Are you a blogger? Then, you may have asked yourself this question a few times:

Which do you prefer?

A) Responses to your comments on another’s blog

B) Reciprocation from the blogger via a visit/ comments on your own posts

 

I asked this question on my Facebook page about a week ago and although only a few people answered it, what was interesting was the response that I received.

 

 

As a rule, I try and reply to comments left on my blog, but there are days when it just becomes too overwhelming and I satisfy myself with saying a general ‘Thank You’ in response.

If you notice, 75 % of respondents in the poll preferred it when the blogger returned the courtesy of their visit. That just makes sense, obviously.

What it essentially tells me is that many of us think alike. We are very happy to read another’s blog and leave meaningful comments on their posts. Trust me, this goes beyond the perfunctory comments that people generally leave on posts, such as ‘Nice post’, ‘Brilliant!’ or (my personal favourite) ‘Awesome!’ 😉

I must confess, though, that I have left similar comments myself, especially when I was rushed for time and blog hopping my way across a grid that contained over 40 entries! But, by and large, I try and leave a comment that says something which the writer will appreciate.

Then, I am faced with a bigger challenge. What if I do not understand what the writer has written?! Yes, that happens. A lot! Sometimes, I stare at a post, every which way and cannot for the life of me figure out what it means. It was either too abstract in expression or was on a subject that I could not relate to at all. So, I do the worst thing possible. I quietly slink away, without leaving a comment. I know that I should be punished severely for that, since it violates basic blogging etiquette. But, honestly, what do I say if I did not understand the post at all in the first place?

Here’s the thing about me: I am honest to a fault. In the past, as a teacher, I have been known to be brutally frank with my students when it came to critiquing their work. For the most part, it went down well, however, I am sure I’ve earned a few choice curses in my day. Most people cannot take criticism, if it was served to them on a silver platter with bells on, for good measure. It took me a long while to get used to it myself.

So, as a rule of thumb now, I do the following, if I find an error/ something wrong in a post:

I message the blogger privately, on Twitter or Facebook, and let them know of it, constructively. So far, it hasn’t backfired.

Oh, and I welcome you to do the same for my posts. Find something you don’t like, feel free to let me know. I just ask that you do it nicely 😉

For the posts I do not comprehend, the battle  rages on. Yes, I am still beating the retreat.

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What about you?

Do you prefer responses to your comments or visits from the bloggers in return?

{That poll is still open for votes, by the way, so hop over and tell me what you feel here.}

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Linking this to Day 2- Answer a Question over at Write Tribe

We are Rediscovering our Blogging Groove this week!

Head there to read more Questions and Answers 🙂