After the #BB101 chat last Thursday evening the topic on everyone's mind was comments.
- A lot of bloggers mention that they don't receive a lot of comments on their blogs
- Bloggers mentioned that they don't comment enough
- Experienced bloggers mentioned that they don't like to leave "meaningless comments"
- Newer blogs mentioned that they'll take any comment, they just want comments
- Experienced bloggers mentioned that generic comments can be considered almost like spam
What was quite obvious from the chat was that there really were two camps and it was in line with how many comments that particular blog received. Blogs with lower comment counts would love to have generic comments, just a simple hello would make their day. (We are generalizing though - I'm sure some lower comment generating blogs do still enjoy thoughtful comments). An acknowledgment of the fact that you were on their blog, maybe read the post and were saying that they were there.
More seasoned blogs with higher comments weren't too fond of those generic comments. And some even considered them spammish. Not really spam, but questions arose in their minds:
"Did they read the post?"
"Are they just commenting to get their link on the post?" (Even if you don't leave a link in the comments your profile name is a link)
Those questions are very viable questions. Very viable. Especially if the comment is just on the lines of, "Hey, great review."
**So there is the quandary.** Some bloggers, and I'm of the same thinking, would rather not comment at all than leave a "nice review" comment, because we know how generic comments make us feel. And time constraints a lot of the times restrict us from brainstorming these "fab" comments that we would love to leave yet lack the creative juices to spit out in droves. Yet, some bloggers would give anything for a "nice review" especially from some of the more seasoned bloggers with name recognition.
What is your take on the situation? Here is the poll question. Two fronts. Do you mind having people make generic comments on your blog?
"Nice review"
"I'm adding this to my TBR" Things like that. Comments that don't give any indication that the person who commented actually read the post.
*Or* would you rather them not comment if they don't have anything pertinent to say? Meaning, a reference to your post, or a comment regarding an idea or opinion that you brought up in the post.
Secondly, do you make generic comments, because you feel a comment is a comment? Or do you feel you need to leave a meaningful comment?
And what does this say to me or you? Do I make a point of leaving comments on peoples blogs, even if they are generic - especially if they have a low comment count? I know I have to comment more...how about you?
Reader questions:
I love your Quote Marks are you using now. Are they a code or an image?
Thanks - Jennifer @ The Book Nympho
Thanks - Jennifer @ The Book Nympho
A: Jen, they are code and image. I've set up a class that I use on a div, much like you would with a blockquote code. And then I just wrap each question in the div. It looks like this:
<div class="question">
Insert question here.
</div>
And I have the coding set up in the CSS of my template, you can make the div look like anything you want, have any background or color. It's a good way to add pinache to your blog!
In a previous BB101, you posted about emailing publishers. You said you should not include page view/follower count if the numbers are small.
I was wondering, what's considered a few followers, and what's considered a few page views? What's considered "a lot" of them? And what's average? I have a little over a 100 followers, and about 100 weekly pageviews (400 monthly). Should I mention that in an email for a book request?
Thanks so much for all the help! - Riv Re
Riv - I polled everyone in the chat #BB101 and most people were of the opinion that reaching 50, 100, 500 followers was a great milestone and is considered a good amount of followers. It might not be HUGE compared to other's followers count but it is something to be proud of. If you believe your pageviews count is low, don't include it. Mention just your follower count, or really don't mention anything if you feel it is low. Mention what you think is an accomplishment. Authors mentioned that they look at interactive readers, comments, time in operation those type of things, instead of follower count. If you've been in operation for over six months focus on that. But, really I was jumping around when I got that 50th follower. It is something to be very proud of and you may not get through as many doors as someone with 1,000 followers, but you have to start somewhere and you'll get there in time if you stick with it. And those blogs that you thought were mega might not even be in existence and you'll be the old hat.
I can't get to all the questions, but please ask your BB101 Questions here...
51 comments:
I'm on of those that likes meaningful comments. Tell me what you thought of my review, I especially want to hear if someone has a different view than mine (if they hate something I liked or vice versa). As my blog grew and I noticed what gets comments, I actually started to keep that in mind when considering what to read.
