E Victoria asked me to share a discussion I started in another group. Please share your thoughts:

I can't remember where I read it, but a published critic said that everyone is talking these days but who is listening. So many of us are post requests for members to read their books or blogs.

For some the Internet and the blogosphere specifically is new terrain. I can't tell you how often new bloggers and vets share they are too busy to get much blog reading in and many admit that they are lurkers.

In an online environment, comments matter. Not for popularity but for interaction, the value of connection and exchange. Are we letting one another know we are listening, that we care, that we support each other's writing?

Can we start a small campaign here to make a concerted effort and leave comments for one another? And yes, just a hello or simple aggreement matters. Acknowledgment is a powerful thing.

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And as someone who has benefited from one your one liners recently I can say that it means a ton!
I'm new to the Mother Writer! group and relatively new to SheWrites. This is a terrific discussion. I was struck by this by Angela:

"I feel if I read someone's blogpost/blog/etc...leaving a comment simply to acknowledge the fact I've read it, is simply put, common decency, it displays a social grace..."

I hadn't thought of it that way before, but that makes a lot of sense. Thanks, Angela--what you wrote will change the way I approach reading blogs.

And LaTonya wrote she strives for "5 blogs every time I'm on for an hour or more." Wow, that is terrific! I do something similar (although less ambitious at the moment), which is each day to choose a new (to me) blog from the SheWrites blog roll to read and comment. I try to read at least the blog's current post and any available "About Me" page. The wealth on the list is incredible, and it's amazing how many times I click on a random blog and find something that is just what I need or am interested in that day.
I agree wholeheartedly! Will do~
Great discussion. And while I end up staying up too late in order to read blogs and write my own, I definitely agree that commenting is important. That being said, I don't comment on a piece that I'm not interested in (comment for the sake of commenting), I always comment when I have ANYTHING to say about the post (and I have a lot of interests so it's usually not THAT hard to relate). I know that one comment goes a long way for me when I'm blogging. And one of my favorite parts about blogging is the sense of community -- but that comes when I participate as much as when others do. So thank you for the reminder!

Alex
Late Enough
Hi,

This week I'm doing a blog tour for my new book (ages 4-8) A VAMPIRE IS COMING TO DINNER: 10 RULES TO FOLLOW (first rule, stay calm -- one I need to observe myself) at http://www.jennsbookshelves.com/ Please stop by and comment! The book was inspired by a tickling game I used to play with my daughter when she was younger.

Pamela Jane
This is so true. I find that when someone takes the time to comment on my blog or send me a note via my website, I immediately feel endeared to them. It's such a generous community of people wanting to connect. I've really never had a rude or irresponsible comment. And I reply to each one because I like meeting the trajectory. I admit that it's hard for me to find time to read blogs daily, but I try to start my morning that way, before writing time, before email time, and play around in the community of writers. I wish we'd had blogs 20 years ago when I started out. In those days unless you had a writing group, you were pretty much alone, so from that angle, the opportunity to comment and reply to commments is rich. yrs. Laura
It's kinda funny I came across this post today, considering the reason I was lurking. I was thinking about how I am on Shewrites daily, I check 2 of the groups I participate in (1 being mother writers) several times a day, yet I very very seldomly comment, only because I don't feel like I have anything significant to offer. So my goal when I logged in today was to make a point of leaving a comment to simply acknowledge that I am still 'here' and still following, and still appreciating this group and site daily. I am going to make a point of doing so more often. It's nice to feel connected.
I agree with you. I make sure I get back to everyone who leaves a comment on my blog, and I do it on their blog. I used to respond on my blog, but the people didn't get it unless they subscribed to the conversation, and most don't. So I click on their link instead, read the blogs posts and comment on their writing or topic, in addition to thanking them for visiting and commenting on mine. I have actually made some Blog friends, so it does work.
Marina

I do feel that comments matter. For me, I often post on my blog and wonder if anyone is actually reading it. Having even one comment on a post keeps my motivation up, keeps me remembering to write a new blog entry. I recently wrote a review of a non-fiction narrative that my book club read. I mostly posted it on my blog to work through how I felt about the book. The next day, the author of the book commented on my blog. Amazing. Her comment made my week, maybe my month. Commenting on each other's blogs can be a very positive way to support other writers. You never know how happy you might make someone feel.

 

Lorraine Wilde

www.lorrainewilde.com

I definitely agree. I always comment when its not too complicated. I hate it when i want to comment, then I click on it and I have to register and fill out my address, ht, wt, blood type... I just say forget it. I LOVE commenting, but sometimes we need to make it easier on the commenter.

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