I thought I’d take a short break from food and wellness and gather your views as a blog reader. Not necessarily as a reader of this blog, but just food and health blogs in general.
I’ve been reading (and writing) blogs for about 18 months now and I think I’ve developed a bit of a blog-reader personality. Things I like and dislike about blogs and communities, and qualities that make me want to come back. Everyone is a little different so I really want to find out about your blog-reader personality as well.
As one continues to explore, and more and more food and health blogs are being created, it is easy to wish there were extra hours in the day for reading. I read a lot more blogs than those that reside on my blogroll and there are so many additional blogs I would like to add to my daily reading list, but I often don’t have the time to get to them all.
It seems I’ve created categories of sorts. There are those I visit every day, unless I’m away from the computer for some reason. These are blogs I really enjoy and are the ones I’ve been reading the longest. Then there are those that I catch up on once or twice a week. It really isn’t that I like these blogs any less; it could simply be the fact that they came into my radar at a later time.
My visits also vary depending on the frequency of posts of the author. I may visit one every day and learn the writer only posts a few times a week at which point I’ll start checking in only once or twice a week to catch up. I do have to admit that when I read a blog where the author posts multiple times a day I end up missing a lot of content because I only have so much time to catch up.
So tell me, how do you balance your blog reading? Do you wish you had more reading hours in the day to stay caught up and explore new blogs?
That brings me to comments. I am a big believer that bloggers need to be involved in their comments. You don’t have to respond to each person, but getting in there and facilitating discussion is an important part of blogging for me.
If I find a new blog to read there are two ways a blogger can keep me coming back. First, there is the content, of course. Second, is acknowledging my comments either by responding on their own post or responding to one of mine. I don’t comment on every blog I read, but if a thought is sparked I make a point to say something to let the author know I did enjoy/agree/disagree with their post. That is what blogging is all about, in my opinion.
Now, someone doesn’t have to read my blog for me to like theirs, but if I find an author never responds to those who comment I do lose interest. I guess I just feel like blogging is a two-way street. Responding to comments is a way of showing respect and acknowledging that you have real people out there who took their time to offer their thoughts. It is something I really appreciate and my responses, no matter how short, are my way of showing this.
Plus, I simply want to foster conversation. I learn so much from my readers and I really want you to keep talking (typing) so I can learn more.
I understand the issue if you have a huge number of comments. You can’t respond to everyone, but I think a simple acknowledgement to your community in general or welcoming those you recognize as new readers is important.
I guess a big reason why comments are so important to me is that, especially in food and health, blogging creates community. As I continue my journey working from home as opposed to the office it is necessary to find human replacement for office mates even if it is screen-based. While I certainly don’t look to the web-world as a main source for relationships you all do my make work day a lot more fun and interesting. I think there is a common interest that links us in many ways.
How do you feel about commenting? Will you continue to return to a blog if the author never acknowledges your input?
Great topic. I often think about this type of thing myself, and I pretty much agree with everything you said about it.
I think it definitely is about a community, and learning from each other, responding, interacting. At least that is definitely what I’d like to contribute to the blog world, and also get out of it. At the same time, it is very hard to keep up with everyone I’d like to keep up with, and even harder sometimes to comment as much as I’d like to.
All that being said, yes, it definitely makes me want to respond to someone more if they acknowledge my input. Unless I just really love what they have to say, if I don’t hear anything back from someone after many attempts are responding to their content, there is a great chance I will completely forget about their blog and thus never return to it. But at the same time I do understand that we are all very busy and can only do so much. : )
Great post! I know that I love getting comments and I try to comment on posts, even if it is just out of acknowledgment and appreciation for the time the blogger put into their post and it’s content. I try to respond to comments in the comments section or by e-mail, but sometimes I don’t have enough time. I also find that there are so many great blogs out there, that I don’t have time to read them all daily! I sure do love this community and hope nobody ever feels hurt if I don’t get a chance to respond to their comments.
