like, tell me about it!

While this title wasn't an instruction, and more of the girl talk slang agreement, it does refer to a subject I've been thinking about ever since Catwalk Queen posted this poll on why their thousands of readers don't comment. Commenting seems to be a bit of an almost taboo subject on blogs, a bit like how many hits you get could compare to telling someone your salary! Some may say it's in correlation with the amount of comments you get but CQ proves this point untrue.

Now I, and I'm sure a lot of bloggers too, get emails asking how to get comments or emails from people promoting their new blog and asking for comments. I don't believe that you're blogging for the right reason if you want complimentary comments all the time. Blogging is about discussion and feedback on ideas and outfits so of course comments are useful, insightful and almost all of the time charming and a privilege to receive! But I don't think they are the sign of a great blog or even how well a post was received. You can notice that outfit posts will get more comments because as soon as you see one you form an opinion but say a post about a discovery of a designer may get less because a person's reaction may simply be 'ah, interesting.'

Are comments everything though? Maybe they are when you start out and it feels like no one is hearing your voice but it shouldn't over take the pleasure of blogging. Right here on Flying Saucer is an example of what happens if you barely promote a blog and gain an average of one new reader a day for the first months, thinks just gradually snowball!

I started thinking about the topic because I just recently registered what 'replying to comments' probably means. When I used to read bloggers writing 'sorry I haven't replied to comments yet, I will do soon!' or something similar, I thought it was reading them and answering any questions. But if I'm right, does it mean if someone comments on your blog, you repay the 'favour' and comment on their blog? I literally didn't think of this before and it made me wonder if people comment here only because I comment there? I've never done this process but every blog that comments here, I will add to my blogroll and my general policy is that if I think something while reading, I'll comment it. It's almost like a conversation, in real life if someone told you something or sent you an email or letter, you wouldn't be mute or just walk away or ignore it. You might just answer 'mmmm' or 'yeah' but generally would form an opinion or reply and it just seems natural to comment it.

If new bloggers email and ask how to get comments now I generally say you could comment other places and usually a comment is returned. It seems that blogspot is a bit like a community but typepad is a bit more business like, and we have to pay! In the past I have emailed some lovely frequent commenters who don't have blogs with thanks as you can chat with bloggers on their blogs and commenting is more natural for bloggers, but it's almost like an extra effort for a reader to comment as it's rarer.

Catwalk Queen's poll said that 30% of non-commenters have nothing to say. This may be because a lot of their posts are like news but they do lots of videos and shopping posts. This is starting to sound like a CQ advert but their poll struck a cord with me as their at least ten posts a day takes time and dedication and I think they're pretty damn good! Claiming that you have nothing to say makes it seem like you read something and it just goes out your brain straight away. I know a major proportion of my hits don't comment and I am beyond happy with the lovely, thoughtful and interesting comments I am lucky to get, don't think I'm asking for more or anything by this post! I'm just wondering if people read things here and don't have an opinion. My sister just came and had a good rummage through all my clothes and accessories and I did a few hair styles on her (we sound like we're at a pre-teen sleepover!) and she asked me where I get all these ideas from, and I said it was the gazillions of blogs I read! So if I manage to take some inspiration from almost everything I read, don't others?

41% of the poll said they didn't feel like commenting. I guess it does take an extra minute to comment. When I think back to first discovering the much smaller amount of fashion blogs out there, I didn't comment under my real name or email address. I don't remember why, I think it was a bit scary for the big, successful blogs as you feel your opinion is random and unimportant or don't feel any connection with the writer so it's strange chatting and putting your opinion to someone you don't know. It's safer to be anonymous.

Commenting is a major reward in blogging; most people believing for compliments and self confidence but it's so helpful and insightful to hear different opinions and takes on things and to chat with other bloggers. But as much emphasis as there is on it, it doesn't get an equal amount of discussion. Is it really a taboo?

Comments

[the launderette]

Well, I must say I feel quite honored to have the first comment on a post about comments. hehe. All I've got to say though is, I read a lot of blogs and the reason I don't comment on most of the posts I read is that most posts generate that "Ah, interesting" response you talked about and I think it's just unnessecary to say that all the time although I enjoy most posts I read or I wouldn't read the blog. You're definitely right about the outfit posts getting more comments thing. Just check out a blog like Childhood Flames, with a plethora of outfit posts it's crazy popular as seen by the comments, compared to a blog like mine with random ramblings and such and far fewer comments.

Oooh, that was rather long! Clearly this isn't an "Ah, interesting" post.

[Shen-Shen]

It is nice to get comments, just so you feel like you're not disappearing into the sea of blogs that we have today. Usually, when I don't comment, I have nothing valuable to contribute other than some fluff. In those cases, I try not to just randomly comment, because then it just seems as though I'm commenting in hopes that the blogger will comment back. It annoys me to no end when I receive comments that say little more than "Thanks for commenting, stop by again!", preceded by or followed by a generic comment. (I think outfit posts are different though, because sometimes all one has to say really is 'cute outfit' or 'I love your shoes!')

