Comments on: Should you respond to every comment on your blog? http://blogmum.com/2009/05/should-you-respond-to-every-comment-on-your-blog/ WordPress made easy Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:57:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lynne http://blogmum.com/2009/05/should-you-respond-to-every-comment-on-your-blog/#comment-325 Lynne Sun, 03 May 2009 10:31:56 +0000 http://blogmum.com/?p=461#comment-325 I think I would only answer a comment if it contained either a question that I needed to answer, or the comment sparked a thought and therefore a conversation piece in my own mind. So, yes, with you. I think I would only answer a comment if it contained either a question that I needed to answer, or the comment sparked a thought and therefore a conversation piece in my own mind.

So, yes, with you.

]]> By: bran http://blogmum.com/2009/05/should-you-respond-to-every-comment-on-your-blog/#comment-323 bran Sun, 03 May 2009 03:04:56 +0000 http://blogmum.com/?p=461#comment-323 I agree. I've always viewed the comments section as a discussion area for guests; you the blogger get to have your say in the post, and your visitors get to have theirs in the comments. As the host, it is your prerogative to add into the discussion, or abstain. I agree. I've always viewed the comments section as a discussion area for guests; you the blogger get to have your say in the post, and your visitors get to have theirs in the comments. As the host, it is your prerogative to add into the discussion, or abstain.

]]> By: Dan Wilson http://blogmum.com/2009/05/should-you-respond-to-every-comment-on-your-blog/#comment-321 Dan Wilson Sun, 03 May 2009 01:55:01 +0000 http://blogmum.com/?p=461#comment-321 Responding to every comment on your blog is stifling. Comments are a conversation and not just between the blogger and the people who comment but also between commenters. Of course a blogger is in a sense a host, but they don't have to have a view on everything. That's annoying. It's also arrogant... assuming that the only thing commenters want is reply or validation from the blogger. Moreover, it's also just a bit tricky. You can look at plenty of blogs out there. Some of the best posts, with the most and most enlightening comment conversations, just start the ball rolling without any other intervention. Keeping up with it all on a vibrant blog is just too time-consuming. People comment, keep commenting and talk to other commenters because the conversation started by the blogger is worth commenting on. Not because the blogger is hovering at their shoulder. Almost as an aside: my favourite, and most trafficed posts (incidentally), are not necessarily the ones with the most comments. Responding to every comment on your blog is stifling. Comments are a conversation and not just between the blogger and the people who comment but also between commenters.

Of course a blogger is in a sense a host, but they don't have to have a view on everything. That's annoying. It's also arrogant... assuming that the only thing commenters want is reply or validation from the blogger.

Moreover, it's also just a bit tricky. You can look at plenty of blogs out there. Some of the best posts, with the most and most enlightening comment conversations, just start the ball rolling without any other intervention. Keeping up with it all on a vibrant blog is just too time-consuming.

People comment, keep commenting and talk to other commenters because the conversation started by the blogger is worth commenting on. Not because the blogger is hovering at their shoulder.

Almost as an aside: my favourite, and most trafficed posts (incidentally), are not necessarily the ones with the most comments.

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