OK. I think I probably sound like a ‘know it all.’ And I’m going to blame this on my day-job! I know I try not to sound this way … and I also try to avoid the sweeping statement that sets you up for a fall. I guess it’s a balancing act between sounding as though you’ve made the final pronouncement about something … and leaving room for other opinion.
So perhaps I need to ask more questions … though I have to say that whenever I have, I’ve not got many responses.
The most comments I’ve had in the past year have come in response to video posts I’ve made. I think this is where the ‘passion’ and the personal touch kick in; when it’s you and the camera (and if you’re able to ‘connect’ to what you’re talking about), then maybe people feel that you’re more approachable and are more inclined to comment.
I know that my other blog is very ‘niche’ but this one does chug along in a fairly crowded market. For me 10+ comments on a post is rare. Mostly it’s 1-2 or none.
I’m happy to hear from you dear reader. What could I do to improve the comment factor on my blog?
I’ve been working with a team of students for the past 10 weeks on what we call a production project. It’s a period of engagement with a particular play with all of their classes, training, workshops, rehearsals etc., being focussed on the final outcome … a public production. The students are in their second year of an intensive professional training program designed to prepare them for careers as actors or technical production folk.
Came opening night last week and I pondered on what to give them as a thank you and a keepsake. Usually it’s a card or small gift. Instead I gathered together the images we had shot collectively during the period and processed them through Animoto. You can watch it on my Vodpod collection in the left sidebar, or right here.
I’m also pondering the same question: whether or not ’tis better to respond via a blog post, acknowledge the stimulus, and create pingbacks, or to converse via comments. For me it depends on the nature of the post … its content and tone.
Whilst I’m doing my best to rise to the comment challenge, I have to admit that firstly I don’t do it much outside my niche areas … in fact I have to make an effort to do so. Secondly I prefer to respond via a blog post of my own to expand the conversation. I tend to operate this way with a few bloggers in my inner circle (hmm … echoes of homophily here I know). I would pretty much always drop by someone else’s blog on their recommendation. If I’m sufficiently engaged I’ll leave opinion or just a congratulations … I rather like the quick comment routine even if I haven’t got much to say. Yet an email fired off with a quick personal comment works just as well. As we all know, it’s nice to know someone is reading especially if you’re not swamped by comments on your blog.
This week I’ve surfed by a couple of blogs I would normally not visit; they were linked via the 31 Day Comment Challenge feed. I’d pick up an interesting-sounding blog name, or a random provocative phrase and snoop on by to catch the debate. Some of the comment threads were inordinately long, and resulted in what I’d call the ‘Chinese Whispers Syndrome’ … the final comment bears little if any relation to the original topic. I know this is how conversations go, but the derailing and misunderstanding that can result kind of disprove the inherent value of this kind of comment discourse. In a live conversation with a large group of people we do at least get to see expression, hear intonation, and ‘read’ body language. There’s no such thing on verbal blog posts, where subtle nuances can be lost on a reader. I guess that’s why emoticons were born.
And on my other sites … yes I comment on Flickr photos in 366photos a group I’m currently contributing to; on Facebook … hey that’s what the Wall’s all about … and of course, the ultimate comment-beast Twitter.
Would I turn off comments? I doubt it. I’m not swamped, and I like the social aspect of blogging. Like most WordPressers, I also have the trusty Akismet to catch spam.
