hi Linda,

Commenting on old posts is acceptable. However, if we land on a blog that’s sitting dormant, and we comment, it’s safe to assume we are not going to get a response.

Hi Maritzia,

You bring up a good point. Forums are a lot more about community. Ironically we’re beginning to witness more “forum type” conversation in blog comment sections.

Hi Theresa,

You’re welcome.

If a blogger shows total disregard to your comments, but addresses others, that’s rude.

Granted, some bloggers don’t know what to do with comments (I didn’t in the beginning), but if they choose to answer them, then be consistent.

Just like in real life, we wouldn’t ignore a guest in our home, while socializing with others.

Hi Jay,

Consistently being a hanging chad can give us the impression the author doesn’t want to deal with comments. Unsubscribing is often the only answer.

If our goal is to answer every comment, it’s easy to miss one or two on occasion. In that case, I think the commenter realizes it was an oversight.

Hi Vered,

The “great post” comments are hard to provide an answer to, short of just saying “thanks”.

Hi Patricia,

Thank you. I’m happy to hear my words motivate you.

Dealing with spam comments can be time consuming. I hope you now have a good spam blocker installed.

Hi Rita,

Taking one day a week to double check for missed comments is a great idea. When the commenter knows it was an error on our part, (and we willingly admit it) they’re more likely to stick around.

Hi Wendi,

That’s a good question. How fast should we answer comments? Personally, I try to answer them before publishing my next post. If my work schedule is such that I can’t get to them quickly, then I do the best I can.

Hi Ian,

That’s a good point. If you feel you weren’t heard the first time, maybe try again. Food for thought.

I’m guessing a business blog is completely different than a personal blog. Many of your readers are probably there for consumption purposes only.

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I have a great threaded comment plugin, and couple that with the fact that WordPress lets me know every time someone new comes to comment — ensuring that I catch most everyone. It emails the commenter my response, too. It’s called Wordpress Thread Comment and you can find it here at: http://blog.2i2j.com/plugins/wordpress-thread-comment

As for my comments left unanswered on the other blogs — I don’t take it personally. My response is almost exactly the same as Maritzia’s. I comment to contribute to the discussion — not necessarily looking for a response. I am actually surprised by how many people seem to differ on this view, however. It’s good to know.

@Rita

Thanks for bringing up the other post — as Maritzia said, I read in RSS reader, make a comment when I can contribute, and seldom go back. So your message wouldn’t have reached me. I responded on the other blog, and did ask you some questions. You can respond it there (this time I’ll go back and check) or you can e-mail me via contact form on the site, IF you wish — if not, that’s fine, too.

Ari Koinuma’s last blog post..Why You Can’t Do What You Love (Digest)

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Hi Barbara

I try to reply to all comments – but I don’t always get to them all. I think we can afford to be a little easy-going about it – I’m not offended if all comments I leave are not answered, so I assume others won’t be.

Chris at wat da wat doesn’t usually reply to comments – but I just assume he hasn’t got time!

I’d rather people wrote a comment on my blog than replied to my comment on theirs, if they don’t have time for both.

Robin’s last blog post..On Overcoming Obstacles

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Well I don’t miss too many comments because I only get a few here and there. I have this happen to me all the time, though (asking a question and getting no response) – especially on Copyblogger and Problogger.

I don’t take it personally, but it’s nice to be recognized just once in a while.

@ Cath – Firefox has a great Add-on called Browser Split which you might like. It’s great for answering comments.

John Hoff – eVentureBiz’s last blog post..Securing Your WordPress Blog: Post 3 – Obscuring Your Database Tables

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Interesting you should bring this up, I’m talking about this in tomorrow’s post. Honestly, I don’t follow comments. I leave a comment and move on. I don’t even read all the comments most of the time. I sometimes skim them, but not always. There are a few blogs (like yours) where I will go back and see the response because I know you do, but some blogs, even though I know they may reply, I don’t go back and check. I don’t like following comments because it fills up my e-mail, and I always get a little thrill when I have an e-mail, then when I see it is someone responding to another person’s blog all the air is let out of my balloon. I don’t feel slighted by not getting a response unless the person seems to respond to every other person and not me. If they kind of pick and choose it doesn’t usually bother me. A large group of the blogs I read reply directly to the commentor through e-mail. I realize this is not the preference of most of those who read your blog. I do prefer it, to reply to my commentors in this way, though, or just visit their blog and leave a comment.

