Waiting for Something Good

another lonely night on JU

Published on August 4, 2004 By Gene Nash In Blogging

So I'm sitting here, waiting for something good to pop up on the sidebar. A new article. A new comment on a thread I am following. Anything.

It's times like this I wonder why I was distressed to (temporarily) be officially the biggest JU addict. (I'm still No. 2.) Clearly it was not an inaccurate label.

So I'm sitting here clicking reload, checking my email. Nothing. Is it possible to hear crickets chirping through the copper wires that are my 'net connection? I think so. I really think so.

I guess I could scan the "newest" articles pages for anything I missed. I might even find something worth commenting on. I've noticed, however, very often my comments go totally ignored. That's depressing. Why am I clicking the watchlist icon when no-one is going to respond to my comments anyway? For that matter, why am I commenting at all?

Which brings up a point made on another blog (by Little Whip?) about bloggers who "abandon their threads" and choose not to acknowledge the comments left by others. Yes, there are people who absolutely never respond to the comments on their blogs. It is frustrating. After a point I don't bother commenting on their threads anymore. Then there's the guy who said I only stated the obvious. After that I never felt I could leave another comment on his blogs because it would just be something obvious, right? I don't think the comment was obvious at all, but he's an idiot. Whoops, there I go stating the obvious again.... (He's also the one who "inspired" my "Brief Note: From the Journalist Scum" article.)

Of course, sometimes I myself don't respond. Sometimes that's because I think the commenters did a fine job arguing it out amongst themselves and I have nothing to add. Most times I mean to leave a response but just never get around to it. It takes a lot of effort for me to manage getting my comments out at times -- spell checking, having the computer read them back to me, etc. -- so I think "I'll do it later," but later never comes. (Sometimes I take a few hours and go back through my blogs page by page trying to catch up on my commenting. Is it worth it at that point? Do you still care?)

Given that I don't like it when bloggers never respond to their comments at all, I guess I'll make a special effort to at least come in at the end (even when I don't feel any further comment is necessary) and say "Thank you to all who left comments."

Yeah, that's what I'll do.

And if you see me commenting on your blog, could you at least acknowledge it? Maybe? Kinda? Huh? (Hmm, I never noticed that echo in here before. Gotta get that fixed...)

Comments

Gerry Atrick

on Aug 04, 2004

Hmmm... remember Draginols post on how to be a good blogger? In it he said that you should only respond to a comment if you have something to say. Now I disagree with this. I reckon I reply to about 80-90% of all comments left on my blogs...eventually. Even if it is just to say thanks. I feel if someone takes the time to comment on what I write then the least I can do is acknowledge the fact. Usually the only exceptions are those who I feel are deliberately provocative or abusive.

Gene Nash

on Aug 04, 2004

In it he said that you should only respond to a comment if you have something to say. Now I disagree with this.

Now that you mention it, yes I do recall it. I also recall disagreeing with it when I read it.

I'd probably have an easier time of it if I commented more frequently as the thread grew, instead of waiting till there are so many comments I feel overwhelmed. I'll get good at it eventually! (I hope.)

To everyone else, respond to your commenters. Most of them don't bite. And the rest you blacklist.

David St Hubbins

on Aug 04, 2004

I think your comment in the recent Marathon Witch Hunt Thread was the only comment out of 200+ that made sense. Your article on Homeland Security was good too, as was Deconstructing Coutler. I hope you continue to write more articles.

Thank you very much Mr Smartaz for letting me post here. Please, have a nice day.

Up with People!

Gene Nash

on Aug 04, 2004

David,

Thank you for those kind comments. I really appreciate them.

bakerstreet

on Aug 04, 2004

I wish there was a way for us to see which of our blogs have new comments, the way you can see it over at Deviantart and the like. Sometimes my points go up, and I don't know if it is because someone tagged me with an insightful, or if there has been activity on old blogs I haven't gone back to in a while.

Gene Nash

on Aug 15, 2004

and I don't know if it is because someone tagged me with an insightful, or if there has been activity on old blogs I haven't gone back to in a while.

BakerStreet, do you have the option checked that sets all of your articles to automatically email if they get a comment?

It's not quite as good as a new comments tally board, but it's better than nothing.

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