It was hard for me to keep up with what I’ve read/not read blogger-wise until I started using Google Reader. Now, I can read what I can when I have time and not worry that I’ll fall behind or miss a post. I do find it hard to follow a blog that posts more than one post a day or less than once a week, though. Luckily, I have plenty of time at work to stay caught up on my reading. 😉
As for commenting, I love getting comments on my blog. It just makes me feel better about putting things out in the public sphere to know that people are reading it. I try to respond to comments as much as I can, but sometimes I just plain forget! I think, though, that it’s important to respond to comments or why even put it out there to begin with? If you don’t care enough to interact with your readers, even if it is just a “Thanks for all of the comments,” then why not just keep a journal? I don’t really return to those blogs where the author doesn’t make some attempt to reach out to their audience (either in their own blog or on their readers’ blogs).
Hi! Well, I always go back to the same blog if there’s something in “common” with me. For example your blog, you’re living in my country and I wonder what you think about it. I’m curious about your views towards Brazil. I don’t really think we should get back to the author of every single comment entry but if we do, that’s very nice. I hope you’re enjoying the summer time! Blessings, Vanessa
I can identify with pretty much all of what you’ve said there. For me a very important part of blogging is about the engagement with commenters and other bloggers.
While content is ultimately king, if I find that I’ve commented multiple times on a blog and there has been no reciprocal engagement, I can find myself losing interest somewhat. I do appreciate that it is hard to keep up and there most certainly are not enough hours in my day for all of the reading that I’d like to do – so I do try to be understanding on that front too. At the end of the day, though, I just naturally end up prioritising in favour of the blogs that engage me both in terms of content and comments.
I LOVE the blogging community – I wish I had more time to read through each post though.
Such great comments so far!
lesley – I guess why I am really so fond of commenting is because blogging is really about interacting to me.
Meg – I know what you mean. I think as bloggers we can get worried that we mind offend someone or make them feel unappreciated. I know this is a concern for me. I think when I see someone out and about among food blogs commenting that at least lets me know that they are part of the community. They don’t necessarily need to respond specifically to me. It just shows they are in a give/take blogging relationship and not a take/take. 🙂
Mindy – Keeping up with reading can really get overwhelming as well as commenting. I am glad I wasn’t into the blog world when I had my office job. Ha, ha! I never would have gotten anything done. Now as a freelancer I can at least look at it like professional networking even if I am having a ton of fun. Ha, ha!
Vanilla Lavender – Having something in common is key for me too. I love food blogs that focus on some aspect of health, people who blog about wellness and I’m attracted to ex-pat blogs as well. If they combine all three of these things it is even better! 🙂
Daily Spud – Definitley with you on the understanding of busy lifestyles. It takes a while before I give up on a blog, so to speak. I probably visit for a month or so before I make the decision as to whether it is one I want to follow regularly.
VeggieGirl – I do too! You amaze me at how well you keep up with blog reading. You pop up in the comments of almost everyone I read. 🙂
It has been an interesting and extremely rewarding experience to be part of the blogging community. I love to hear what people think of my posts and I love to read their blogs and I have made tons of friends through this experience. It is getting a little hard to keep up with all the reading, but I certainly do try. There are one or two blogs that I commented on and they never respond; I still read them but don’t comment anymore.
These are thoughtful and thought-provoking questions about why we write and read blogs. I started my blog because I wanted to spill all the thoughts that have been piling up in my head about food and our relationships to it – nutritionally and culturally. Receiving comments has been a tremendous confidence builder and they let me know that share these issues, too! I make it a point to answer each message as well as to visit the sites of those leaving them.
I feel badly, though, that I’m falling behind on my reading and commenting; I’ve also found myself posting only once a week. But more than anything, I want my comments and my blog entries to be meaningful, to let a fellow blogger know that I read his or her content and to let readers know that I really care about giving them original, fresh information.
There are so many fantastic blogs out there and even more starting up every day. There will be a point when I will have to do some serious parsing of my reading; there simply isn’t enough time in the day but until then, I will continue to post, read and comment as best as I can and contribute to a wonderful community of fellow bloggers who share their interests and a little bit of themselves with me!
I love blogging and I love reading blogs. I wish I had more time to do both! I agree that blogging is a two-way street and I always read the blogs of people who comment on mine, and I try to comment as much as possible. Comments make me feel like someone is actually reading what I have to say!