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Hi Urban Panther,

Your email system sounds like it works good. It gives you checks and balances, which is often needed to ensure we reply to everyone.

Hi Ari,

I’ve never heard of that plugin before. I’ll check it out and see if it would work for me, as well.

Yes, there are differing responses to those hanging chads. This discussions has proved to be interesting.

Hi Marelisa,

It seems to be the consensus that larger blogs would have a more difficult time responding to all of the comments they receive. It makes me wonder at what point they realized it was too much.

Hi Robin,

Yes, when we get to understand the real life pressures our blogging friends are under, we begin to understand why our comments may go unanswered.

Hi again Natural,

I had fun the day you did it. Now, I might miss answering them all.

Hi John,

Yes, unanswered comments are frustrating. Hopefully you have since found your answers elsewhere.

Hi Karl,

I agree, answering questions (as John just mentioned) is very important. Questions left unanswered could result in lost subscribers.

Hi Debbie,

The email replies are a nice touch. I recently added the “subscribe to comments RSS feed” (upper right sidebar). I like it as everything stays in my reader and I can pick and choose what I want to read.

A few months ago I made the mistake of checking the “subscribe to comments on this post” button on Darren’s (Problogger) post when he announced the birth of their baby. I ended up getting dozens of emails from follow up comments.

Hi Evelyn,

Yes, time is a big issue for most bloggers. Once we write our posts, visit other blogs, answer emails, etc, on top of our real lives, our blogging time gets very thin. I’m guessing this is one of the reason we see hanging “chads”.

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@ Mare – thank you very much for sending me them.
@ John Hoff – thank you – I’ll try that.

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Welcome back, Dr. Nicole,

I was wondering what happened to you. Hope you enjoyed your time off.

How do you answer 100 chads, as Liz says in A.S. K. Liz Strauss – How Do You Inspire Your Readers To Join Your Community “one at a time”.

Hi Harmony,

Needless to say, it has been time consuming. My biggest problem arises when my first priority (work) interferes, but it does make me happy that everyone is thinking about the hanging chads, comments in our spam folders, and making sure we don’t forget those who are late for the party.

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I understand exactly what you’re talking about. My favorite part about blogging is getting user comments

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Hi Stacey,

**smiles*** “I wish the conversation would go on and on and on..” That’s true, isn’t it? The conversations can add so much value, we want to hear more.

Hi Sara,

Yes, when we first start blogging, if we emulate some of the big blogs, we assume we don’t need to answer comments, and I guess we wouldn’t have to, but without it, we wouldn’t have community.

I think most of our fellow bloggers realize we have a life that comes before blogging. Being away from our blogs does raise the question of how we’ll answer comments that stack up when we’re gone. What you did appears to have worked well, and knowing you were away, your readers didn’t expect you to answer each and every comment.

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I have to say, Barbara, that if I had as many comments on my site as you have, I’d have no hope of replying to every comment *laughs*. It’s all I can do to keep up with posting and answering the few comments I do get.

Someone was asking about what you do when you miss a comment. If I found I missed replying to a comment, I actually will e-mail the person concerned to apologize for missing them and thanking them for their comment. Alas, I know everyone isn’t as unconcerned as I am about people replying to their comments.

BTW, I’m Maritzia. I have several blogs, and the identity I use for commenting varies depending on the blog on which I’m commenting. I got confused and used my alter ego instead of my true identity when I replied earlier.

And yes, this thread was interesting enough to me that I came back and read it *laughs*. Actually, your’s is one of the few blogs I do that on, Barbara, because the people that comment here tend to be as interesting as you are. I don’t even try to read the comments on ProBlogger, because there’s just too many.

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Hi Jodith,

Yes, I noticed you do post under two different names. I know you from your avatar, so however you sign in, that’s how I answer.

Sending an email to commenters we missed answering is a great idea. It helps to build community.

***smiles***. I’m happy you came back. This is an interesting thread, isn’t it?

Thank you for your kind words. The community here is awesome, and….you’re a part of it.

Hi Mike,

I agree, it is nice to have our comments recognized. It shows the blog author is appreciative of the time we took to read and comment.

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