35 Comments to “Why Didn’t WE Comment?”

1. December 7th, 2005 at 3:24 pm
   Gary Miller said

   I was one of those “new readers” last night and I’m sure like others who took part, I had no idea who was new and who had been with you from the beginning.

   While I have only been blogging for a short time, I am an experienced BBS/forum admin and believe me when I tell you that when new people come on board, they come wanting to participate. Then after time, things start to get comfy and most become lurkers.

   I have operated forums and listservs with hundreds upon hundreds of registered users and in each and every case, it was the same 10-12 members who made up 99+ % of the posts. It’s just the way it is.

   Also, topic has little to do with it. Hit a hot topic and those same 10-12 members will post like their tails are on fire, but you won’t get much out of the remaining folks.

   I suspect that the same is true of blog discussions.

2. December 7th, 2005 at 3:31 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Gary,
   That’s not been the case on this blog. We have a variety of people who participate on a wide variety of topics. I think that last night was an exception. I’m not going to say why yet. But I do know what you’re talking about with forum and list servs. I think if you check out last Tuesday’s sidebar discussion, you’ll see what I mean. Those are all regular commenters here at SBlog. I in fact didn’t think of you as one of the new folks, since you were around before last night–right?

   We’ve managed a real community here and we’re very protective of it. Check out the Sunday night discussions as well. This is somewhere between a forum and a website. It’s a blog where a real person is behind the screen.

   I think there was a differnt dynamic at work.
   Liz

3. December 7th, 2005 at 3:35 pm
   Gary Miller said

   I wait for your analysis.

4. December 7th, 2005 at 3:55 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Gary
   You never cease to be a really great guy.
   Liz

5. December 7th, 2005 at 3:58 pm
   Volkher Hofmann said

   I’m still trying to discuss in that other thread.
   Come back!

   

6. December 7th, 2005 at 4:26 pm
   Gary Miller said

   I’m honored that you would say that.

7. December 7th, 2005 at 4:41 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hey,
   One thing you’ll notice is I always own whatever I say.
   Liz

8. December 7th, 2005 at 5:00 pm
   Gary Miller said

   Great trait.

9. December 7th, 2005 at 5:03 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Thank you, sir.

10. December 7th, 2005 at 5:21 pm
    Gary Miller said

    You are more than welcome, madame.

11. December 7th, 2005 at 7:24 pm
    Martin said

    Hey Liz .. what’s up?

    I have to check out what happened last night - but from my point of view I didn’t come to the party cause:

    A) my frickin’ broadband connection crashed big time yesterday afternoon - don’t believe me check out this Aussie B/Band forum thread that went on and on.

    B) I also went to a concert last night - Mothly Crue - my teenage years came rushing back

    C) I came back from the concert fully-loaded and off loaded with a post that caused just a little bit of friction

    Now I’m back here and I’m going to go through last night.

12. December 7th, 2005 at 7:26 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Martin,
    Glad to hear you were having a good time. Sorry to hear that a good time was not had by all.
    Liz

13. December 7th, 2005 at 8:26 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Heck I could be crazy here.
    Maybe everyone was watching NCIS and Christmas shopping.
    Liz

14. December 7th, 2005 at 9:17 pm
    Javier Cabrera (ClearYourMind) said

    I was eating some excellent food so I just commented a couple of times. While everyone tried to be more active I think things can really work if we give them time.

    Hugs!
    Javier Cabrera

15. December 7th, 2005 at 9:25 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Javier,
    No worry about you. You were great. I just wonder where everyone else is. You think it’s finals, Christmas, family, that kind of stuff?
    Liz

16. December 7th, 2005 at 9:51 pm
    Martin said

    Liz,
    maybe it’s the kind off too big, too much to bother getting involved.

    I know I’d find it hard to simply jump in in the middle of all the comments and get involved - I’d have to read the post first and then go through all the comments and realising this I’d get a headache and go off and eat my nanchos instead

    Gary (#1) is right on the mark - it’s the really dedicated few who comment the most, and those few become settled into a routine (like with your blog: you post and then about 5-10 regulars comment and the odd new guy comes in and we end up with a nice 20 or so comment thread). Sometimes a new guy likes the feel of the place and becomes a regular themselves - well that’s how it happened for me here

    It’s like when we joke around about the great booze and nachos you serve, us being Kings of our hemisphere etc., - we have all helped to develop this place into a nice little community so it must be hard for any newbies to get in on it.

