I haven't posted so far this evening because I've been visiting, as 25% of my blogroll now know and it's taken me two and a quarter hours. Why so?It seems to me that there are two approaches:
1] The Stats Mania approach. Visit as many sites as you can and leave a terse one line comment to show you've been there, expecting to be blogrolled and have massive traffic come to your site;
2] The Blogpower approach [at least my interpretation of it]. This involves visiting the interactive sites first and taking time to read, think out a response and reply in a paragraph or two [or not to comment at all if the post doesn't "grab"]. On my own site [and don't get any ideas now, regular commenters], one thoughtful comment every three days is better than three throwaway lines.
But if we go to extremes and have only maybe six people we regularly visit, this is cutting off our nose to spite our face. Saves us time but it's a little like someone in a profession who has no time to keep abreast of the literature.
James, I think both approaches are sound but there is no substitute for regular actvity.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that.
ReplyDeleteIt's a difficult one. I would like to be thoughtful and intelligent, but I'm not really that bright and so it would take days to post paragraphs of well thought out stuff on more than a couple of blogs a week. I would also like to leave wry and amusing one liners, but then you need a gsoh for that. I like the one liners on my own blog - as long as they're not terse - because they show people are reading and enjoying and that's what it's all about. Say hello, how are you and things, and maybe even stop for a cyber cup of tea, if that were possible.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the principle of trying to make a thoughtful comment- sometimes though personally I struggle so then leave a sort of cyber hello and I don't mind people who do the same to me because its just nice to see the old regulars pop through and sit down and have a cup of tea with an article even if its not something that stirs them to rage. So I can see what you are saying and blogpower I think demands a paragraph every time you can but I also think there is merit to the one line approach if you are stuck for thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to visit, but I'm frequently so overwhelmed by the quality of what I read -- there's so much I want to say, but it takes time to digest and formulate a worthwhile response. By which time I've read another article by someone else that's just as thought-provoking and complex. And the Gracchi's (Gracchorum?) range and erudition leave me speechless with awe. I'm still working my way through the fascinating links in the Asian History Carnival, a subject about which I know nothing and am greatly enjoying reading about. When I'm going to find the time to comment, I do not know. But it's not through lack of appreciation.
ReplyDeleteYes, quality aside, Gracchi's sheer range and volume are overwhelming. No sooner has he one up nd you've finally finished it and are ready to comment than another one's up. The other gentelemen above, I'll comment this evening - work is putting the squeeze on at this moment, sorry.
ReplyDeleteThis for me is the paradox of commenting, and to some extent of blogging, too. On the one hand, it represents (I stress again this is IMHO) an immediate response to what is read, and like other commenters here I simply haven't a great deal of time to devote to my comments. In my case, that stretches very often to my posts, as well. Such polished prose as I can claim to produce doesn't end up on my blog, and seldom in my comments.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I don't feel that simply posting to say "I (don't) concur" necessarily adds much to the debate, and I am reluctant to commit myself to a comment in writing without a certain amount of reflection. This is yet more relevant to my own blog, which is why my last post but one was six weeks ago...
I think I need to get away from the mindset that printed words have power, dammit, and move closer to the cup-of-tea-and-a-chat model proposed above.
And with me only coming in now late on Dec 20 it reinforces that it's so difficult to keep up with it all.
ReplyDelete