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Question #1

How often do you comment on other blogs during a typical week?

Do you track your blog comments? How? What do you do with your tracking?

Do you tend to comment at the same blogs or do you try to comment on at least one new blog per week?

This is the first post for the 31-day Comment Challenge 08 and the third challenge I’ve taken up since March 1 and I am sure that this one will also bring me to new places in the blogosphere.

Like many others, I began in this world taking baby steps. I had blogs before the NWP’s Tech Matters Institute 2006 in Chico, CA. but here for an intensive week of workshops and community, I began this blog and started collecting lots of online tools for the future. In 3 months I was beginning to create a set of blogs on bloglines and I started opening and closing the blogs I was collecting.

One day Kevin Hodgson found one of my posts about digital storytelling and left and comment. My commenting life began. I was slow to move too far from that new comfort zone, but the Slice Challenge and Twitter brought me to other blogs and bloggers and my commenting grew on a daily basis.

So far I haven’t kept track of my commenting and I don’t venture onto new blogs on a regular basis but I’m ready to do that. I see that on day 3 we will deal with this issue. Nice.

#2 . Now review Gina Trapani’s Guide to Blog Comments and ask yourself how well you’re doing in each of the different areas. Are there any specific areas where you think you need to do some work? What do you want to do to address these issues?

My life as a blog commenter,

I love this analogy:

Leaving a comment on someone’s weblog is like walking into their living room and joining in on a conversation. As in real life, online there are some people who are a pleasure to converse with, and some who are not. Good blog commenters add to the discussion and are known as knowledgeable, informative, friendly and engaged. B

So let’s see how I do here:

Stay on topic.

Yes, I think my favorite blog comments left on my blog and I want to offer the same. I remember getting amazing comments when I was sharing my weekly moments at first with the Reflective Teacher. He really read my blog! That was exciting to hear his enthusiasm. My model.

Contribute new information to the discussion.

It’s good to read the other comments. I didn’t always do that. And here is where you need time to think before you write.

Don’t comment for the sake of commenting.

Not sure here. Yes, I do feel like I should comment but I don’t want my comment to seem it’s a formality. You can see through that.

Know when to comment and when to e-mail.

I’m good to go here. I am very clear about what I want to share with the world.

Remember that nobody likes a know-it-all.

This is one I am concerned about and I work at it, to keep my comments both connected and open to the writer.

Make the tone of your message clear.

Good one.

Own your comment.

Yes, I’m all over the web and I want the real connection out there.

Be succinct.

My comments are getting longer. I hope they aren’t too long-winded.

Cite your sources with links or inline quoting.

I’m trying to remember to use linking more.

Be courteous.

Yes, I hope I am always!

Don’t post when you’re angry, upset, drunk or emotional.

I have gotten into trouble sending emails when I’m upset. I won’t do that in a blog comment. Too permanent.

Do not feed or tease the trolls.

NEVER!

Good things to think about. Thanks.