    And vice versa - the regulars will feel a little overwhelmed by a sudden influx of new commenters - 95% of whom you won’t hear from again - and they’ll simply wait for the next “normal” post - heck, like I’m doing right now

17. December 7th, 2005 at 9:59 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Gary, my apologies, Martin has pointed out what I wasn’t hearing. You here, Gary?

    Martin,

    Last night was definitely too big,too much, I don’t know this stuff intimidating, I bet. Not to mention some heavy hitters stopped by to talk, which was cool, but could be scary for some.

    The thing that I was trying to tell Gary is our “forum usual ones” weren’t there, but for you and Javier–Am I anyone?–so what may have appeared as regulars to Gary were not.
    Liz

18. December 7th, 2005 at 10:52 pm
    Mike said

    I’m not that big of a loss when I’m not around, but I haven’t been commenting as much the last 2 days because we’re all sick as pukin’ dogs here at my house and we’re fighting over the use of the bathroom floor to lay on and then trying like heck to keep up with 12 blogs and 30 other sites as energy comes by for 5-10 minutes.

    Whether we’re out shopping, sick, watching the final few episodes of Survivor, we’re all gonna come and go, night in and night out.

    The differences in timezones, days of weeks and such will always make posts and comments a hit or miss proposition.

    Sometimes the best posts my wife writes never even get seen. She does them on a Subday morning and feeds them into her site and when people get their feeds come Monday morning, there’s too many for them to get the viewing they deserve.

    Here at SB, Liz, you’re gonna get some 100 comment posts and some 1 comment posts. It doesn’t have anything to do with the post, it has more to do with the time of day, day of the week and time of the year and 25 other factors.

    If you’ve got a choice post that you realllllllllly want some input on, save it for the time that your server logs say is the biggest day of the week.

    I’m sure Scrivs or one of his fine staff can interpret your stats for you, if it ain’t your thang.

    Don’t worry if we come and go, just act like we’re on vacation, if we’re missing.Be All You Can Be, whether anybody’s watching or not.

    Character is what you do in the dark, alone.

    I write like there’s 100,000 readers of my blog, even though there only 100.

    In my daily business, I treat the customer the same whether they’re buying 105 bricks or 105,000 bricks.

    Makes it easy for me when I go 110% whether it’s needed or not.

    Im gonna email you a link to a post I did. The story at the end of the post sums up what I mean.

19. December 7th, 2005 at 11:06 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Mike,
    Got your post. Your story was almost a parable. Amazing, but true it seems.

    Nah, I was just thinking that it seemed likee all of the new folks came along and got the regulars to step aside and that didn’t seem quite right to me. I was curious ’bout was all.

    When I write I can sound too serious. Maybe I did this time.
    Liz

20. December 7th, 2005 at 11:13 pm
    Mike said

    Naaahhhh, not too serious. But a little alarmist.

    ( I’ve always wanted to use a word that ends with -ist )

    I’ll go ahead and speak for the old timers here :

    We Ain’t Going Anywhere !

    I ain’t givin’ up my crown without a fight.

21. December 7th, 2005 at 11:23 pm
    Sabine said

    Well, it does look like last night was a screaming success to me. I guess I’m not sure what you were looking for. Don’t forget that people have varying amounts of free time, and other priorities. At least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

    It looks like a good discussion. I think sometimes you just have to go with the flow. (At least, that’s my advice, and I’m sticking to it!)

    TTFN,
    Sabine

22. December 7th, 2005 at 11:26 pm
    Mike said

    More than 4 comments a week is a screamin’ success to me.

    Liz is just a product of her own success.

    Those of us who can’t or don’t create a community like the one here can’t identify with a folk hero like Liz.

    Viva La Liz !

    Long Live The Queen !

23. December 7th, 2005 at 11:29 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Sabine,
    I read your comment and I started laughing. You are the best! What’s this other priority stuff? he he. I am not the center of your universe?

    That’s cool I just didn’t want to think that those folks made the rest of use go quiet.

    It was a great discussion. As fun as the last one. I’m sorry you guys all missed it. We even talked about rum and cognac near the end.

    I like your advice and your story and I’m glad you’re sticking to both of them.

