On Commenting...

I have over the last few months become very fond of commenting on blogs. I like the interaction between blogger and commenter. It's nice to leave a comment and then to go back hours later and find a response from the blogger. It's also nice to acknowledge someones post. I have seen quite a few posts that not only deserve a comment but a standing ovation.

There are bloggers who do copious research and bloggers who bare their souls. Those I think are the bloggers who are the definition of blogging. I like to comment when I see that someone has done a lot of work either literally or emotionally for a post. I am continually amazed at the depth of thought that bloggers put into their blogs.

I sometimes read a post and it's so thought provoking that I have to come back hours or a day later to comment. Some posts require by their excellence a certain level of thought be put into the comments.

On some blogs the comments section is a forum and a community of it's own. Some comments sections are almost a clique. I feel that everyone knows each other, if only from commenting, and am too intimidated to leave a comment.

There is only one thing I don't like about commenting. That is when I put a lot of thought into a comment and the blogger doesn't respond. I really hate that. I know that some comments are more rhetorical and don't really require any sort of feedback. But I'm talking about the comments that are communicative, one's that I may even pose a question or offer a theory regarding the post. So a non-response sometimes feels like the blogger is saying your comment made no sense or does not matter. Lately though I have been trying to notice if the blogger just generally does not respond and find that some bloggers for what ever reason don't comment on their own blog. My unrequited comments still hurt my feelings though (sniff sniff), but I'll be okay.

I've only had one blogger be rude and she was really young and her rudeness was more sarcasm. I think she was trying to impress her usual commenters. Anyway once was all it took, I haven't been back to her blog.

I have only recently begun to post comments that are in opposition to the post. I use to just disagree in silence, but on re-thinking, I realized that sometimes disagreeing is apart of the blogging process. And some of the most enjoyable comments I've read have been in opposition of the bloggers point of view. if I do happen to leave a comment that disagrees, I try to be as positive as possible in the process. Sometimes it's informative to disagree. I've had bloggers respond to my comment and compel me to see a different point of view.

Commenting or reading comments is also a great way of finding interesting blogs. If someone leaves a comment that stands out I generally check their blog and more times than not I find an interesting blog. Which has also made me aware that when I'm out in the blogisphere making comments that others are doing the same, so I have to represent my blog well by leaving coherent comments (with as few typos and misspellings as possible).

All in all commenting is a activity in and of itself. I think one could occupy one's self for endless hours commenting. And I've noticed that there are a lot of people who don't have blogs that comment. So it seems that people other than me really enjoy the process.

All I can really hope for is that a comment or two of mine have had a positive effect on a blogger or someone else reading it. I know that I have read quite a few comments from others that have had a positive effect on me.