And I don't really feel like it's taboo to discuss hits and such. A blog that has a lot of hits does not necessarily have more thought-provoking and good content than a less visited blog. Usually it does, but not always!

[WendyB]

I think it's a lot easier to get comments if you're willing to make comments yourself and help create a sense of community. Isn't that part of the appeal of blogging? The interaction? I'm not sure that CQ has ever commented on my blog, which makes me less likely to comment on theirs, though I do check it out once in a while and it's very good. However, my priority is always going to be the bloggers who take time out of their busy days to chat with me.

[Lauren]

oh, this post is likely to generate tons of comments! i'm guilty of not commenting very regularly on other people's blogs, or even my own. and i know that some posts of my own will generate fewer comments than others, but i've learned to get used to it, because it doesn't mean that readers don't like the post; it just may mean they have nothing to say about it, and that's okay.

i agree with all your points, how outfit posts will definitely generate more comments, and how if you're just starting out, having ANY comments is a huge motivation to continue to blog and hold on to your readers. it's just a signal that there are people reading, and for every comment, there are at least a few others more who are staying silent. it may well be that it's in the very nature of having a "style/fashion blog" that writing for an open audience is implied, or even desired, as opposed to a more personal blog about one's day-to-day life.

[lisanne]

I really agree, that you feel heard if you get comments
but i have just began to comment myself and i feel funny if all i am commenting is something like "oooh nice"
it's just doesn't always make what i am feeling stand out on a page
so usually i just keep it to myself!

[Lady Smaggle]

Wow I never really thought about comments being an indication of blog popularity. My boyfriend is a producer for an online network and the stats on internet usage are amazing. 90% of people who use the internet are watchers (they only ever read things and do not participate at all), 9% are participators (joining forums, online networks and commenting on blogs) and only 1% actively contribute with their own sites and blogs. How weird is that?

As for commenters, I love them. I also blatantly encourage people to comment. I love to meet my readers and hear their opinions. I always ask how everyone's weekend was and what they thought of a recent post I wrote.

My commenters are mainly regular readers, quite a few new ones and my personal friends. Which is really cool because I'm quite touched that they read my blog and even more touched that they take the time to comment!

As for me I only comment if I have something to say. If I actively think an outfit is gorgeous I will say so. And I only write long comments if the post is provocative enough to warrant one... :-)

[ams]

I would probably comment more however I subscribe to a lot of blogs through google reader and to comment means having to go into the blog separately. Since Im doing this at work time is a factor!!! Howver if I have something to say on a subject I will try and take the time and comment!

[Lucy-Jane]

I think, as you said, that often it is a sort of scaredycat thing. I'll often be more likely to comment if the post doesn't have many comments because I feel like otherwise my small contribution is pointless and insingnificant (unless I do have something particularly to say). But I just don't bother with the bigger bloggers because I feel so small and young in comparison.
As to replying to comments, in someways I think it is polite to click on them and see who they are and their blog, but in a way, I'd rather people only commented if they actually felt like they had something they wanted to say instead of just for courtesy.
I'm also really cynical and I know it. Sometimes if people are getting a lot of attention for their blog I will over analysis it like "their style isn't that great" which I realise is just catty. And I don't want to be that kind of person (not just from others' point of view, but from my own aswell...I realise it's ridiculous).
That last bit is probably just me though

[MHBass]

it's true that comments are really important when you're starting out - they're what encourage me to keep going, that i do have something to say/show! but also, i often find that on particularly provocative or controversial posts, it is the comments that make them so interesting because the internet really can allow you to collect a diverse range of opinions in one place. sometimes i can get lost reading the comments and forget what the post was about!

[young]

I have commented a few times here, I think, but I rarely do, because I don't feel like I have anything worthwhile to say. Like someone else said, I think, I don't want to comment just to get someone to read my own blog and comment, but rather to say something in response to the actual post. Also, I guess, I feel that if my opinion is the same as 5-10 people who have already commented, it seems kind of silly. So I try to comment whenever I feel I actually have something to contribute with. But it is really interesting, this whole blog comment-thing.

I have always really wondered how you reply to comments that you get on your blog. Do you reply in the same post? This would mean that the person who commented would have to come back and check! So should you maybe reply on their blog (if they have one)? I don't know. I was going to say I am a girl of few words, but this comment kind of says something else :)

[Estrella]

I've studied blogs as part of Web2.0 and been blogger for years now, and I do have found interesting things about commenting. Anyway, it's like a politeness ritual, if you receive comments, you should give some reply to show you are grateful for the feedback, like when saying hello to someone in everyday life.

You can leave a comment in the other person's blog, but most usual and nearly a convention is to leave the replies by commenting in your own blog entry, so that everybody can read them just like they can read the other comments, and it's more like a real conversation. It's also easier for people leaving anonymous comments or those who doesn't have a blog.

I hope this helps :)

[Elisabeth]

As my internet access is only from work, I don't always comment on the blogs I love due to time scales, but I always like to comment now and then so that the writer knows that their words have not gone unread.

I also, like most people, enjoy (nearly) all my comments, and am grateful when people take the time to say something - but as my blog is more like a journal, I don't always expect comments!

