A Few Words

Some people will never leave blog comments. They just don't like the idea of it. They cling tightly, resolutely, to their anonymity. And I get that. And respect that. But some people don't leave comments for other reasons, also valid. They don't leave blog comments because they are busy, stretched, pulled in a million directions and leaving a comment seems like some kind of commitment, another thing to do.

I know this because I've felt it. I can't tell you how many times I've read a blog post, a beautiful or powerful or wickedly funny blog post, and clicked away without saying something. In part, I've done this because I prefer to leave thoughtful comments, comments with substance. I want to say something interesting and insightful and I don't always have the time or energy or mental strength to do that, so I just don't.

But I've realized something. It's also good to just say a few words. To announce our presence, to say hey, I'm here reading and thank you for your words. There are many easy ways to do this, many things to say. A few examples:

• Nice post.
• Thank you.
• Enjoyed this.
• Interesting.
• Thanks for making me think.
• Like it.
• Love it.
• Not sure I agree.
• I am here reading.
• I am here.

Really, anything goes. I think I speak for most bloggers - whether we are newbies or veterans or somewhere in-between - when I say it means a lot to get a comment, not just for what the comment says, but what the physical arrival of the comment means - that someone is actually there, here, reading and taking a few seconds to announce that he/she is there, here, reading.

So. Anyway, this is something I hadn't really thought of or realized so I thought it might be good to share. I'm not advocating inauthentic behavior here; If we don't like a post, we shouldn't respond. Ultimately, it's not about numbers, but about knowing. Knowing that we bloggers/writers/people are in fact reaching people, that people are in fact there, here, reading and reacting.

A lot of my blogeagues have been saying that the Blog Comment is a thing of the past, no longer the metric for "success" in this world. And that might prove to be true, but I for one am not yet ready to give up on comments and the wonderful conversations they so often bring. I'm hopeful that there is a way for all of us to keep commenting without sacrificing too much of ourselves and our busy and good lives, online and off. Maybe I'm being naive on this one, but naivete isn't the worst thing in the world, is it?

Do you leave blog comments often, sometimes, or never? Why? Do you agree that comments are appreciated even when they are tiny in size?