Friday, March 27, 2009

UPDATED: I don't know why I need to know... I just do.

Updated to add my own responses... which are in blue.

I am curious... about many things... but today? I'm narrowing it down to just a couple. Specifically you, your blogs, and your comments. And why you do what you do.

I read a few blogs- 38 (to be exact) that I try to stay up-to-date with. I like to leave comments, let people know I'm out there, enjoying the snippets they choose to share of their lives with me and the rest of the world.

But along the way, I can't help but notice how everyone does things just a little differently. (Okay, sometimes a lot differently.) And now I need to know why.

These questions aren't the most exciting to ever be asked, but I can't help my burning curiosity.

How many blogs do you read on a daily basis? (From things I've seen and heard, my 38 is on the low end.)

Do you comment on any and every new post? Or just what moves you?

I have to be inspired to comment. Some posts, despite the entertainment value, don’t always move me to comment. Then again, I think I have a permanent case of writer’s block. (I’m fairly certain you have to be a writer to claim that affliction, but just the same…) I have to have a specific topic in mind when I start writing. Same goes for commenting. I need a purpose.

Do you return after leaving a comment to check for a response? Or have you moved on once you click "submit?"

Do you reply to comments on your own blog? Or do you smile, appreciate the thought, and it's on to your next post?

I love and appreciate every comment I’ve ever received, but not all comments provoke a response. Much like my own. One blogger in particular receives a lot of really dull comments from yours truly because he makes me laugh Every. Single. Time. and all I can come up with is “dude, that was fucking funny!” I’m nothing if not eloquent.

And, oh, I love receiving e-mails from people in response to a comment I’ve left, but I’m such a social klutz that it usually takes me three hours to come up with a response. Well, five minutes to write a response and three hours to critique and rewrite it so that I’m halfway happy. I’m a mess. Please stop reading this blog immediately.


Do you moderate comments before they're visible to the public? If so, why? If not, why not?

I don’t get spam or trolls or leprechauns or any of the above so I’ve never felt the need to moderate comments. I can understand why some people do. Although, there’s one fairly popular blog I read. She gets 60-100 comments per post and moderates them. I don’t get it. I’m sorry, I really don’t. I just can’t wrap my brain around it. This is supposed to be fun. That would just feel like work. Work I’m not getting paid for.

Do you remember the oddest comment you ever received?

The oddest comment I ever received wasn’t so much an odd comment as it was just an odd experience. It was in response to this post in which I put up a bunch of old, scanned photos of myself and my family. Said commenter remarked about my mom being pregnant in one of the pictures. The comment wasn’t inappropriate, but… they knew her name. Actually used a nickname. A nickname I’ve never heard anyone use when referring to my mother. It was anonymous, of course, and caught me so off guard that I just deleted it and proceeded to pretend it had never existed. I never mentioned it to anyone, not my mom or The Husband… I have a real talent for pretending things don’t exist.

For example: right now I’m pretending this office doesn’t exist. I am actually sitting at home, at my desk, with the mini space heater turned on to warm my little piggies. And I’m eating chocolate. And I’m contemplating watching Twilight.

See? I’m good.


Now, go forth... and humor me. Please.

19 comments:

  1. Hi Stephanie! I have 47 blogs in my google reader. Some of them post daily, but many post infrequently, so probably I'm only reading a dozen a day. I periodically go through and unsubscribe to ones that I'm finding that I skip or aren't posting much of interest.There are a few blogs that I will comment on, and usually I only comment if there is something I can share related to the subject in the post. I try to remember to go back and see if there was a response to my comment, but sometimes I forget.I moderate. I have no tolerance for trolls. Because mean people really suck.I've never gotten any really odd comments. I do a little snoopy dance every time I do get comments though.