I’ve been reading blogs for several years and I find the list changes a little as my interests change. I read some blogs because I have come to know the people who write them, and I read others just because the info is interesting to me (those two categories definitely overlap).
I kind of see comments that way, too. On some blogs I might comment if a recipe worked out; I see that as sort of a reciprocation for that person having taken the time to write up good content–the equivalent of a “thumbs up” or unsolicited review, if you will–and I don’t expect them to respond. I do think there is room in the blogosphere for people who just want to put content out there–I read a couple blogs that do not have comments and I still love them every bit as much, but you’re right, they definitely don’t have that same community around them.
Just my two cents 🙂
I agree with everything you say. I wish I had more time to read all the wonderful blogs out there. Comments are so important and I like to create a dialogue with bloggers. If I am not acknowledged it is discouraging but I understand how hoard it would be to respond to everyone. To be a community, we have to provide feedback and engage in conversation.
5 Star Foodie – I am like that too. I’ve read some that have such great content that I keep going back despite the fact that the writer doesn’t interact much. Like you, though, I just choose not to comment anymore.
Tangled Noodle – I fear I’m reaching that point too. I have so many to read and I still want to discover more. I feel the need to become a little more organized in my reading. I do that now with food vs. ex-pat blogs. One day I catch up on food, the other, travel.
Happy Runner – I know what you mean. It is nice to have validation that you aren’t just writing to write, but positively affecting others or stimulating thought.
laura – You bring up a good point. Now that I think about it, I wouldn’t really expect anyone to respond if I am just telling them their recipe is great. I think I just look for them to show up on their own blog or on other blogs engaging in conversation with at least someone in the community.
Yasmin – I agree it is discouraging. I guess it is just like anything else, a level of understanding is needed. I typically don’t nix a blog if they simply don’t respond to me. I just like to see them respond to anyone. The computer sets up such a front for people to hide behind. For me, acknowledging comments shows an author realizes they are dealing with real people that they appreciate.
I definitely wish I had more time to read through posts and comment, but since I read so many, I try to leave to a comment when I trully have something to say and not just for the sake of leaving a comment.
And I agree that responding to commenters on your own blog is a great thing to do. It keeps people coming back.
good topic!
I agree with you Lori. It’s a lot of fun to be a part of a blogging community, but even with Google Reader it’s a big time commitment!
I tend to respond eagerly to those who comment on my blog, and visit/comment on others as second priority.
I have NO idea how VeggieGirl keeps up, she’ll respond within a millisecond of my comment sometimes. But, her popularity shows how that pays off. It’s so interesting!
I often leave comments on blogs, and even ask questions, and then forget that I’ve asked them, so I don’t even get back to see what the response is, or if there is a response. But I do appreciate it when I do remember to go back, that what I’ve asked has been acknowledged.
And as a blogger, I do try and respond to comments/questions on my own blog as much as possible, but I’m also forgetful in that respect. It’s really something I’m trying to work on, as I would like to foster more discussion/interaction on my own site.
And I know what you mean about needing more hours in the day, not just to keep up on my reader, but to put time into my own blog to develop it into the vision I have in my head.
Wonderful post. I second all of it!
My favorite blogs are those where the writers are active in the blogging community and aren’t just talking about themselves on their own blog day in and day out. Big pet peeve when bloggers only look at their numbers and not readers. It goes against everything blogging stands for!
And of course I wish I had more time for reading and writing blogs!
Whoa! I’m going to have to get better about following up on my own blog. I guess I’ve been a bit overwhelmed trying to reciprocate to my commenters on their blog posts that I don’t add too much on my actual posts once I’ve posted them. Good points to think about though…
Sometimes I get in commenting ruts where I don’t comment for a long time but I’m always reading!
For me, as a blogger, it depends on the comment. Sometimes I’ll comment on the blog and other times I’ll email the person. And I assume that about other bloggers as well. If I don’t see them answering in the comments, they could have emailed the person instead. I’m trying harder to reply to comments more!
One thing that gets me is if the person doesn’t ever visit my site. They may not like my blog or want to read it and that’s okay. But if they never stop by (or only comment to promote something on their blog) that really gets my goat.