I tend to leave short comments (due in part to how many blogs I visit a day) but I always reference somthing from the post that shows I really did read it. Most people do the same for me and I'll only get one or two generic comments. Out of the hundred-plus I get per post, that's not bad odds!
Very very interesting. While I like knowing someone's found my post, it's a much nicer feeling knowing they've read it...
On the other hand you get people who meticulously pick out every single flaw on your blog and comment anonymously..... Concrit is nice too, but just flaming is horrible...
In general, I like semi-detailed comments that make the world a better place!
Enjoy life xxx
This comment is meaningful. :-D
I don't mind what people write in my comments, but I'm more likely to visit them back if they're initiating a conversation.
I'm more likely to make broad generic comments on a blog if the blogger and I dont' share much in common--like if they review only cozy mysteries which I've never seen, I'll just comment on the look of their blog or congratulate them on some new accomplishment.
Of course most of us would like to receive meaningful comments. But the question is then would you prefer to receive ONLY meaningful comments or no comments at all? I personally don't mind if someone want's to just say great review, or hey, ill add this to my TBR list. For me it's enough that they have dropped by. Also sometimes I don't have much to say after reading a review. So I'll just say, 'great review, i loved this book too.'
It's an interesting argument. On the one hand I LOVE when people make comments that indicate they've read what I've written, but on the other, sometimes it's just nice to know readers are out the even if they don't have anything meaningful to say. I try to remember that even if they didn't say anything profound, they still TOOK THE TIME to comment and that is gratifying to me.
See this is my opinion. I don't mind a "Great Review" comment at all. But what bothers me is "Great review. Please stop by my blog to see my author interview with XXXX and comment to win"
My thoughts are, they just went through their blog roll and pretty much copy and pasted that same comment on every single blog in the most up to date blog post.
For some reason, even though it is trying to pimp yourself, it just annoys me to no end.
Generally if someone makes a comment on my blog, I am curious about them and I'll peak on what they got going on on their blog anyhow. It is just the blatant in your face pimp that I dont like. But the same person is more than welcome to tweet about their author interview and giveaway. I dont mind that.
I've noticed that I get more [meaningful] comments on reviews of books that have been out for a while already and a lot of people have read them. It is much easier to leave meaningful comments on a review when you have read the book and you can agree/disagree on points the review brings up.
So if I haven't read a book, it can be difficult and time consuming to say something beyond "sounds like a good book!" or "your review made me add this book to my TBR list." While I don't necessarily want ALL comments on my blog to be like that (nor do I want all the comments that I make to sound like that), it is nice to know people are reading what you've written.
I'm in the middle of the debate (enough so I can't vote in the poll because I can't decide). Honestly, I think you can make a generic comment without it being spammy. And I think you can still find something specific in the post to mention and still make it sound like you're commenting for the sake of commenting (i.e., not meaningful).
Nice post! You should visit my blog and follow me!
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Just kidding! I think it depends on what’s you consider a meaningful comment, I don’t need a 2000 words composition, if someone says “nice review, I liked that you found the heroine spunky and fun” that’s fine by me, it means that the commenter read the post and that’s the main thing. Another nice short comment would be something like “oh you should read X author, I think if you liked this book then you might enjoy that one”. I like comments that I can reply to. But I don’t mind generic comments and I would never consider them spam, a generic comment means that someone took the time to visit my bog, if that person had a hidden agenda and was looking for promotion I honestly don’t care.
I don’t get that many comments but I do get regular visitors, and people who leave meaningful comments in almost every single post, those are the best ones and I try to go and comment back, I’ve made a few friends that way.
As you can see I’m easy, everything makes me happy. Maybe in a few years and 200000 blog followers latter I’ll be a conceited bitch who doesn’t deign to answer to the masses!
I love both kinds. SOmetimes we don't have time to read the whole review and as you know, I put a lot of thoguht into the appearance of my blog. So if it really seems like someone has even looked around I am okay with that. I don't even mind lurkers. And, from a person who blogs of course meaningful is always better.
I try to respond personally via email. I don't want the reader to feel obligated to return to make sure I read what they wrote. If I am not short on time I will try to online as well.
In short anyone visiting is better than noone visiting. Do I make any sense at all? I do to myself but who knows!