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  2. ooh! ooh!! i love these! ok, i have 50 in my reader, but i really only read about 16 of them, and it's really not on like a stalkerish type basis... just every now and then.i try to go back and read every post, but sometimes i miss a few.i usually only comment on what moves me.sometimes i'll go back and check for comments after mine.sometimes i'll reply to a comment on my own blog if i feel that other readers might benefit from it.yes, i moderate comments on my own blog b/c i have some outspoken (read: sometimes annoying) family members that read it and yes, i have had to delete their comments before.my oddest comments have just been spam.

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  3. How many blogs do you read on a daily basis? Too many in my reader but definitely 20 regularly that I love.Do you comment on any and every new post? Or just what moves you? Just what moves me or to say hi...Do you return after leaving a comment to check for a response? Or have you moved on once you click "submit?"Moved on but if it's something heavy I like to check back to make sure said poster is okay.Do you reply to comments on your own blog? Or do you smile, appreciate the thought, and it's on to your next post? Sometimes I do via private email.Do you moderate comments before they're visible to the public? If so, why? If not, why not? No but I do have pw protected posts public. PW protected are posts that have anything to do with my son.Do you remember the oddest comment you ever received?Sure do! It wasn't really odd but nasty. I'll leave it at that.

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  4. How many blogs do you read on a daily basis? I have about 20 that I love and I read whatever one has a new post always. I think it's a compulsive thing.Do you comment on any and every new post? Or just what moves you? If I feel like blabbing I will. Not always though. If I feel it won't be productive to the post I refrain.Do you return after leaving a comment to check for a response? I try, especially if it was something the person asked an opinion or help on. Normally they'll have more questions so I check.Do you reply to comments on your own blog? Or do you smile, appreciate the thought, and it's on to your next post? Almost always, I like it when people reply to my comments so I try and return the favor.Do you moderate comments before they're visible to the public? If so, why? If not, why not? Yes and only because I have to. There was a stalker from another blog I read who is insane and he followed both me and the husband back to both of our blogs. He pops up every now and then so we continue to moderate. And when I say insane I mean the other blogger where he followed me from said they think he's in an insane asylum in Australia. WHACKED.Do you remember the oddest comment you ever received? Yeah that would be from the whack job. Hence the moderation and no, you don't want to know the things he said.

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  5. Whoa. Talk about being in a whole separate universe. I read probably 15 or so blogs a day and comment as much as I can 'cause I think bloggers like comments. It helps validate what we're doing. I reply to comments because I find it amazing that anyone besides me is reading anything I write.I'm not sure what moderation is but I probably don't practice it.

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  6. How many blogs do you read on a daily basis? I read my daughter's blogs regularly. I am signed up for feed for about 20 blogs, but I hardly check in on them. I scan them to see if there is anything interesting. I just have very limited time is the reason, not because they are not interesting.Do you comment on any and every new post? Or just what moves you?I rarely comment (except on my daughters' blogs) unless something really moves me. I have commented on only one person's blog this year so far. I am also afraid of saying something offensive, which is another reason I don't usually comment.Do you return after leaving a comment to check for a response? Or have you moved on once you click "submit?"I move on. But more because I forget than because I'm not interested.Do you reply to comments on your own blog? Or do you smile, appreciate the thought, and it's on to your next post?I have not had many responses to any of my blogs (yet), so I have replied to comments on my own blog. Do you moderate comments before they're visible to the public? If so, why? If not, why not?No. I'm so happy that someone comments that I leave the comments. There was only one comment so far that made me feel kind of bad, but I left it.Do you remember the oddest comment you ever received?I don't think any of the comments I received were odd.