    Did you like what I sent you?
    Liz

24. December 7th, 2005 at 11:32 pm
    ME Strauss said

    ahh Mike You’re the best.
    Stop it now. I wasn’t fishin.
    Liz

25. December 8th, 2005 at 12:15 am
    Sabine said

    Yes, in fact, it’s even one of my favorite colors!
    Now I just have to find the exact right spot for it.

    Good night!

26. December 8th, 2005 at 12:22 am
    Yas said

    I suppose I was one of your newcomers last evening. Commenting on blogs is not something I’m very good about doing, so last night was a bit of an exception (especially considering that I commented more than once).

    If it’s so unusual for me, why did I comment last night? For one, the topic stirred some feelings in me. When you start talking about creativity, it’s hard not to feel something personal.

    For two, everyone here was very receptive and seemed friendly. I think the fact that you replied to everyone, Liz, built exactly the community feel you talked about earlier.

    All of that being said, I kind of found this spot on accident. I just happened to be perusing my site stats last night and saw someone had been referred from here. I decided to pop in and see what the fuss was about. I’m glad I did. I’m kind of new to this whole blogging thing, and it was nice to meet a few veterans.

27. December 8th, 2005 at 12:44 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Sabine,
    Glad to hear it.have a great night. We’ll talk soon.
    I’m sure!
    Liz

28. December 8th, 2005 at 12:46 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Yas,
    You were new, and welcome too!
    I’m so glad you found us here you added insight and information that would have been missed without you. We enjoyed having you and Volkher here to spice things up.
    Liz

29. December 8th, 2005 at 7:29 am
    Flipping Heck! said

    I think though that people view comments as more of a “static” medium rather than an interactive one like a Chat Room/Instant messengers and therefore don’t expect quick replies (if they expect replies at all).

    Occasionally I think (or at least this is how I feel sometimes) that you feel like you can be “crashing the party” if a blog has a lot of regular commenters.

    And, I have to confess that the reason I wasn’t about last night to comment is that timezones play a factor - what’s reasonable for some may be the middle of the night for me!

    Just my tuppence worth.

    Katy

30. December 8th, 2005 at 7:41 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Katy,
    Good to see you!
    We have pretty good conversation going on around here usually, as we did last week with Brian’s article, and just might again with yours. I agree it’s hard to comment on a blog that has a lot of comments already by a lot of people who seem to know each other.

    Time zones do play factor as well. Now if you would just put that tuppence in the slot over under the sidebar there . . . Thanks so much. I appreciate bar tips in any currency.
    Liz

31. December 8th, 2005 at 7:18 pm
    Jennifer Grucza said

    I tend not to say anything if I have nothing interesting to add
    Sometimes I only have time to skim a post, if that
    When there’s a ton of comments, I start getting impatient reading all of them - my attention span doesn’t last that long
    When there’s a ton of comments, sometimes you feel like if you add one, it won’t get read because it will be at the bottom (corollary of the previous point)
    Both for blog comments and forum postings, I sometimes get bored when they start getting too chatty/personal/off-topic (I’m not necessarily saying that was the case here - I didn’t read the comments for that post closely enough to remember)

    In general, I think the ideal number of comments per post is 5-15. At least for me personally.

32. December 8th, 2005 at 7:18 pm
    Jennifer Grucza said

    Sorry, I formatted that comment with an ordered list, but I guess it got stripped out.

33. December 8th, 2005 at 7:25 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Jennifer,
    Good to see you.
    I think you brought up a lot of the same qualifiers that I unconsciously use. Particularly that if the comments are too long I figure mine will just get lost in the shuffle and so there’s no point in adding one.

    Thanks for your insights.
    A friend of mine just discovered Perfect Fifths and submitted his site. He’s hoping to get in. He was very impressed by what you’ve got going here. Kudos!
    Liz

34. December 9th, 2005 at 2:12 am
    Jennifer Grucza said

    Do you mean David from Buzzing Reed? He did contact me. His site looks like it will be very nice, going by the first couple of posts. Do you mean he submitted his site to 9rules? Or Perfect Fifths? Because there’s not really any “getting in” to Perfect Fifths, unless you count me posting a link to his site as getting in.

35. December 9th, 2005 at 2:19 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Jennifer,
    Yes, I was talking about David and I was talking about Perfect Fifths. I think he must have been talking about a link. Darn I hope I didn’t push anything there. He’s very impressed with your blog. He’s quite the musician from what I understand–very much a poet from what I know.
    Liz