I think "good review" comments are good especially for those of us who are starting out. I like to know that I am on the right track but I do value the more in depth
comments more because they often lead to really great conversations and connections.
@steph from fangsworldandfairydust.com, I totally know what you mean.
I want meaningful comments and I always try to leave a meaningful comment if I can't I feel it is better not to comment. That being said I might write that I'm adding the book to my TBR pile but I try to include something that shows the blogger that I actually read the post/review.
I get a lot of generic comments when I do memes like Teaser Tuesday or Waiting on Wednesday, I notice because some leave the same comments on several of the blogs that they visit. That kind of annoys me.
I definitely have to agree with some of the other comments here, while I would definitely LIKE to receive meaningful comments, I'd also like to receive more then just the Follow Friday comments I'm getting right now. I try to reference bits I read in the post even if I don't leave a huge long comment.
I think it's a bit like 'Beggars can't be choosers' for those of us that are new, so we'll just take anything to know that our blog is actually getting out there and that the time we're putting into writing the reviews is going to some good.
Comments on my blog:
I love comments. Generic comments and all.
I appreciate that someone is taking the time to visit my blog and to try to touch base with me. I don't love comments that ask me something I covered in the review/post. But hey I take that with a grain of salt.
Regarding how I comment:
I'm a woman of few words. I believe many of us visit lots of blogs and therefore can't write long meaningful comments on every blog. So my comments are short. That doesn't mean I'm not reading what someone wrote and that I don't want them to know that with my shorty comment.
Furthermore, I like Amanda's point. In many cases I haven't read the book so it's hard for me to come up with some pertinent to say other than, "Nice review."
As a whole:
Truthfully, it bugs me that some bloggers might see my shorty comments as spam. Comments should be valued and appreciated.
As for your polls, I love you doll but it's usually not a case of one or the other so I was unable to vote :)
PS Amen Amy!
I like comments that people leave because they actually like what I've written regardless of whether or not I'll visit their blog to post a comment. I find that all too often in blogland you only get comments if you leave comments. I've had internet troubles this week and I've seen the comments on my blog go way way down and it's just because I'm not repaying the favour.
So, does anybody actually leave comments because they like what the other blogger has written or is everybody expecting a comment back, and if I stop commenting on yours will you stop commenting on mine? I find that happens A LOT!
I'm not stressed about comments nowadays - but a while back I was definitely a blogger who loved comments. I still do but I sometimes don't have the time to visit a lot of blogs and in return they don't visit mine. I guess that's how it works!
I do love getting comments, even generic ones. I try to leave meaningful comments but sometimes I just want to let the author know I read their post. Especially when it is a blog hop or something of that nature. Of course then there isn't much to say except maybe, "nice cover" or "I want to read this one too".
I try to comment often because I like comments, but perhaps I should keep in mind that the more seasoned bloggers only want thoughtful comments.
I'm definitely a meaningful commentor. I can spend 15 minutes on a blog reading an amazing post but if I can't think of something witty to say other than "great job", I'll just move out without commenting. Also, if I take the time to write something nice and the site messes up or the blasted capcha won't cooperate I'll give up pretty quickly. I shouldn't have to fight in order to be able to leave a comment!
I missed the chat earlier, but I definitely prefer meaningful comments. I only comment if I can think of something worthwhile to say, even if it's just a sentence or two!
I also think "I'm adding this to my TBR list" is more meaningful than "Nice review" too. At least then you can assume the reader got something out of the post.
All too often, especially recently, people are commenting just to plug themselves. With no comment at all about the post...not even something generic. I prefer generic over those. I personally don't even want to approve those most times.
I like meaningful comments, since it shows that the person read your post. I'd definitely prefer these kinds of comments on reviews or guest posts. But with memes like IMM, generic ones are pretty much the norm. Even on those I still try to personalize my comment, but sometimes after commenting on 20+ blogs I start losing steam, and with some things there's only so many ways you can say something without repeating yourself word for word.
I absolutely dislike comments that have almost the exact same wording on every blog that person comments on. That to me is basically spam, and I can tell that that person is just promoting themselves and not really reading or saying anything about the post itself. Self-promotion can be good, but it depends on the way you go about it.
I like meaningful comments but appreciate the "nice review" comments as well. If nothing else it tells me that someone took a look at what I wrote.