And I’m all about discussion! I love getting involved in blogs and do wish that more folks would respond if/when I toss a question out. 😀
Good topic Lori!
lauren – I know what you mean. Although, there are exceptions, I try to make sure I really have something to say before I comment.
Michelle – I know! We need to develop a commenter award for her or something. 🙂
frenchfries – I often forget when I ask questions too. I think it goes along with reading so many. 🙂
healthy ashley – I agree. I like the interaction and think that is really what this is about. I love sharing ideas, but I love getting them too.
Jolene – Glad this info was helpful. It has helped me a lot too. I feel like even if a person doesn’t respond to the comments on their own blogs, if they are out commenting on others this is a way that shows you got their comment.
Andrea – You bring up an excellent point. You know, I didn’t even think of that. Maybe some are emailing instead.
I feel the same about the other issues. It is fine if someone simply doesn’t like my blog, I might still love theirs. No big deal. However the self promotion soley for the sake of self promotion bothers me a lot. I consider those drive-by comments and while I often leave them up for the sake of free speech I make a point not to visit their site if it is obviously a self centered attempt at traffic.
I think about this a lot. Since none of us have all the time in the day, it’s always hard to manage the online relationships that come with blogging. I tend to limit myself timewise for blogs each day. Say, I’ll give myself 30 minutes to read however many I can get through in Blogger. Sometimes, that’s all the new ones, sometimes it’s only a few. I try to be equal opportunity on blogs. I’ve definitely got some favorites – for different reasons – recipes, creativity, food, written content. But I’ve also got incredibly loyal readers who have encouraged my blogging and kept me going. So, I value their blogs, too. It’s tough to find a balance between all of these issues.
i will say, for me, a huge turn off for other blogs is if i am always nice enough to leave a meaningful comment, and the other person doesn’t respond, or leaves a one line comment like “yum!” or something. of course we all do that sometimes, but then you wonder – did they even read my blog post?
i try really, really hard to return comments, although i know i miss some of them. cause comments are fun, and i think it is true that blogging is a two way street. why else would we do it? (certainly not for the money!)
my personal pet peeve, btw, is when people just comment to say “hey, check out my site!”. So annoying! I even had one person saying they “invite me” to check out their site. semantics, sure – but seriously? is it like some honor, having them drop into my comment section just to grace me with the privilege of checking out their blog?
I agree. I actually prefer that someone comment back on my blog rather than in their comments – I certainly don’t have time to check back in their comments regularly and so I only respond to my comments if someone has asked a really specific question that I think my other readers will benefit from the answer to.
Very thought provoking and something I think about, as so many of us obviously do!! Great comments here. I do find it overwhelming sometime with all the reading. But the more I do it the more I develop a system, like you said. Like you, I have blogs I read all the time, and others I try to get to whenever I can. Then there are the minutes (hours? days?) that I just follow links to see where it takes me. I love reading other food blogs, to see what people are eating and sharing, but I also like other types of blogs, so I get a good mix. There are many times where I just get behind in my reading and I hope that people will forgive my tardiness, and I have learned to just not feel guilty about it. There is only so much we can do in a day. I know that I have regular “commenters”, and I miss them when they are not around, but I know everyone has lots going on so I tend to not let it worry me too much.
I try to respond to all the comments on my blog as well. I don’t always have time to go back and see peoples comments to my comments on their blogs. However, when I’m leaving a comment and I see that the blog owner re-comments I know they are interacting and that seems to make a difference.
Does this make sense?? 🙂 I also have an award for you — on todays post (3/3). thanks for a great post!
I started blogging when I moved away from home to a totally new country. Spending a bit more time on the internet I learned how huge blogging (especially about food and health) is. I was a little scared to go public at first, but now I really enjoy it. I would definitely consider many of my fellow bloggers friends. Its made the transition to another country easier for me.
I love the blogs where I learn new things (like this one!), rather than food blogs that just post recipes without any stories or knowledge. I think anecdotes and information fosters good comments.
