Saturday, February 11, 2012

Commenting is a Lot of Work

First, welcome to any new readers.  It's hilarious that there are actual people reading my blog.  Sometimes I think maybe I should proofread or think before I post.  A glass of wine usually takes care of that thought.  Thanks to everyone who reads and comments and generally participates.  It's been so uplifting and comforting to hear everyone's stories.  Plus, there is such a vast pool of knowledge out there and I LOVE tapping into it.

Next, I want to bitch for a moment about commenting on blogs.  I'm not a super regular commenter.  I read a LOT of blogs and just don't always have something to say.  But here's my complaint.  When I comment on a blog, I then have to go back and check on the comments to see if anyone commented on my comment or if the owner commented back.   This is a lot of work.  This is a lot of work that I don't do.  Sometimes out of laziness, but often because I forget that I've left a comment.

When people comment on my blog, my first instinct is to respond.  But lately I haven't been.  It's not that I haven't been reading.  I have been and the comments my readers leave me are thoughtful and helpful.  Sometimes I want it to be a dialogue!  But are you guys checking back on everything you comment on?  Is there a function in blogger where I can just automatically subscribe to any comments where I've left one?

Yes, I just asked another question.  If it's not how to train the pony it's how to work the computer.  Lucky for you guys, I'm only writing about horses.  Otherwise, I might bombard you with questions about ALL KINDS OF THINGS (like how to start an urban garden on a small deck with a black thumb....).  I blame this partially on the fact that I work by myself at home (nobody to bounce ideas off of) and partially on the fact that I have a five year old (not much going out with friends) and the fact that I only know one other person with a horse and one other person with a kid (weird, right??) so I don't have a huge network  of experienced folk.

So, thanks for reading and thanks for being my network of experienced folk.  Now, tell me how to fix my comment dilemma please!

7 comments:

  1. Mona, I feel the same way. I don't know if there is an easier way though. I just started in January following blogs.

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  2. I changed my blog to use IntenseDebate commenting system rather than the default Blogger one (because it's terrible), so I *think* mine allows you to subscribe to replies and have them sent to your email address (but I don't know for sure because I get the comments emailed to me anyway) :)

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  3. This is why I resisted reading blogs, let alone writing one, for as long as I did. I like writing, and I like reading, but part of the fun of the internet for me in the interaction, and the whole blog set-up...I dunno. Clearly interaction is possible here, but it seems to require either obsessive bookmarking and checking back or else dropping the ball a whole lot of the time. Google Reader and such have made it easy enough to follow blogs, so I let myself be sucked back in, but man, I would love a way to track comment threads more easily!

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  4. Time spent blogging - posting, reading, commenting - are my excuse not to FaceBook...who has time for all that. Add in spending actual time with your horse(s), your kids, husband, job, etc.

    So many times I comment on a blog and ask a question - and then I forget to go back and see if the author answered. So, I don't know if there is an easier - or effective way either. Hoping some computer expert comments on your posts...and then I remember to check back and read it!

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  5. If you look below - usually to the right of the commenting box, you can click "subscribe by e-mail". You will get an e-mail for every comment. Handy if you have a smart phone or sit on a computer all day.

    I usually only check back on comments if there is a discussion, otherwise I say my bit and leave! I always read my comments too, but rarely reply. I think my readers know I am reading them.

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  6. If I reply to comments I tend to do it with a new post. That way nothing is lost. I too would like some way to have an interactive conversation, and I think you can with wordpress or some other blogging medium.

    So other than the "subscribe by email" which just sends you emails of the comments posted I don't believe there is anything "built in" to blogger.

    Having said all that I'm going to see if there is a add-on thingie to use....

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  7. I agree, i do try to comment on all the posts... as long as there is something to comment on of course lol i dont just post random smilie faces, But im not sure if i want to subscribe by e-mail unless i know there is a way to unsubscribe lol! I have gotten horribly addicted to blogging (now to find a way to make my blog much nicer) and check everyones blogs daily. Please let us know if anyone finds an add on or soemthing.

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