I took your polls but I don't believe that 90% of the people leave meaningful comments. Sure, we all say we do but do we really?
http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
I don't mind the "good review" comments, but I have to admit the "Good Books this week, please visit my IMM" comments kind of rubs me the wrong way. Don't get me wrong, I love having comments on my IMM and I do visit back, but can you at least pretend you pay attention to the books I received or something I said instead of copy/paste the generic comment on all mailboxes so you get more comments?
I don't comment all that much, I confess, but the comments I leave are personnal and meaningful.
I think everyone likes meaningful comments, but people need to think about the fact that some posts don't lend themselves to meaningful comments. For example, cover reveals. You can say oh that's pretty or you don't like that. But really.
I think if people don't like all comments, they should stop putting things like "I Love all comments" or "I love comments." They should say, I only want comments that meet my criteria of "meaningful."
I like all comments. Especially if I review a book that many haven't read for one reason or the other.
I think your polls needed another option. I prefer meaningful comments but I don't mind generic comments. It isn't either/or for me.
I always try to leave meaningful comments because I know those mean a lot to a blogger especially if they took their time to prepare and write a post but I don't mind receiving generic comments if its along the lines of "nice review" or "great WoW choice" but when its just "check out my post/blog (link here)" without any mention to the post I made then that I consider it spam. Actually, two commented I got last week on a meme I participated in just had the commenter telling me they followed me and requesting that I return the favor. Which was the point of the meme really - to gain more followers but a comment on the actual post would have been appreciated. One of the users actually stated twice in one comment in all caps that they were a NEW FOLLOWER as if I didn't understand the first time...now that's just annoying.
I try to be meaningful with my comments but it is hard sometimes. Sometimes I just want to make sure the author knew I read their post and that I liked it. I am a new blogger without many followers so I love any comments just because it lets me know that people are finding my blog and hopefully reading what I have to say. I always try to comment back too. Thats just good karma.
http://deadtreesandsilverscreens.blogspot.com
I try to leave comments that are more than just great review or great post. But sometimes I can't articulate what I want to say and it ends up being kind of generic. I am trying to work on it but when I can't think of anything I end up sitting there far longer than I should typing and erasing and typing again.
I'm starting to have a hard time with the hops because of the whole issue with "generic" comments. I always trying to leave meaningful comments, because I know I prefer them. But, on the hops, sometimes I don't have anything to say because I haven't read the book. At that point, I'm wondering, do I leave a spamish comment of "I haven't read this yet" just to participate in the hop? Or, do I not comment at all? I really got discouraged with this last week.
As far as posts unrelated to hops, I try to post something meaningful whether I'm drawing on my own experience relating to the post or saying something directly about the post. But, it's hard to comment like that on every blog I follow. I'd be commenting for 10 hours a day and I simply don't have that time. It's a conundrum.
I understand about wanting any type of comment. I felt that way when I was brand spanking new. Now, I'd rather have meaningful comments. But, I'd also like to just have comments, lol. I'm an in between blog, so I guess I'm in between with comments too.
I think, like with all things, balance is the key. There are specific blogs I don't comment on or follow because I feel like all they ever do is spam my blog. But, there are others that have a mixture of both types of comments and that's fine with me.
"Great post!"
No, I'm totally kidding. Well, not about the great post, but about the generic comment. I really try to leave meaningful comments, but sometimes I worry they come across as generic. I really do read every post that I comment on, but sometimes I only have one thing to comment on in my actual comment so I'm worried the one or two sentences seem generic. But I want the person who is blogging to know that I am reading and appreciating their reviews, because as a blogger its hard when you work hard on something and only get one or two people really interacting.
-Jessica
Great post! (Sorry, I had to get that out of my system.)(And then notice that the comment immediately above mine starts out the same way)
Thanks for answering another one of my questions!
On the commenting...
I'm a smaller blogger, with few followers. The fact that a reader took fifteen seconds to send me an email saying "Nice review" means a lot to me. Even if they didn't read the whole post, they care that I don't have so many comments.
I follow a bunch of smaller blogs. When I comment on them, I make a point to be meaningful, because I know that it'll make them happy to have someone who took a minute to leave a comment responding to what they wrote.
