January 12, 2004 | View Comments (33) | Category: Our Thoughts
Summary: Another poll (question) asking why do you post a comment on a site.
This has always been a phenomenon that I wondered about. You can go to a popular site that posts a very uninteresting topic and you will see 77 comments. Go to another site that might not be as popular, but posts something that actually makes you think and you are lucky to see 3 comments. What gives?
The reasons I post comments are for many reasons. If the entry I am commenting on is something funny then sometimes they will get the "Ha, man that is funny" type of post. If it is something insightful and thought provoking then I like to sit down and think about it and hopefully provide a comment that helps the conversation. So I guess it depends on my mood and the content. However, if the content is good then surely you will get a comment from me.
Many people start blogs and they want instant fame. They want to see everyone post comments on their site. When that doesn't happen they wonder why? I wonder why more people don't get involved in great conversations. I think most of us don't realize or forget how important our community is. The web is the future for many things and whether we like it or not, we are always on the leading end of the curve when it comes to design and development. I have a theory why people don't comment, but I will have to explore it further before I would feel comfortable discussing it.
So what makes you comment? On the opposite side, if you are a "lurker" why don't you post?
Trackback URL: http://9rules.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/103
I comment as the urge takes me, ie. when the content sparks a reply. You have chosen rather interesting timing for your post given this over at mezzoblue, http://www.mezzoblue.com/archives/2004/01/12/mt_comment_s/
Looks like commenting fun time may be over...
dez (http://dezwozhere.com/blog/)
I like to post to make sure everyone knows my opinion. No conversation is complete without my opinion. ;)
Really I just like online conversations... Most of the time I feel like I have something to add, so I'll go ahead and post. I have over 5,300 posts on a messageboard that I frequent for example... Not all of my posts are helpful, but after that many posts you make friends with some of the people on there so you can just kind of joke around with them as you would in person. But that really applies to messageboards more than blog comments I think. It seems harder to develop a sense of community on a blog. Probably because it isn't really setup to be a community. It's just one person's site, who happens to invite others to comment on their thoughts.
And secondly there is the selfish reason of hoping you'll get some traffic to your own site from your URL link on blogs that get more traffic than you. I of course don't condone spamming your URL everywhere, but as long as you were going to comment anyway, it's nice to have a link back to your site.
Derek Rose (http://www.twotallsocks.com/)
I post a comment if I have something to say. Haha. ^_^
It can be a question for the author of the related article. It can be a response to questions asked by the author. It can also be a tangent to the related article (as in a step further or indirectly related).
It can be in response to another comment to elaborate more in that direction, applaud for something well said, correct invalid information, or propose a new point of view.
It is funny, because sometime I post a comment and I forget about it. There will be some responses, but I will never know until it is too late. What Dunstan did on his blog is quite cool. (^_^)//
Zelnox
I comment on posts for a variety of reasons but I feel like the value comments add to blogs and other sites is one of community.
It's really too bad that there are so many folks out there that feel like they need to ruin what is good about the Web via spam or whatnot.
Without the ability to comment and receive comments I think the value of many of these sites is much less.
Keith (http://www.7nights.com/asterisk/)
as a lurker, I must say that I don't post because...
oh, wait.
as a long-winded and occasionally off-topic commenter, I'll second Derek. No conversation is complete without my opinion. heh.
I comment here because you have interesting things to say, and you say them frequently, and I feel I can contribute something to the discussion. I don't generally comment on the "a list" bloggers because, well, I don't read their sites very much. Anything worthwhile on there is going to get filtered for me by the blogs I *do* read.
JC (http://thelionsweb.com/weblog)
I post comments because I want to annoy Paul and play the role of the devil's advocate.
Ok, you're right, it's for the fame and glory...
In all seriousness, I post only to sites that I read on a frequent basis... that lists grows and shrinks as sites change focus, fold and launch. To me comments on blogs have taken the place of mailing lists.
I used to be subscribed to tons of mailing lists until I started realizing that all the posts were the same questions all over again, the stuff you learn in Web Design 101. No one was asking any thought provoking questions. And with time these lists went from 10 posts a day to 100 or more posts a day. I can't keep up with that.
I would rather spend my time reading a few select sites and posting comments on interesting and thought provoking topics, like the ones here at Whitespace.
Nick (http://www.digital-web.com)
I was considering simply posting "I don't", but I thought that was too diagonalised!
Typically I'll forward on to my friends and read the link if it's interesting, but normally I don't have anything to comment.
I tend to post when there's something I know about that could help someone.
Rich (http://www.holygoat.co.uk)
"I post comments because I want to annoy Paul and play the role of the devil's advocate."
