A question. If you comment on a post of mine, and your comment triggers a response from me, I usually email you back instead of responding in the comments (that is, assuming I can find your email address). Mostly it’s because of how I behave with regard to other people’s blogs – I nearly never go back and read comments that appear after I’ve commented – not because I’m not interested, but because there’s only so much I can keep up with.
- Do you like that?
- Do you hate that?
- Do you like to get a response via email?
- Or do you prefer to see responses in the comments?
- Do you know that Blogger now has an option whereby you can subscribe to comments via email? Have you tried that?
Despite this looking like a quiz, it isn't. I'd really like to know your habits and your preferences. Do tell!
I am not a person that goes back wither unless I know it is a writer that responds to comments and I am actually interested in the response.
ReplyDelete1. yes
2. no
3. I enjoy responses by email. It is nice to have a back and forth with a person about a topic we are mutually interested in. I wish that more people would enable their email addresses in comments. I am lazy and hate having to dig up an email if they ask me a specific question or I have something to say to them.
4. no
5. I saw that and I love it. That way if I have a special interest in a topic I can see what everyone thinks with out having to try and remember to come back periodically to check.
I like the e-mail response. Like you, I rarely return to a blog to read comments, unless I know there is a discussion going on in the comments about something triggered by the blog post.
ReplyDeletePlus, I just like to get personal e-mail. ;-)
p.s., I don't think I'd subscribe to Blogger comments by e-mail, because I have too much to read now as it is!
ReplyDeleteI always forget to go back to see if there are more comments, so I like the email. But now that I can subscribe, I try to remember to do so when I've left a more substantive comment or when I've been really intrigued by the topic. In those cases I do want to follow the whole conversation, not just have a private conversation with the blogger.
ReplyDeleteI like that you do that -- it's unique.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have too much to read to want to subscribe to a comments feed. I don't usually go back after I've commented.
I started out trying to respond to everyone in my comments but soon became incredibly frustrated, because of the number of commenters I have. And no, I'm not complaining -- but it's hard to respond individually when there are more than, say, 20 comments/post.
I do like the e-mail. For some reason, I rarely e-mail people my comments back and respond in comment section on my blog. But like most people, I don't go back and check the comments of other people's blogs, so I'm not sure why I respond there. Probably no one is reading my responses...
ReplyDeleteI like getting emails... but i've got a blogger blog and don't seem to be able to respond to my (few) commenters. How do you do it?
ReplyDeleteToo funny, someone else's blog I read was talking about the exact same thing.
ReplyDeleteI always email, because I very rarely go back to see if someone commented or replied to my comment.
I feel like the respnse in email is more personal and shows that I really do read people's comments and enjoy them. Plus it sparks up fun conversations outside the blog.
And makes me feel like I have more friends than I really do. :)
I tried subscribing to comments' feeds. It was too many emails.
I really like the email...I just need to get better about it on my own blog (when folks ask me questions in the comments). I also just switched my email and need to post the new one!
ReplyDeleteI usually respond by email if really compelled. But that's hard sometimes if they haven't attached an email to their identity.
ReplyDeleteI used to comment in the comments but you sort of have to reply to EVERYONE who comments and they have to remember to come back.
I do like the "subscribe" option now because I do want the follow up comments for the few people who do reply in the comment thread, then I don't have to remember to go back and read later.
I'm lazy like that.
Did I answer any question you posed in your post??? lol
Okay, so for the sake of brevity -- what Nancy said.
ReplyDeleteThanks for emailing me :)
I do the e-mail thing too.
ReplyDeleteI usually do the same as you. If I respond to a comment, it's typically by email; so yes, I do like getting them from you too!
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried the comment subscription yet. I'd only do it occasionally, if I was particularly interested in what was happening in the comment thread.
I'm going to try it now to see what happens!
# Do you like that?
ReplyDeleteYes, I prefer it. That's because it's hard enough to get to every blog (especially this month) in the first place, much less follow up.
I would do it too except for some reason half the comments I get (and I receive them via email) have a No Reply attached so I can't email back.
I love people who have emails in the comments.
# Do you like to get a response via email?
It thrills me.
Can I confess something? I worry just a smidge (really) about Last Word...as in, umm do I need to reply again? LOL
# Do you know that Blogger now has an option whereby you can subscribe to comments via email? Have you tried that?
Yes. And Yes. I did not like it. Too much stuff i didn't need.
I do go back and read comments, if there is a thread that has taken a life of its own. I do like getting the personal emails, though, too. It makes me feel as if the author really does care about me as a person.
ReplyDeleteI like the email response, more personal. It's the little touches that mean so much...
ReplyDeleteSo glad you did this post...I don't know the etiquette on it. I prefer to respond via email, but a lot of times people don't have email option...It's hard to know what to do, and it's hard to get back to everyone's blog....