I don't often comment on larger blogs if all I have to say is "nice review". If I really enjoyed the review, I'll leave a "nice review" and point out something I liked that the reviewer mentioned. If I couldn't find something and just felt like leaving a comment, I have left comments along the lines of, "Nice review. (I read it, I'm just kind of out of it tonight, and can't anything specific.)"
And a rhetorical question:
If you have an "I absolutely LOVE comments" thing right above your comments box, doesn't that mean you absolutely LOVE "nice review" comments? We try not to comment-discriminate here. :P
I leave meaningful comments if the post lends itself to that. I appreciate all comments, but longer ones are always the coolest. I don't like when people only leave links, essentially. There's one blogger that was infamous for this. She just told people to come to her blog! I finally got feed up, went to her blog and commented that she didn't tell me anything about her thoughts about my post when she visited my site. Since then, I notice she does leave a comment pertinent to the post, though it may be rather generic. That's a start for her and I'm proud to say I had a part in her awakening...ha ha ha :-)
I'm not a blogger, just a blog stalker. I like to leave comments and usually write more than "Good review". But sometimes I will write a quick sentence, enough to say I liked it and something else about the post. Cuz somedays I am just too tired to think of more than that, sorry to anyone out there who was hassled by a short comment!
Just because someone leaves a generic comment doesn't mean they didn't take the time to read the post. Perhaps whatever they were going to say was already said OR maybe they're at work and can't use up anymore down time (aside from the time used to read the post) to hash out a meaningful comment. I use these particular scenarios because they've both happened to me. I think most people can tell the difference between a 'hey go check out MY post' comment and a 'generic' comment. I try to leave stuff that's heartfelt but, sometimes time doesn't allow it. I run a smaller scale blog so all comments are appreciated unless it's an obvious 'oh hey look at me' type thing. It makes me a little sad when people say they'd rather no comment than a more generic one. =/
I'm guilty of being one who tends to leave generic comments. *hangs head in shame* All I can say in my defense is that I'm a full-time college student. By the time I'm finished doing what I need to, I barely have enough energy to tend to my own blog & my creative juices are diminished when it comes to commenting on others. When it comes to posts/reviews I'm very interested in, I do make notes of them so I can give them my undivided attention & post more in-depth comments at a later date.
I love that you have this BB101 feature! I only started my blog fairly recently, and I really appreciate coming across tips and things to think about.
I know I'm guilty of leaving a sort of generic comment on posts, but it's not because I didn't read - I agree with what Jen D said above, that sometimes what you wanted to say has already been said and you have nothing to add, or you just don't have time to write something more meaningful out but still want to leave a little something.
I know that I was giddy when I saw the few comments I've recieved, haha, and while I would love to keep getting more thoughtful comments that include the reader's thoughts about the book I reviewed/recommendations based on the review/etc., I don't see myself not wanting the generic ones, too.
I wish I hadn't missed that BB101 chat. Silly job!
I love meaningful comments, but I also don't mind quick comments from my regular site visitors or even new visitors when I know they've read the post.
It's tough coming up with something intelligent to say when you're stalking the blogs in the early hours of the morning. Especially on reviews!
I try not to leave generic comments, but then I tend not to comment at all if I don't have anything important to say. And sadly I tend to leave overly LONG comments like this one.
But I'm not thrilled with comments where someone says "great book you're reading" when it's not even a book in the post, or "great IMM here's mine" when I don't do IMM exactly and there's no actual reference to the post, so it looks like it's just a copy/paste.
And I have seen that (not on mine) but around the big blogs were someone's pasted in a message on a post with all sorts of details about their blog and clearly hasn't even read the post. It's great to market yourself, but at least spend some time reading those blogs you're using as a marketing tool.
Anyway, my 2 cents.
Oh, one more thing. I love generic comments on my giveaways. I don't ask for comments, but it's super nice that someone takes the extra time to say "Thanks" or "Great giveaway!" when they don't have to.
Great post! I voted that I left meaningful comments, which I do aim for 90% of the time, but sometimes I do leave a generic one. My reasoning is not so much that I didn't have time to brainstorm a fancier comment, it's just that some reviews are equally generic and I honestly have nothing much to add BUT I did want the blogger to know *someone* read their post.