[Anna]

now here's the typical dilemma for me: i would love to comment on your post, but feel like almost everythings i wanted to say has been said by the previous commenters :) so, i'll just leave it at: i think comments you receive are a nice reward. especially when you just started your blog. i know i was ecstatic when i read my very first comment.

[The Clothes Horse]

I'm concerned about the whole reward system as well. I don't want meaningly comments just because you commented on yours and I don't want to be falsely flattering just because you were sweet to me. I want people to make me see things differently or catch my attention--honestly the longer the comment the better, it really shows you actually read what I wrote and invested some time, but I do also remind myself blogging isn't about the comments or the readership, for me this is a bit of a style diary and I'll continue it even if everyone leaves. I also get people asking me how to promote their blog, which I find bizarre, because I don't know how! And why blog to become a big blogger--then it's a chore! Blog because it's a natural extension of yourself, when that happens people usually pick up on it and like it...obviously it's a subject that I've been dwelling on a lot lately as well...

[Eva]

I do comment sometimes, but I find it does take some time and energy, especially since English isn't my first language. I suspect this might be the case for a lot of blogreaders.

[Elena]

This post is really relevant to me right now: I've been reading lots of fashion blogs for a while now, yet I'm only just starting to comment and add my own opinions. I'm not sure why I was so scared to before. Maybe I just felt like I didn't have anything meaningful to contribute. I've jumped into commenting on a few blogs now, though, and I must say, it makes the whole experience so much better! I think that commenting is an important part of feeling a connection with the person writing all of those posts that you read every day. I'm starting off slow, but I'm hoping to begin commenting more on my favourite blogs.

Thanks for this post to get me out of my shell and posting on this blog too! :)

[alicepleasance]

I don't write posts to get comments, but of course I'm more than happy if I get them! They're a great feedback for what I wrote about :-)
There's another point I'm curious about: I don't ask for trading links. Never. Sometimes asking for a links trade sounds me like...a contest! Of course if someone ask me to trade I'm happy to do it, but if I like a blog I simply add it to my blogroll without expecting they will add me back... I don't know if this is ok but it sounds good to me!

[Han]

Hi Selina,

I hope it isn't taboo for me to do the following but..

I know you were looking for a fringed dress recently and I'm selling a black one in a size small now on eBay and I thought you might like to check it out.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=220250748623&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=012

Please feel free to delete the comment if you think it's inappropriate!

[Alice]

I'm more likely to comment on posts that have only one or two comments. It's always nice to ramble on about nothing for a while and then see that not only have people taken the time to read it, they also have an opinion on it. I don't really blog much any more because I felt as if I was wasting my time and I had nothing to say but I blog to make myself happy and not other people.

[Alice]

I'm more likely to comment on posts that have only one or two comments. It's always nice to ramble on about nothing for a while and then see that not only have people taken the time to read it, they also have an opinion on it. I don't really blog much any more because I felt as if I was wasting my time and I had nothing to say but I blog to make myself happy and not other people.

[Zoe]

I browse a lot of blogs and oftentimes lose the link. I prefer to comment only when I have something constructive to say. To me, a lot of the comments seem to say "Oh thats so pretty :)" or something equally unimaginative, predictable and forgettable. I like to engage with a blog and a blogger. I feel a little intimidated if a post has about 50 comments, its harder to comment because you're not sure if they'll bother reading it. Also, as I'm not a blogger myself, I fear my comments are often overlooked. Especially if they're lost in a sea of 40-70 comments.
x

[selina]

ah i'm glad this doesn't seem like a post asking for comments or something! i can relate to all your replies and kept thinking 'ah i should have wrote that in!' as i was reading!

I didn't think of the point that some readers may not have english as their first language, but i don't have google analytics so can't tell what countries readers come from! I can see relate to how alot of you have wrote that you don't want comments simply for the sake of returning one, which was something I though too.

ClothesHorse & alicepleasance- i sometimes feel like that too when people want to trade links straight off, it is a bit like a competition! And I too just add a blog to my blogroll if i've added it to my google reader, although now thinking about it i've missed a few off!

[selina]

Han- I was contemplating buying this dress on Forever21 so I won't take the link down, I hope the bidding doesn't get too high, it's cute!

[selina]

It seems a few people think a comment would get lost in a sea sometimes? I think I can speak for most bloggers when I say that each comment is read and thought about, then you look to see if you recognise the name, then look if there's any website linked to it. Throwing away comments would be like throwing away clothes!

[hailey]

It's definitely something I have thought about at length. I do not comment on my commenters blogs unless I a)have the time and b)see something I want to comment on. I had a couple frequent commenters who stopped commenting and said it was because I didn't read their blog?? How weird is that? I thought they liked my blog but they were just fishing for readership? I've noticed lately my page views are going up, but comments going down. I just like to be consistant or growing so less comments is a lil worrysome, maybe I need to write more thoughtful posts. I generally don't get to comment much on all the blogs I read as I have them all in my google reader and I easily scroll through and read 100's of posts daily. Your blog is a prime example of that for me, I love and read it regularily, and have some starred and saved, but comment is more of a rarity.