How do you prefer I respond to your comments? (poll: please respond)
My apologies for the double post. I just want to ask a quick question.
For a few years, I responded individually to each and every comment on the comment’s post. I appreciate your comments and want you to know I love your feedback!
But it is very time-consuming, as you all know. And it stressed me out. So I’ve stopped doing that, and reply to many comments via email. Lately, I have also been replying to just a few comments, within the comment, in bold (confused yet?).
My question is what do you prefer? Do you even come back to read comments or do you prefer email? Please let me know in the poll below.
Loading ...Side note: I tried to install a plugin to reply to specific comments, but it did not work.
Themocracy
Oh my gosh….you are so sweet!!!!
I feel bad for not responding more on my blog – like you, I used to…and it totally stressed me out! I’m weird sometimes in that it takes me awhile to think about how to word things – SUPER paranoid about hurting someone’s feelings or offending someone (I know…I’m a freak!).
I say whatever works best for you, do that…there are some bloggers who respond via e-mail, which is nice, but then some respond on their blogs, and I’ve just learned to go back and read if I’ve asked a question. 🙂
.-= Author’s last blog post… It’s My Hump Day! =-.
I love comments but rarely respond. You are so good!
.-= Author’s last blog post… nothing much =-.
I agree with Holly . . . whatever works for you. I usually don’t respond by commenting, if there’s a question or I just want to say thanks for your thoughts – I like to do it by email. I cannot reply to everything that everyone writes, somedays I cannot even get a post up at all and my google reader seems to always have a million unread posts too. I say whatever you have time for.
.-= Author’s last blog post… That’s A Club Pack – We’re Not A Club =-.
I wish I had a set up where I could respond to people via email (or maybe I do and don’t know how) cause often I would love to respond and I feel like a bad blogger when I miss the opportunity!
.-= Author’s last blog post… Three Things Tuesday =-.
Voted! And I too wish I had an email response set up.
.-= Author’s last blog post… "Tasting!" Keebler Fudge Shoppe Caramel Cookies =-.
No offense to you (because I’m making a sweeping observation here), but I never understood why bloggers comment within the comments and not directly to the person. Unless you have the capability to email the commenter how you’re responding in your blog comments, I’m pretty sure most people never return to a blog post. For me personally, I barely have time to read, let alone comment on blogs. I can pretty much guarantee I NEVER return to the same blog post to see if an author has reacted to my comment.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Bang =-.
not a lot of people post comments on my blog, so i usually just hit up their blog and comment.
i’m not sure whta the best way is- is emailing a good idea? i have no idea.
.-= Author’s last blog post… MacGyver’s got nothing on me =-.
I voted in an email because honestly I don’t come back to read responses once I’ve commented. BUT, unless it’s just a particularly insightful comment or something you feel like you have something to say about, I really wouldn’t worry about responding to every single one..that’s a ton of work!!
.-= Author’s last blog post… Cookware =-.
I think it’s incredible that you take the time to respond to everyone. As far as I am concerned, you can respond however it works best for you, it’s your blog after all.
My preference is that you (in general) respond in the comments but in such a way that the specific commenter to which you are responding receives an email. This way, if the commenter doesn’t follow the comments, they still see your reply, but others that do follow the comments also see your reply. I typically subscribe to the RSS feed of comments if I’m interested in other people’s comments or really want to make sure I see a reply to my comment. Otherwise, I just expect that a reply to my comment will generate an email — more and more blogs do that automatically.
What I rarely do is subscribe to comments via email. I much prefer an RSS subscription, though I do sometimes worry that my feedreader will become overwhelmed. 🙂
.-= Author’s last blog post… Imagine =-.
I do pop back and see replies but honestly, it’s your blog so whatever works for you and stresses you out less. I don’t always respond to my comments but if something stands out to me, I will (or if I’m in a mood to reply).
Sometimes it’s nice to get a discussion going via the comments but it’s not always necessary. We know you read the comments 🙂
.-= Author’s last blog post… Being supported and supportive =-.
seriously whatever is easiest for you! I don’t want blogging to stress you out!
I only think you need to respond if someone asks a question or posts something that seems to need a response. I didn’t know that you were responding to all the comments I’ve posted!
I tend to “respond” to comments on my blog by following the other person’s blog for a while and commenting on some of their posts if I find them interesting.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Meeting today: Disappointing all around =-.
If I ask a question in the comment, then I come back to check and see if you’ve answered it. Otherwise, the comment I leave is for you, not for me. 🙂
.-= Author’s last blog post… Pearl =-.
I generally don’t respond to comments, since they are typically a short “hey, good job” sort of thing. If someone asks a question or I want to follow up more specifically I’ll either email or go to their most recent blog post (on their own blog) and comment there.