Yeah I figured ;)
There are many times I will venture across a discussion which seems to be way over my head, but I will try my best to provide a comment because it gets my mind moving. It is easy to say that I wouldn't provide something to the conversation, but any ideas that I share should help the conversation because they are the ideas of a new individual.
Scrivs (http://www.9rules.com/whitespace/)
oh, yeah, I second the devil's advocate thing, too. I do that alot. heh. Not as much here as in other places, though.
And ditto on the mailing list thing, too. Life is sooo much easier and better with blogs.
JC (http://thelionsweb.com/weblog)
More often than not, I don't leave a comment because, although I would like to get my opinion in there, I am a little embarrassed about my writing skills. But when I do post something it can be anything from a simple line stating that I can relate, or a longer short essay about my opnion in regard to the subject at hand. Playing devil's advocate is also a good motivator.
justin goodlett (http://www.skinnyj.com/weblog)
I try and post on all of the blogs I read, on every post. I nearly always have something to say, a page to link to, a question to ask etc.
Sometimes I really feel I don't know anything about the subject, or I didn't understand the post, or something else that makes me not reply. Most of the time I hold a faint hope that someone actually cares what I think though :D
David House
I just comment when I have something to say on the topic.
It's really mysterious the way sites work. You can have sites that have thousands of visitors per hour with relatively few comments. You can have other sites with the same capacity that have threads going on for days.
Weird. Doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason behind it.
Dris (http://dris.webhop.org/)
One off-topic thing I must say is that one of the reasons I luv reading white space is because of these types of questions. These are questions that no one else would ask (except Keith from asterisk). Your discussions encompass more than just one aspect of the web and web design.
Regarding the question at hand: I will post when one of my views has not been expressed in previous comments. If someone else has made a point that I too was thinking of I tend to think there is no reason for me to post it also. Usually I'm too late to make my point's cuz someone else has already made them therefore I end up "lurking".
Quasi
I post comments because I want to be part of the conversation. I've made a conscious decision to engage with weblog authors and other commenters. I want to share my opinions and thoughts. I want to be a positive player in the new weblog medium. I want to overcome the boundries of space, even if only for a few short moments, and engage with others.
Will Pate (http://www.willpate.org)
i post because i uh, well, i am never really sure. i usually just post because i am drunk and when im drunk im either hanging out near the laundromat or on the internet.
alternately, i like to have electronically mediated conversations with individuals who share interests similar to mine. i don't post often, because i am often too busy reading what other people write, or checking out posted links, or whatever...good question though. never really gave it much consideration.
submunition (http://www.submunition.com)
I post comments because something I have read causes a reaction in me. Whether the reaction is good or bad, it helps to vent those reactions, and the comment area is a natural place to do so.
Jeremy Flint (http://www.jeremyflint.com)
Hello,
I'm a lurker. Reason i rarely post is that most of blogs i read are written and maintained by people that have great knowledge and skills in their respective domains. Much more than i have right now. So most of the time i feel like my opinions or comments are something everyone knows or are so common that it wouldn't level up the debate.
I guess you could say that right now i learn more than i can teach.
On the other hand i post a lot on some design and technical forums; if i can help people i do. I guess it must be for fame or because of kindness (i try to help people in real life first :) ).
Vanhalle Jean-Christophe
But then when does the time come to think you are smart enough to comment? I used to feel the same way especially when it came to design, but the thing is not trying to sound like you know what you are talking about, but simply making sure you state your opinion correctly.
Scrivs (http://www.9rules.com/whitespace/)
A post comments if the topic interests me, or if I feel I can give help. Sometimes I do it just to stretch my fingers too.
I love getting comments from readers, whether it's to point out I made a typo, to say thanks, or to disagree with me and provide their own points. It's always interesting to see what everyone has to say, and to see the myriad of perspectives out there. Which is exactly what makes the blogging community great.
Matt Burris (http://www.goodblimey.com/)
I'm usually just a lurker. Often I don't have anything significant to contribute, won't spend the time, or feel that my contribution is redundant. I have been following the design discussions here with great interest; RSS subscriptions are a brilliant substitute for bookmarks.
Comments allow me to be really pedantic. For example, the RSS summary for this post ("Another poll (question) asking why do post a comment on a site") is missing a word (between "why do" and "post"). I hate adding this type of comment for obvious reasons; sometimes it's justified, but as a lurker continuing with such a pattern would immediately give me a bad reputation. This is compounded by commenting only on sites I'm familiar with (to get a feel for boundaries) and trying to imagine the reaction of the post's author (usually someone who has my respect).