On a similar note, I kind of laughed a bit after voting to see an overwhelming majority say they leave meaningful comments. While I don't doubt many do, a part of me wonders if everyone has a different meaning of "meaningful", because the poll seems almost ridiculously lopsided. But hey, I could be totally wrong too =P
I'm sort of disappointed you didn't have the option to choose "both" for comments. I appreciate both meaningful (of course) and generic comments. I'm still in the phase where any comment is appreciated. :-)
So much to say, so little time. I'll start with this: "This is a great topic that is worth discussing."
And therein lies the key. This topic has gotten people to actually talk. But that is also the kicker. This blog has some longevity behind it, a lot of followers, and the discussion is taking place within an established "program" / "column" / "event" (take your pick) that people look forward to each week.
If you are a smaller blog and write something like this it gets sucked into the black hole of the internet, never to be seen again.
What I have learned as I have worked to build my following is that I need to cram good stuff inside of established content, such as memes, so that people will actually find me. (I'm particularly proud of my "Top 10 Tuesday" posts.) I'm getting to a point where I *might* be able to try something more, but it's a gamble.
In short: You need to have good quality content if you want good quality comments. And it's a gamble: My TTT paid off this week -- I got 21 comments and some were great, but I spent 3 and 1/2 hours choosing books, organizing them, getting covers and making sure I recalled what I thought about them and wasn't mixing them up with another title. You can write something fabulous and have it black hole. Oh, and some of that time (probably two hours) was spent clicking on every new person who joined the linky and responding with something that at least had some value.
I've noticed people saying a lot about IMM, Waiting on Wednesday and reviews. Reviews, while I do my best to make sure they are a staple of my blog (Hello? I'm a book blogger and they should be. :p) are actually one of the lowest generators of comments among the things that I post.
There are two reasons for this: (1) People may not have read the book and / or they may not have anything to say about it. (2) I have not found any way to get bloggers to connect about reviews the way that we do about what we want to read, what we are reading, what's in our mailboxes, what we want to share a teaser for, etc. We need a new Meme, maybe something called "Read All About It!" where we can connect to each other's reviews. I am sure I'm not following every YA book blog on the net worth following, and I *hope* there are more people who might benefit from following my blog. :) I use the Blogger Reading List, but that just tells me what people I'm following are posting. I have to *find* and *follow* those fabulous blogs before I get updates.
As for Waiting on Wednesday and IMM... Yet again, you need to post quality content if you want quality comments. *Why* are those books in your mailbox? Anything happen when getting them (I count books I bought locally. A clerk looked four times to get me a copy of Firelight, for instance). How did you find that fabulous WoW book you've chosen? Is it a unique choice or a book I've seen six other blogs post this week alone? Why do you want it? Am I interested in it? There are many things that can alter how I'll respond.
I will not deny that I *prefer* a quality comment over a generic one. But I read *all* comments and I appreciate *all* comments, because as a blogger it answers the essential question: "Is anybody out there listening / reading this?"
And with that I'm going to end this, the grand-daddy of all my blog comments, and get to work on my post for Follow My Book Blog Friday. :D Once again, great topic and one very worth considering.
I'm guilty of generic comments from time to time. But in my defense, if I say I want to add a book to my TBR pile, I'm being honest! =) I never thought about it coming across as sounding generic, but I see how it does. My "real life" friends would understand my sincerity, but it's hard to share that via the internet.
I have left both kinds. I read the post and try to make the generic comment indicate that. I prefer to make a meaningful one though. However I have an autistic child and a lot of time I can't leave a big post - I leave a more generic type then just so the person does know I read it and did have thoughts about it even if unable to comment the way I wish to. As far as comments on my blog - I appreciate the fact that you said something. I usually stop back to your blog. If the comment asked me something or you made a comment that spoke on the post I will either comment back on my blog or go to your blog and follow up. I must say I have made meaningful comments and tried to have a dialogue about a book on some blogs only to receive no response back. When that happens on a blog consistently I usually then revert to generic comments because I am not certain the blog writer reads the comments.