I almost never go back to comments that I’ve written to look for a response, so I’d never know that it was there. By commenting on their blog, they get that in an email. It may not make sense to other people looking from the outside, but we know what we are talking about.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Runner’s Den / Fiesta Bowl Half Marathon =-.
I think it’s sweet that you try to respond to all your comments (especially since you have so many!) but I guess I view my blog as less of a dialogue, and more of me putting whatever I’m thinking out there, and hoping that a few people read it and find it interesting or entertaining. So I don’t worry about if other bloggers respond to my comments.
.-= Author’s last blog post… My Friends =-.
I enjoy getting a little e-mail from you in my mailbox, but I would never really expect you to do it. If I’m that interested in the topic I will come back and read other folks’ comments and see if you replied. It is kind of nice sometimes to see the original blogger’s responses to what people had to say to them.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Making a Healthy Holiday Calendar, and Healing Your Inner Shopper =-.
I won’t come back to look for a comment on anyone’s page, so I like an email OR a comment back IF it automatically emails me that the comment was there. 🙂
.-= Author’s last blog post… Race Report: California International Marathon =-.
I wanted to vote, but there wasn’t an option for “I honestly don’t care HOW you respond, I’m just happy you take the time to do so!” 🙂
.-= Author’s last blog post… 25 days to 2010: Rachel Guerzo is "Just Friends" =-.
I answered that I honestly don’t care because it is YOUR blog and you should run it how you want to! If you get the plugin called WP Threaded Comments, there is an option that allows you to send an automatic email to someone when you reply to their comments here on the blog. That’s what I do and I feel like I kill two birds with one stone. Juuuust throwing that out there to add to the confusion. 😉
.-= Author’s last blog post… The Queen’s Thoughts On Porn, Pills And Poker… =-.
I usually answer in the comments of my comments. Sometimes I don’t have an email address to just email the person and to try and look it up just to answer a comment would take more time than I am willing to spend on replying to a comment. At a certain point it is sort of like sending a thank you note to someone because they sent you a thank you note to you. When I leave a comment it is because I want the person to know something I am thinking after reading their post. A reply isn’t expected.
However, if I don’t have some kind of relationship with the person in the first place and they don’t respond to comments either, chances are I won’t keep reading their blog for long. I love making connections, not just reading random stuff a complete stranger writes. Does that make sense? Not that I expect a reply, just that in order to be interested in reading a blog I need to have some kind of connection with the person whether it is commenting on my blog too, replying to comments, or becoming real life friends.
However you want to reply (if you want to reply) is fine by me!!! I think you do a fantastic job of blogging and replying and I can’t imagine how hard it must be to blog every day and reply to comments! You do a much better job than I would/do!!!!
=^..^=
.-= Author’s last blog post… Our Motto =-.
Ain’t no thing to me how you handle it. 😀 Even if you don’t respond, it’s all coolio. I completely understand how stressing and time consuming it can be to respond to comments! I try my best but sometimes I don’t get them all or I just don’t have anything to say in response. LOL
.-= Author’s last blog post… December 8th, 2009: crisis levels =-.
You may have noticed that I’ve also backed off on responding via email to every comment. Subsequently, I’ve gotten less comments. I think that factors into it? Or that I have not had as much time to give to reading blogs and commenting. But then I ask myself why I blog- for comments or for self-expression?
I do not return to blogs to see responses or read other comments nor do I subscribe to comments when that’s an option. Again, it’s all about time management and nothing personal. I like an email response because it feels more personal but if someone doesn’t respond every time it’s fine by me. Besides, we’re pals. We’re all good- you and me. 🙂
.-= Author’s last blog post… Up Date =-.
I didn’t vote because I think you should respond in whatever way works best for you. You’re so good about letting your readers know you care!
I personally (as you know!) respond in my comments, but I think it gets missed more often than not because how often do people go back to the comment section they have already commented on? I may need to use another method!
.-= Author’s last blog post… Part II =-.
…And apparently I’m all about the exclamation points today…
Now that I use reader, I rarely return to a post to read later comments because I have let my Reader get out of control. I try to reply via email, but I wonder how people want me to respond as well…interesting for sure.
.-= Author’s last blog post… eight miles is FAR =-.
I like the personal emails, but I don’t expect one every time I come here to comment. I just enjoying having a dialogue with you and other people whenever I can, but at the same time, there are times where there really is nothing more to say! It’s okay. I say let it come naturally. If you don’t feel like responding, don’t force it. When you do, I think myself and other readers will be happy with however you choose to respond.
.-= Author’s last blog post… Sonogram picture (finally!) =-.
I like the e-mail, because I don’t have a good way of keeping track of where I leave comments.
On some of my favorite blogs (like yours) I don’t want to “Notify me of followup comments via e-mail” because it’s too much mail. On blogs with less comments (like mine) I’ll check the “notify…” box because I know I won’t get bothered too much 🙂
.-= Author’s last blog post… Six years ago today I started blogging. =-.