Any Questions or Comments?
The speaker finishes and asks if anyone has questions or comments. Uncomfortable silence fills the room as not a hand goes up.
"I guess I must have done a good job then," the speaker jokes. But inside, he's wondering if anyone even heard a word he said.
That's a lot what it's like for a blogger when her or she goes a few days without comments on daily posts.
Is something wrong with the website, you wonder. Did I write something last week that made everybody mad? Maybe they were just commenting to make me feel good and got tired of it.
Perhaps that's why many of the most faithful blog commenters are bloggers themselves. They know how important it is to know there is someone out there reading.
I do my best to get around to many blogs and leave comments when I can, but I am by far not one of the best at it. I'm constantly buzzing around from one task to the next and often semi-subconsciously convince myself that the 30 seconds it will take to leave that comment will throw the rest of the day into turmoil.
Kristine is, in my opinion, the most diligent commenter out there in our little world of outdoor blogging. And it was Rex's frequent comments on my blog last winter that really got me excited about reaching a nationwide audience. It's also always a thrill to pick up a comment from a newcomer. Phillip left me a comment this week, I believe for the first time.
Bloggers know the following, but for the non-blogging audience here's the lowdown on comments, at least from my point of view:
Don't feel like you have to have something profound to say. If you liked the post and enjoy reading the blog, "Good post," is usually good enough. Remember that bloggers put in a great deal of work on these sites for little or no pay. Comments, which let us know you're out there reading, are what keep us going.
I know I said I would take today off, but I just couldn't. I think Andy Wibbels said it best in his book Blog Wild when he likened blogging to a powerful narcotic for writers.
good post
really, thought it was thoughtful and very very true old friend, will talk to you tonight.
Posted by: Rex | July 26, 2007 at 10:40 AM
Wow, this post was so on target for me. The past few weeks it seems like the volume of comments has gone down dramatically on the blog I write. I was just wondering today if my posts were too long or too boring or too something else that was causing people not to comment.
Very good post and one that all bloggers should read.
Posted by: Kristine Shreve | July 26, 2007 at 02:55 PM
Matt, great post! I loved the analogy!
Posted by: darrell | July 26, 2007 at 02:56 PM
Your post is right and target. I feel the same way if nobody posts a comment. I used to be a frequent visitor to other blogs on my blogroll and made a habit of leaving a comment and if it only was a simple hello. Currently I am way overworked and barely find the time to post on my blog, let alone visiting my friends. That soon will change and I’ll make my rounds again.
Talk to you tonight at the conference.
-Othmar Vohringer-
Posted by: Othmar Vohringer | July 26, 2007 at 03:49 PM
Blogging is absolutely an addiction and the feedback really helps you to know that you are doing something right.
Matt, Your doing GREAT!
Posted by: Kevin Paulson | July 26, 2007 at 07:19 PM
Blogging is absolutely an addiction and the feedback really helps you to know that you are doing something right.
Matt, Your doing GREAT!
Posted by: Kevin Paulson | July 26, 2007 at 07:21 PM
More comments to come, Matt. I spend a lot of time on a lot of sites, but the best keep bringing me back over and over again.
Posted by: Phillip | July 26, 2007 at 09:59 PM