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  7. How many blogs do you read on a daily basis? There are 25 blogs on my reader. I read most of them on a daily basis, or whenever they post something new but there are a few that I'm thinking about deleting because I'm just not feeling them.Do you comment on any and every new post? No, I only comment when a post moves me - when I think I have something funny, helpful, or interesting to add. There are some blogs that I feel more compelled to respond to than others.Do you return after leaving a comment to check for a response? Depends on the blog and the post. For example, you respond to your commenters here on your blog so I almost always check back. Others respond by email so I know I don't have to check back on the post, but often I'm interested in what other commenters say after me so I will check back.Do you reply to comments on your own blog? I like to think of blog posts and comments as mini-dialogues so I try to reply to comments. I've been really bad about it lately.Do you moderate comments? I haven't felt the need to do that yet. I hope I never do because I think that would be annoying.Do you remember the oddest comment you ever received? I haven't had any odd comments on my own blog but not long ago a commenter on another blog made a snide remark about something really innocuous I said in my comment on the same post. It was unnecessary and mean enough that I deleted that blog. I must have been really touchy that day because usually that kind of stuff simply amuses and bemuses me. It was also not the kind of thing I expected to find on that particular blog...maybe that's why it got to me.

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  8. How many blogs do you read on a daily basis? I've got 27 on my blogroll, but I don't read them all daily. I also read some that aren't there. Soooo...on the whole, probably 20?Do you comment on any and every new post? Or just what moves you? Just what moves me. If I don't have something interesting or funny to say, I move on. "I agree!" comments aren't very satisfying, I find.Do you return after leaving a comment to check for a response? Or have you moved on once you click "submit?" I return if I know the blogger tends to reply. Or if it's a interesting discussion, I return to see what others are talking about.Do you reply to comments on your own blog? Or do you smile, appreciate the thought, and it's on to your next post? I used to reply via e-mail, now I try to reply in the comments if I have time. I like the conversational aspect of comments and I think that's a better way to nurture it.Do you moderate comments before they're visible to the public? If so, why? If not, why not? I did, but ended up seeing no problems after a while so I disabled it. I check in a few times a day, though, so I can delete something inappropriate pretty quickly.Do you remember the oddest comment you ever received? "Odd" as in weird or offensive, no, but I once received a comment from a grad school friend that I'd lost touch with. I recognized her e-mail address and I struggled for a while about whether I should let her know that this anonymous blogger was me. I eventually did and we both freaked out a little bit.

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  9. How many blogs do you read on a daily basis?I have 52 in my reader, but I only read about 17 of them, because not all bloggers post daily.Do you comment on any and every new post?No, I only comment if I have something to say. And because I’m Dutch I have to translate my simple thoughts to English. So it takes me a much longer time to come up with a comment that everyone will understand :-)Do you return after leaving a comment to check for a response?Yes I do, but not always. Do you reply to comments on your own blog?Yes. I just went through all the comments I got so I could give a response. But I have only 6 people who read my blog (and I Iove every single one of them). Some people get over the 200 comments. Now that’s a whole other story. Do you moderate comments before they're visible to the public?No. If it’s your choice to be an ass on the internet, I I’ll gladly make the 'sacrifice' to help you out with that. But I would remove spam.Do you remember the oddest comment you ever received?No odd comments yet.

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  10. I read 21 blogs everyday, and only because they post on some regular basis. I have been known to drop blogs that have long lulls for no detectable reason.I comment on things that move me and sometimes just to say hi. I check back occasionally on comments I left to see what others have said after me.I don't moderate my comments (I want to know what people think, even if it's contrary to my thoughts) and only reply when asked a question. I had one spam comment and I'm such a goober that I don't know how to remove it.

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  11. comments? what are those?um, semi-seriously, I read whatever number is on my blogroll, which fluctuates according to mood, but there is one on there I just keep for old good times' sake.I don't comment on every post, and I rarely post a comment on a blog that gets 20 or so comments on every post. What's the point?In general, I'll check back to see if there have been any responses, but also because if I'm leaving a comment, it's a blog I check regularly anyway.Sometimes I reply to comments and sometimes I don't, again depending on mood/time, but I appreciate all the non-spam comments I get, which averages out to about three per post.At first I modded the comments, but I haven't for a long time, instead setting it up with a couple of voracious spam filters (akismet and spam karma) and I get email notification of each comment so I can swoop in and nuke the obvious spammers.I have an odd blog, so the comments lean toward odd as well.