I've been known to leave generic, but meaningful comments. Like flashlight_reader - if I say it's going in my TBR pile, I mean it. If I have nothing of value to say at all, I usually won't leave a comment... Sometimes my comments are long, sometimes short, but I'm always sincere. But it does make me think about what others might think of my comments! Intention and how you're perceived are two different things sometimes!
Great post! :)
Ooo the comment question is a good one! I'm so mixed on it. I don't have time to comment on every blog I visit or I would never get anything else done. At the same time I know that getting any type of comment is a *yippee* moment.. and at least for me, I love the validation that someone is actually reading what I type out. I do think, in an odd way, that my 'stats' give me enough validation to know that people at least enjoy coming around.. even if we aren't discussing the book in the comments.
I also think that the FB and Twitter makes it much easier to be social with the followers and blogger so that's mainly where I do my commenting.
I do know that I am looking to talk about books I've read so I think I'm going to start looking for reviews done by other bloggers for books I've recently reviewed and start interacting with bloggers that way. Hopefully some may 'pay it forward' and do the same with me.
I'm typing this all from my phone, lol, so excuse any mispelling or errors. :o)
Melissa
Reviewer at 1000 + Books to Read
Both... and neither...
I don't mind generic comments if I get the feel from the author that a. they really thought it was a great review and that b. well they actually read the review.
I also don't mind "great review... check out my post on..." if that post relates directly to something in the review. It's all in the intent. If I feel like it's genuine and that it's a form of communication then I don't care what you write.
What I don't like is the generic comment with a "you should check out my blog..." if that blog is not related in anyway to my blog or my reading habits. Particularly when you see exactly the same comment left on other blogs.
And, yes, whilst I try not to leave generic comments I have occasionally done so. Particularly when I read a review or post where I can see the amount of effort or thought that has gone in. But these are normally on blogs where I've already had "conversations" on other posts.
Very interesting topic! With wordpress and maybe with blogger too? you can click on a Like button to say you like a post and that's sometimes a nice idea. You show that you've been but didn't have anything particular to say. Not many people use it, though.
I guess I didn't think too much about whether the comments I left were generic or not up until I hosted a giveaway for my sister Rinni.
I think if If something specific in the post stands out to me I try to reflect that in my comment. I think this topic might be something bloggers themselves think more about rather than the people that are readers and not bloggers. I'd be appreciative of any comments I think - because it is showing they did take a few moments of their time to type and click the post comment button. Who knows I might not always feel that way. I'm feeling fluid right now. I can understand both sides of it so perhaps I'm a fence sitter. *tee hee hee - hops back off to the rabbit hole*
It's not an either or for me wither - I prefer to receive a meaningful comment and I make every effort to leave them but I also appreciate more generic comments that are an acknowledgement and I have left some of them as well.
Shelleyrae @ Book'd Out
I definitely prefer meaningful comments. When someone leaves a comment of less than 5 words, my first reaction is that they just want me to "comment back." I usually try to leave thoughtful comments. I know I need to comment more, and I won't say I've never left a "great review" comment because I don't remember every comment I make, but I try really hard to make my comment relevant, especially if it's a review or interview or some post that obviously took time and thought (I'm more likely to leave a short comment on memes like IMM that aren't that time-consuming). I also really need to work on responding to comments. There just aren't enough hours in the day!
I always try to leave as thoughtful a comment as possible, even on memes - though sometimes on memes it's hard to do. I don't mind generic comments, but I prefer them in the form of "Hey I've been browsing multiple posts on your blog and wanted to say 'hi"" instead of things like "nice review". I'm always torn on leaving links. I like it when people leave links because I read my comments in my email and with links I can easily go to their site and look around, but I kind of feel like a jerk leaving my link because I don't want people to think that I do it just because I want to add my link to something.
Megan @ Read It, See It
Barring the last month where I was taking a bit of a blogging break, I try my best to leave meaningful comments. If I don't have time (I often read blogs at lunch break at work) I try to have a balanced comment - not too much, but not too little. It truly depends on the post and how much time I can commit to it!
Comments are important for a blogger, so I do my best to comment on all of my blogroll. That's a lot though. I do remember those who took the time to comment on mine and add extra effort to reciprocate!
This was a really thought-provoking post though. I need to get on your #BB101 chats!
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