ReplyDeleteI know people like to do both, I am usually thrilled with either. That said, I think my warm fuzzies increase when I get an email back. I did know about the blogger subscribe feature and have used the alert system for some of the blogs I comment on. It is a nice little tool. For my own blog, I tend to comment back in comments, because not everyone leaves their emails, and I would rather have just one way of doing things, and there are times when I want to respond to something one person w/o an email has to say.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I do have a reader or two whom I know prefer a response email, so I do that with their particular comments.
I rather an email response, since I don't come back to comb comments I think it's more personal to email. Not to mention easier for you.
ReplyDeletei rarely go back. so when you email, i see it. works.
ReplyDeleteOK, no one has said it, so that means it's probably wrong of me to say... but I think it's a little presumptious of people to answer comments in their own comments. Like I don't have enough to do that I have to come back, too?! OK. That was mean. That's probably why no one else said it. I guess I'm mean. But it bugs me. I suppose I would comment in the comments if someone said something that showed they totally misinterpreted what I said, and I felt I needed to clarify for the other readers. Mostly, I try to email commenters, but only if the email address is easily accessed. I got sick of digging around for the emails - and I don't think everyone expects an answer, either.
ReplyDeleteBut this was a great topic! I've always wondered what others thought on this. I may even, for the first time, use the subscribe to comments button!
Oops. Forgot to click on it!
ReplyDeleteI so rarely go back to read comments that I could safely call that "never".
ReplyDeleteI like to reply to people via email, but sometimes (like now) I can't get it all done.
So actually - funny you post this - this is me stopping by because you commented, my reader was throwing up full and I wanted to come see you - but I won't get you emailed because I finally had to delete my emails because I could.not.breathe. with over a hundred unread emails/comments.
The conversation is important. But, having said that, I'll stay in the comments to step in on my side if I need to, but never expect readers to return. Like you, I'll email. I'm not very good w/ the email, though, either sending or receiving. But I do w/ good blog friends and the conversation can extend and progress beyond the "public" blog.
ReplyDeleteI like the email response. It's more genuine and more personal.
ReplyDeleteIt's sometime challenging enough just to read and comment on all the great blogs let alone go back and read responses!
I never go back. I barely can remember what I did yesterday, let alone to go back.
I wish I emailed every commenter -- it's such a nice touch, but I usually respond in the comments section.
ReplyDeleteI do get my comments via email, which I like because I can check my blog and my email at the same time.
I've never responded to a comment by email because I don't know how to.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know how lame that is.
I sometimes go back to comments if I've asked a question or something like that, but sometimes I forget. So I do like it when I get an email response ....
With blogger it's very hard to reply to comments with emails, so I can't always do it, and I assume you are in the same boat.
ReplyDeleteI do like it, but sometimes I really want to reply back and the whole discussion becomes the kind of thing that might be very illuminating on the site so others can read it if they came back, or searched.
I sometimes come back to read the other comments, but not always. Depends on the post, or on the blog.
I've tried the subscribe to comments thing. I have a lot to read, and sometimes, it's just too much.
OK. Me, AGAIN. (Sorry.) I think what I said would have sounded nicer put this way: I feel grateful that people come by at all, and asking them to come back to read my answer would seem presumptuous (of me). I know other people do it this way, and I don't think THEY are presumptuous - they must find it more efficient. And if they are one of those huge blogging personas, it probably is easier and people probably don't mind going back. I do wish Blogger made it easier to reply to commenters, because I do wish to email most of them, even if it's just to say thanks for coming over!
ReplyDeleteI don't usually send emails to people. Though perhaps based on the comments I should. But lots of people don't include their emails.
ReplyDeleteAlso, when someone asks a question, I assume that later readers (if they have time to read through the earlier comments) will wonder what the answer is, so putting it in the comments seems like it's likely to reach a larger audience. I figure that if the original questioner really is interested, she'll come back or subscribe to the comments.
I certainly don't expect anyone to send a email in response to every comment I post. And I wonder sometimes if they expect replies to the emails.
I agree with. I read an entry comment, and move on. So, if there is a response an e-mail would be preferred.
ReplyDeleteWho has that much time?
i enjoy getting your e-mails. :) i will occasionally go back and read comments if I know someone responds regularly AND I wrote something I think they might respond to. I do occasionally comment within my comments... usually if someone asks a direct question or I feel I need to respond somehow in a public manner... but only do it occasionally because I know most people don't check back, and often people don't read all the comments, anyhow, as is evidenced when one person asks a question in the comments, I answer it, and then three other people ask the same thing in later comments. So i suppose what i SHOULD do is answer the question IN THE POST.
ReplyDeleteI just recently saw that subscribe option appear. Haven't yet seen a post I wanted to use that on, but I keep hoping to, so that I can test out how well it works.
ReplyDeleteI do the same - respond by email to a commenter when I have something more to say. I have used the trackback thing, but I have only used it a couple of times. I don't really want to dig through others' comments on the chance that the poster will respond to me.
ReplyDeleteI seem to do either/or/both for reasons I can't quite explain. I should probably pick one! Basically if I respond fast enough after the comment is left I usually do it in the comments section, or if it's a regular reader I expect might check back. But I like what you do (from a reader's standpoint). I rarely check back to people's comments.
ReplyDelete