Monday, January 5, 2009

Comment Protocol

I have to admit to a certain amount of comment envy - only two comments on my last post, both of which are gratefully received, no doubt about that but what are the ethics and niceties of commenting?  I visit many blogs, in fact I have subscribed to no less than 53 through Google Reader and be assured if you post, I will read it.  However, I don't always feel the need to comment.  I am not shy and retiring by nature so it is nothing of that sort.  I just feel that it is not always necessary to leave my mark.  

Is this the case with everyone else, is this why I have so few comments while others have sooooo many?  It has crossed my mind that the content is just not as stimulating, hilarious or downright brilliant as are many of those I read.....but it is not that ...surely. :)   Also, is it the done thing to respond to everyone that leaves a little note?  Do tell, I don't want to be rude.  Be assured that I love to receive your comments, maybe I will start just leaving little notes everywhere and see if it has any impact.  

Anyway I just felt the need to bring up the topic, so if you do drop by today maybe you will just leave me a little hello so I know you were here.  I am sure there is some high tech way of seeing who is reading but I have  no idea what that might be.

Just to bring you up to date with the comings and goings (boring though they may be (!)) at Chez Soft, GWE did in fact drive off to Kansas over the weekend.  The project he was working on in Montreal has been moved on to Wichita and so has he.  It was touch and go there for a while as the immigration guy was hell bent on not giving him a work visa but he was persistent and he had to give him one.  Believe me the immigration officer was not happy... to put it mildly.  In fact he was downright rude and threatening.  His job description must require him to try and thoroughly piss people off.  GWE said the whole experience was degrading and he was treated in a totally unprofessional way.  

He decided to drive the 18 hours to get there so he would have a car at his disposal rather than renting a car.  He was very lucky with the weather considering the storms we have experienced over the last week or so, clear and sunny all the way, with just a bit of fog in Illinois on Saturday night as he was looking for a motel.  In the end he just pulled off into what he described as "Bates Motel".  When the proprietors queried his accent, he mentioned Canada and they pondered if that wasn't where "that presidential candidate" had come from.  He enlightened them that they meant Alaska but he said it was an eye opening experience all round.  But you get what you pay for and it was only $42 for the night!!!

Anyway he is now safely in the land of Dorothy, Toto and the Wizard of Oz.  For the rest of us it is back to normal.  Christmas is well and truly done and dusted here, now looking forwards into 2009 to see what it holds for us all.  Back to school, back to work....ho hum.   Maybe it is a little boring around here.

24 comments:

dND said...

Comments are strange, sometimes I will comment because a question has been asked or because something in the post has hit a link in my brain that I feel is important. Other days I only have time to quickly read and some days I really feel that I can't write, words just are too hard to find.

I do hope you have a great 2009 and many trips to France as well.
Deborah

Maggie May said...

I am always grateful for a comment. Even if it is just to say hello.
I mostly comment on some one's blog but if I find nothing to say of any value or that I am out of my depth with something, then I don't!
Hoping that you have everything that you could wish for in 2009.

Debra in France said...

Hi SITH, I don't look at blogs everyday, and sometimes when I do, like DND I don't have time to respond. Sometimes I don't know what to say, or feel that I don't actually have anything to say on a certain topic. It is however lovely to receive comments, and I think as you and Maggie May have just said, it is just nice to get a hello.

Hope you are well, and get over to France again soon. Fancy meeting up if you have time when you are next here? Debra xx

softinthehead said...

Thanks ladies for your comments, I pretty much feel the same way, but some people just get such a great response EVERYDAY. Anyway thank you again for keeping in touch Debra I would love to meet up next time I am over - not sure when that will be as GWE has just headed in the opposite direction but hoping sometime in the spring to get some more work organised. I will keep you posted. BTW do you hear anything from Breezy? She is very quiet at the moment.

Dusty Spider said...

Sometimes posts just don't prompt a response from me but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy reading it. I think it's true to say that you get comments if you leave comments - if you know what I mean. Dusty. xx

Mya said...

Hi Softy!
Happy New Year from France. It's snowing here in the south.
If I don't comment, it's usually because the antique technology I have to work with is preventing me. I'm (you may think unfortunately!) rarely lost for words!
Mya x

MarmiteToasty said...

I am still always surprise when anyone comments on Twaddle, I think WTF... cos when I read my stuff back it sounds mundane and boring to me....

I read but dont always comment, I dont know why, some times I just dont feel my words are enough....

dont you DARE fink about giving up.....

Ive not been around much of late anywhere, got mountains of work paperwork Im trying to get susses and sorted....
x

Debra in France said...

Hi Sith, I am really looking forward to meeting you when you are next over. Unfortunately Breezy and husband have moved back to the UK. We really miss them not being 2 doors up from us, they were great neighbours. They are keeping the house here as a holiday home and hope to visit in the spring.

Mean Mom said...

I try very hard to return a visit, if someone has visited me and I can see that some other people do the same. If people don't comment, then I don't know that they've been there. If I visit a site, I try to leave a comment, unless I get interrupted and have to go off to see to the dinner, or something.

I visit people on my link list as often as I can, but if I'm struggling to find time to blog, it won't be as often as I would like.

I would say that you could try commenting more often on the sites that you visit. That way you bring yourself to people's attention. Having said that, it has been a bit of a quiet time for blogging over Christmas and New Year. Things may pick up a bit now!

Hope that work and stuff goes OK for you.

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

I always read and always try to comment but sometimes lately when I am pushed for time I just read and bugger off! But with you, I do always try to comment as I feel I know you through your blog.

It's a busy time of year I guess and people will get more time after they have caught up with outstanding work commitments. Happy New Year lovely Softie. X

Vargas said...

I am from Canada and that is so funny that those folks at the "Bates Motel" thought that's where Palin was from. Hilarious!