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  12. I have found some of these responses interesting. I have about 15 blogs I check here and there. I try to stay up on them, but sometimes I just can't keep up. I have a hard enough time putting forth anything interesting on mine. LOL! I like to comment on blogs, but mostly as a way to say hi, and that I enjoy their blog. Sometimes I come back to see what others have said, depending on its importance, or if I ask them a question. I like to comment back on my blog if I can to respond to what others have said. I don't moderate my blog. I've never had any weirdys comment yet. And I especially hate those word verification things. They are teaching us to spell wrong!I haven't had any odd comments yet. Except from my mom, who gets a bit too involved in my blog somedays. LOL!

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  13. These are great questions! I loved reading your answers. I'm subscribed to 61 blogs, often times I don't get to every blog every day, then I play catch-up. I comment on most, because I like comments, so I figure other people do also. Sometimes I go back to see if the writer has responded to my comment. I try to reply to comments on my blog with either emails or a reply in the comment section. I don't always though. I feel bad when I don't! On my blog, a comment is held for moderation only if the person has never commented before. But recently, that has been messing up and people that have commented are getting caught in moderation. I should probably turn it off. My spam filter is really good and always catches the spam comments. I can't remember any odd comments I've gotten!

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  14. Wow. This is the first time I've ever counted. I have 86 blogs in my reader. Thankfully some of those only post once in a blue moon, others maybe once a week. It's those that have multiple posts per day that kill me. I can't remember the last time I actually picked up a book ;-)I usually comment only on the ones where I have a decent response. If all I think after I read a post is "Haha that was funny!" or "I totally agree!" or "I don't get it." I don't bother. Getting comments? LOVE. Because I can count the number of readers on one hand -- thus I don't moderate, there's no need to. My life isn't exactly exciting, and it's hard for me to find the inspiration to write sometimes. Damn A.D.D. Do I seriously have 86 blogs in my reader?...

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  15. How many blogs do you read on a daily basis? Let’s see, on my links page are 16 blogs, out of which at least a few update daily.Do you comment on any and every new post? Or just what moves you?I can’t imagine commenting on every post! Normally I comment if the post moved me or I’m just chatty.Do you return after leaving a comment to check for a response? Or have you moved on once you click "submit?"I guess a bit of both depending on the topic.Do you reply to comments on your own blog? Or do you smile, appreciate the thought, and it's on to your next post?I do reply to comments left on my blog. It may take a day or so, but I will get to it.Do you moderate comments before they're visible to the public? If so, why? If not, why not?No I don’t because I’m too lazy!Do you remember the oddest comment you ever received?I don’t think I’ve had an odd comment yet!

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  16. I just counted and have 80 blogs on my list. I do not go to all of them everyday, some people do not post everyday.I do not comment on every post, But most of the time I do comment. I hate lurkers :)I do not always go back and check for a response. some people do not respond but I go back to the ones that do.I do respond to some comments on my own blog but usually just e-mail the person. I do not often post a follow up.I do not moderate but have deleted a commen before.The only wierd comment I have gotten was a spam comment and wanted my personal e-mail address which I thought was freaky.I came over from DMV's wife. My first visit!

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  17. Ok I typed that wrong I came over from the DVM's wife :)

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  18. I read about 25 blogs--the ones I read, I read fairly obsessively and get irked if they're not updated regularly. I don't moderate comments on my own blog, and don't generally comment on any blog that moderates or has a link above the comment section to "commenting guidelines." Better just to be a comment-less blog if you're that worried someone might say the wrong thing. The only comments I've deleted have been my moms, when they get too mushy. But now she mushes on Cog, and he seems to like it. ;)

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  19. I'll take mushing where I can get it.

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