I like leaving and getting comments. I always try to respond and of course visit bloggers who visit mine. If they visit me regularly chances are their content is something I’m interested in as well.
Blogging effectively though does take a lot of time, so I agree that we need more hours in the day to catch up on all the blogs. I would never be able to keep up without feeds and bookmarks!
I really appreciate all the thoughtful comments on this post. This is great!
Heather – Glad you’ve brought up the time limit thing. I do that often, especially on my really busy days. I’ll give myself 30-60 minutes and I read what I can. Otherwise, I can kill several hours reading great content which isn’t bad unless you have other deadlines.
Oh, I can’t stand the ‘visit my site’ or ‘invite’. I don’t mind if someone leaves me a link for more info after they have been visiting a while, but on the first visit is very bad taste, IMO.
Hi Amy – Thanks for stopping by. I do appreciate that method of communication as well. I’ve had people pop up on my site thanking me for visiting theres. That can be nice because you may not make it back to theirs for a while, especially if it is a brand new find.
ChefBliss – Makes sense for sure. 🙂 I know what you mean about the links. They can lead you to very interesting places and a lot of new blogs. It is fun to take time some days just to follow the links. I’m going to read your post now!
gastroanthro – That is really how blogging started for me. I stared my ex-pat blog first and it created a comforting environment for me and helped me find so many other ex-pats. It was something I really needed at the time and still do. The food blog was more of a leap of faith. I’m certainly glad I did it, but it took me a while to decide if I wanted two blogs and some courage as to whether I could develop interesting posts with the knowledge I had. Now, I find I’m even more knowledgeable and have met great people because of it.
I love a good mix of blogs. I’m drawn to those that mingle culture and food, and those that become more personal asking questions and talking about their own experiences.
I’m late coming to this discussion–because I didn’t have enough time to read all the blogs in my Google Reader! As time goes on and I get more involved in blogging, I realize I have to put a time limit on it. I simply don’t have enough hours in the day to read all the blogs I follow every day. But if I limit myself to, say, 30 minutes, I might miss a favorite!
Re: comments, once the comments on my blog began to grow, I realized I just couldn’t answer everyone, and it really pains me not to. I agree that it should be a two-way street. Mostly, I try to leave meaningful comments. I agree with Heather that if someone only leaves a couple of generic words like “Looks great!” every time they comment, you do wonder whether they’re even reading (even though we all do that–sometimes). I’d prefer fewer comments, but those that actually refer to the content of the post.
Great topic!
This is such a great post because I think we all think about this a lot. My reader has become so full with blogs that I really have to micromanage it otherwise I spend way too much time on the computer. I also found that recently I’ve been reading more and writing less which I think I need to change up a bit.
Again, like many other people, I really try to leave meaningful comments though sometimes I do want the person to know that I liked their recipe and all I have to say is “This looks great”:) I also try to comment back on their own blog (if they have one) just because I know that I seldom go back to the original post that I commented on to see if the author responded. As you said there are definitely categories of blogs that I read, some that I check daily, others weekly etc. And of course I love it when people comment on something I wrote. It is a positive affirmation that you are writing something thought provoking.
Girl! You need to check out Google Reader or some type of RSS. That way you subscribe and it “stores” new posts.
I try to keep up with all my blogging buddies but sometimes it’s tough. I wish I spent more time commenting but there are so many hours in a day
dietdessertndogs – Once the comments grow I know it has to be difficult to keep up. I watch people with 50 to 100 comments and there really is no way you could respond to everyone. Even keeping up with the detailed (and wonderful) comments on this post took a lot of time.
I know what you mean about the time limit. I set it, but usually go over. I’m always thinking just one more! I might miss something great! 🙂
Caitlin – I have fallen into that rut before too. I’m gathering so much information reading from others and I stop putting so much time into researching my own posts. Not a good thing for me. I have to find a balance which can be hard.
choosinglosing – Thanks for the comment. Even a reader gets totally out of control for me. 🙂 I guess we should view it as a good thing that we have so much great info to read from people in the blogging world we’ve come to consider friends. 🙂
Very interesting! I appreciate a response to feedback as well. I think communication is very important and it is only respectful for one to acknowledge a comment. On the other hand I am so amazed at each individuals unique journey that I find my way back even if I am being ignored! 🙂 Fantastic post!