As to comments I always try to leave a comment - if I enjoyed the post I think it's nice to let the person who went to the trouble to write it know. But I take the point that in our busy world it sometimes doesn't work that way!

Anyway, I enjoyed your post. Thanks!

Carolyn Egerszegi said...

I love comments too, but definitely understand that there's a bit of give-and-take involved. To my shame, I'm usually the one taking and not the one giving lately.

Speaking for myself, leaving comments largely depends on how much time I have and how I feel on any given day. I've been very busy with my new business and have been plagued by two terrible sinus infections in the last two months.

Anyway... my point is that it's not you, it's me. I stop by from time to time to see how you're doing, but often feel too tired to write a witty comment. I should really stop putting so much pressure on myself to be smart when I leave a comment and at least say "hi". I worry that a short comment that is not on point might give the impression that I didn't actually read your post and digest what you had to say.

Am I making any sense?? Gosh I'm writing a novel here... which is exactly why I've stopped commenting so much. I've totally just proved my point. It can never be just a quick comment with me. It's always a real time investment and I don't get enough sleep as it is!!

I'll stop here. Sorry for not commenting as much as I used to. Happy new year to you SITH... thanks for being a good friend to me this past year.

Debra in France said...

I agree what Carolyn's last comment, if someone has written a long post I feel that I have to comment on it fully and often just don't have the time, or really know what to write. Like her, I feel that if I just write 'hi how are you' I wouldn't want the blogger to feel that I hadn't read the post properly. Debra xx

softinthehead said...

Thank you all for taking the time to leave me a note. I have been consciously making the effort to comment more over the last few days and I have realised what my stumbling block is - I want my comment to be witty!! but now realise from what we have all said that that is not the point, just a note to say you where there, you took the time to stop by, to click on my blog that is sufficient. I will no longer hover over the comment box waiting for the right witticism I' ll just go for it. Thanks again for taking the time to tell me how it is with all of you. BTW welcome back Carolyn - I hope you find some time to blog again this year, I love to hear about life in your corner of the world

ShanaM said...

I get very few comments myself. I find that maybe I am not so funny, interesting or enlightening. I will have to work on that.
I try to comment when I visit because I think imput/feedback is important/appreciated. But if I REALLY don't have anything to say, then I don't. Does that even make sense. Well, at least I know what country Alaska belongs to.

Stinking Billy said...

sith, 'Comments' is a wonderful subject to ponder. We all have our own take on them and, personally, I get more kicks out of responding to comments than I do from writing the posts. You mentioned Wichita, there and it is one of my favourite place-names. Don't know why, just love to hear it. x

Linda said...

I've noticed that bitchy political blogs seem to attract the greatest number of comments.

Gill - That British Woman said...

I popped by to say hello and to thank you for subscribing to be a follower of my blog.

There is no rhyme nor reason why some posts attract a lot of comments, and others none to my mind.

If it doesn't interest me, I don't comment, if it does I will comment.

I find the blog world to be a tight knit community, as a lot of it can be word of mouth.

I do tend to try and comment on peoples blog, who comment on mine.

Gill in Canada

Almost American said...

Sorry (but not at all surprised) to hear your husband had a hard time with the immigration officer. The less I have to do with US immigration the better! At a lot of overseas (think 3rd world) US embassies they apparently only have about 2 minutes per application to determine if someone's visa application is legit. or not! Hardly even enough time to be rude!

A Woman Of No Importance said...

Ditto, I will always visit others' blogs, but only comment when I feel I might have something fruitful or new to add...

I read lots of interesting blogs at the moment, having only cottoned on to blogs in the last month or so, and if I were to comment on all I read it would be a full time job for me, and sadly I already have one of those! I found you via Stinking Billy's blog, by the way... Blog on!

Frances said...

Hi SITH
I love getting comments, especially when it is on the more serious posts that have been painstakingly honest - people sharing experiences - it means such alot. I think I comment less than I should, but as we all know balancing time between writing, working, reading the blogs and commenting can be challenging at times! It certainly doesn't mean I'm not reading.
F

® ♫ The Brit ♪ ® said...

Hi softinthehead,
This is my first year of Blogging and I am always so grateful to get comments and love replying to each and every one, especially when I have written something that means a lot to me as when I first started my Blog I never believed that anyone would be interested in anything that I would write, which is why I held off creating a Blog for so long!
Never believe that your posts are not witty or good enough... you are a wonderful woman and you will always be writing something with plenty of interest and meaning!
Big Hug,
Donnie X

Hadriana's Treasures said...

I do usually leave a comment unless I cannot think of anything!

I like blogging but I've got so much else on that I need to take pressure off somehow. If people leave a comment over at mine then I take the trouble to reply back. Maybe I'm just making work for myself?

I suppose I realise how much work goes into writing a piece. There are some times though when I really want to write but have no comments. I suppose that takes place offline.

I've made it a rule never to leave negative comments anywhere. I left a couple of "waspish" comments on one blog and now have spent a lot of time regretting that. I can't undo it now. Someone left a not so brilliant comment on mine once (this was not a tit for tat thing...a different blogger...to my original waspishness) and I know now, at first hand, that it does not leave a great feeling.

I try to encourage and say good things about other people's writing. If I don't agree or they irritate me I walk away.

I think that those are my golden rules of net etiquette if asked!

amy said...

Funny isn't it, I came over because you left a comment for me (and I put my hotel recommendations for you in response to your comment, I guess that's another thing I wonder is do people check back to read responses to comments they've left?) So maybe commenting is a good way to get more comment action on your blog, though a lot of times I like to just check in and see what people are up to without always feeling the need to comment.

I'll have to stop by more often! Meanwhile I'll try to come up with some more Paris ideas.