My own site had no comments, but cold be considered as a composition of comments alone. A group of trusted users has access to contribute, like a secure comment system. I have debated adding anonymous contributions like standard post comments but here we are discussing spam. If (on any site) registration was required to add comments then the pool of contributors would become far too small to be effective - comments themselves would be made redundant by trackbacks.
The best part about comments, of course, is that you get to read others'.
Oh, one last thing - requiring a publically-visible email address is without doubt a deterrent. I don't give out my page URI for various reasons, so I usually end up providing a spam-catcher email address that I rarely check.
Owen (http://blank)
You can't see the emails on this site. They are never posted. Just required to post so I can get back with ya sometimes.
Scrivs (http://www.9rules.com/whitespace/)
I thought that might be the case, but here I could diverge into a discussion about "previews" that are nothing like the final comment, in both appearance and functionality. Using the comment preview I can see the email addresses of other contributors.
I have written my own preview system before so I know it's difficult, but I have not tried customising MT. If my email address hadn't already been found by spammers I could be paranoid that the MT spambot might screen-scrape for more traditional spam victims...
Owen
I used to leave comments to find some kind of recognition, to let others know what my opinion was on a specific topic. First, I enjoyed the traffic boost from high-profile sites, later on it was the ego-boost I enjoyed when well-known people talked to me via comments. When I realised I only commented for some cheap thrill I stopped.
Nowadays I only leave comments if the post is really worth it or if I think that my comment can make a difference in the discussion.
Sometimes I catch myself leaving a comment only to let the site owner know that I still hang around :)
Lurking is a great thing. Simply love that voyeuristic approach.
Jay (http://www.neversmile.com/)
I'm your classic lurker who is slowly becoming more vocal in the sites I visit. I post to add to the discussion.
I don't post when:
- the discussion doesn't interest me (obviously)
- there is no pre-existing discussion
- the site isn't on my favourites
- I have nothing nice to say
That's all I have to say about that. :)
Jack (http://boxofjack.com)
I only tend to comment on weblog posts where the author has asked a direct question, like this one, or where I think I can add something to the discussion. This means I tend to lurk most of the time (don't think I've posted here before, despite reading for a good while) and have developed a terrible time-consuming habit of typing out comments, only to delete them after thinking better of it.
As others have said, I find the frequency of comments on weblogs interesting - it doesn't seem to bear much relation to size of readership or quality of post, which is something I wouldn't expect - on my own site, most posts elicit one or two comments from regular readers/friends/family but occasionally great free-wheeling debates fire up, with threads populated with total strangers.
I enjoy these little outbreaks, so perhaps I should return the favour more often and adopt the attitude eloquently outlined by Will Pate above, becoming a good citizen who comments and links with the wider network of weblogs in mind.
Jack (http://www.submitresponse.co.uk)
This site is the one I comment on the most, but even that is not much. I comment on this blog more than others because you always spark interesting conversations and questions.
I nearly never comment on a post on any blog if the writer just states something. There is no need for input.
Alex (http://pixul.net/)
Generally, it's because I agree or disagree with what's being said and more importantly feel like my views would be welcomed.
Secondly, I like the blog owner or content writer to know that I'm reading and appreciate his or her work. If I don't comment I send an email.
Sian (http://www.webdiva.co.uk/blog/)
Generally, it's because I agree or disagree with what's being said and more importantly feel like my views would be welcomed.
Secondly, I like the blog owner or content writer to know that I'm reading and appreciate his or her work. If I don't comment I send an email.
Sian (http://www.webdiva.co.uk/blog/)
I dedicate an hour each week to commenting on popular sites to boost my PageRank.
This ensures the PageRank for my name stays firmly associated with my personal website, which is a strong measure of my personal worth.
;-)
InstaPageRanker
Ahrrrrrrr. I posts because I'm a'lookin' for those who would like to go a'piratin' with me on the great white Alum Crik. Alls ye be needin' lubbers is yer own eye patch, black tri-corner hat with skull an' bones, an' yer own stuffed shoulder parrot. Arrrrrr, we be a'piratin' and a'plundering all the fishing vessels and speed boats we can hunt down with me trusty schooner, Song Of The Seas (Odemaris). I'll be a'lookin out fer ye with me good eye. Those with one wooden stump given first consideration. Arrrrrr!
Cap'n Patchy
I usually lurk because I'm too lazy to post. I love to read read read, but I'm so picky about what I write, it usually takes me a long time to write a single post (or email). And I often don't have anything useful to add anyway.
I think your blog is particularly well set up for commenting/discussion, since you don't have to click another link to see comments - they're all right there on the page with the original article. When I read a blog where the comments are on a separate page, I tend to ignore them and just read through the original author's postings.
Jennifer (http://jennifergrucza.com)
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#1
because i feel my comment will not add any insight to the conversation.
george