Thanks, Mark. I’ve found a few which I feel that way about as well. I like it when blogs become people with common struggles and successes.
I wish I had more time for blog reading. I have a ton of various blogs in my reader and can’t get to them all every day. I do wish I had more hours to pursue more blogs.
As for commenting, I definitely feel you need to interact with your readers that comment. Right now I’m able to pretty much respond to each person but I know as my blog grows that I won’t be able to do so however will still be sure to acknowledge those who do comment.
I did comment on one a few weeks ago and this person asked for feedback and comments but never responded back to those of us who tried to help. I didn’t really like that this person didn’t acknowledge us. I’m not sure I would return to those blogs because I don’t feel we were appreciated.
Anyway, great topic. I also would like to make a suggestion. Those of us who don’t use blogger blogs can’t easily comment on your blog so it might be best in your settings to change it so all readers can comment. I would like to be able to put my weight loss/fitness blog in the identity section instead of my rarely used blogger blog LOL
If you need help fixing that, let me know.
Angie
http://www.losingitandlovingit.com/blog
Hi Angie – Thanks for stopping by with your comment. I do think I’m especially turned off if someone asks for help and never responds. They could do this in a post, in the comments or email, but if you ask for help and get it I think you should definitely say thank you.
I did change my settings and hope this will help you. I didn’t realize there was a problem. I have several readers that use Open ID and it successfully links back to their wordpress blogs. Perhaps the change will make it easier though.
I may return to their blog if something interesting catches my eye but will probably not leave a comment, especially if I’ve done so frequently in the past and didn’t receive any kind of feedback or acknowledgment. I agree with everything you’ve said here. Some of my posts receive a lot of comments and I try to visit all of their blogs in return. Sometimes it takes me a few days or even a week or two, especially if their ‘new’ to my blog. Like you I have my favorite- most have become friends, and the list grows longer every day. I wonder how I will keep up when as list continues to expand!
One of the difficulties I’ve always had is managing my time effectively, and as I poke my head further into the food blogosphere I find there are more and more websites worth getting to know. All of this makes time management harder to accomplish, especially since I have creative outlets other than food blogging, and they require much more of my time and sustained concentration. Throw in emails and phone calls to friends and family, and what drops down on my priority list ends up being sleep – not good!
About comments: I always try to respond to any comment left on my website (not that I have very many yet); I treat them as part of a conversation, and when someone speaks to me I know that I have a responsibility to speak back. I try to do this on my blog, but also on theirs. I find the give-and-take rewarding, though I’m sure that many people, for whatever reasons, don’t. I also find it’s true, as you say, that if an author never responds to those who comment I return to their blog with less enthusiasm, and then less frequently. I may feel bad about not returning, but if the point is to foster community then I feel like I should engage elsewhere.
Btw: I like your idea of posting a simple acknowledgement to your community if you aren’t able to respond individually. That seems fair, at least occasionally, as we’re surely all pressed for time.
Thanks for the great post!
Lori,
Thank you so much for working with me on the comment thing. If this goes through it worked. Thanks!
Reeni – I worry about that too. Comments are a great thing, but I always want to be able to keep up. I typically stop commenting on a blog, but still may read it if it is really good as well.
Sapuche – Thanks for stopping by with your comment. I find the give-and-take rewarding as well. It feels more like a conversation. I struggle with balancing my reads. Between food, health, travel and writing the blog following is getting a little out of control. (in a good way) Ha, ha!
I feel the same way as you about comments. If they don’t respond, EVER, it makes me wonder why I waste my time 😉
I also create folder to categorize my reading. I have so many different blogs I read, I could just read them all day 😉
kilax – It does feel like a bit of a waste of time if there is no conversation involved. Categorizing my reads has really helped me as well.
i feel like having more time on hand too……….n feel disheartened when not acknowledged….
i think we are getting a lot of exposure to different cultures n learning a lot from each other so we should always try n comment on the blogs we like……..i try n keep up as much as i can…….have a special child to take care n can’t focus sometimes but i like doing it.