Well...

That last post didn't go as I expected.  But it does lead into more of my thoughts about blogging.  As a Sociologist who studies media and communication, blogging has become an increasing interest for me (you know something I'll research "when I have time").  As a blogger, part of a lively and interactive knitblogging community (who also participates in some feminist blogs, but more on the sidelines), I also spent some time thinking about what blogging means and what it feels like to be part of a subculture.

The knitting subculture is vast and diverse but also has some unique/special elements that I really like.  It is a virtual community that links to real geographical spaces and real people.  Some people you "know" in cyberspace only, others in both worlds and some you know in "real life" but may not read their blogs.  It's also a generous, encouraging, vocal community.  We read the blogs, comment on the posts, participate in message boards and Yahoo groups and also in local stitch'n'bitches and knitting circles.  We knit for charities together, send bloggers secret pal gifts, knit each other socks, swap yarns and patterns, run contests, participate in challenging feats and mix the real and the virtual.

Some of us also share in life's more personal triumphs and tragedies and mix knitting life and social life.  Hell, we even drink together.  There's something unique about it in my limited trollings of the virtual world, and I'm quite happy to be part of it.  Maybe there are legions of other crafters and artists who do this too, frankly I haven't really checked.  But I don't see the same connections in the feminist blogs--people don't plan protests and consciousness raising groups together or make those "live" connections through the virtual ones so openly as in the knitting online community.  And I know what counts as live and virtual is sometimes blurry, but I don't think we've hit the world envisioned by William Gibson yet where there is nt distinction.  I think human connections in the real world matter, even if their beginnings are forged through the internet.

And honestly, I don't think I would blog if people didn't come by and say hello sometimes.  I do my best to reciprocate on the blogs I read which is partly how I maintain the readership I have here.  Blogs can also be about networking and putting in the time to communicate with others, just like other relationships.  Commenting is a way of saying "hey, how are you?" and often makes me click over to the commentor's space to see what's up or drop a friend an email to say hi (because I know not everyone has a blog). 

That's why I find commentless blogs sort of startling.  Sure people can blog without comments--why not?  But if they're just for you and some friends, why make them public or have a comment function at all?  What are people's motivations to blog?  Do they want interaction or just a space to write and think?  Do they want the comments to all be supportive or a space to exchange ideas and discuss and debate or can it just be a free-for-all (I'm good on the discuss/debate part)?  I don't have the answers, but I sure think a lot about the questions.

Comments

[Rachel H]

It's really interesting how we all see the same blog space, in our case knitblogs, in so many different ways.

Me, I don't blog and have no desire to. I've thought about it, because heck, almost all of my friends do, but really what with all the commenting I do about town, I've found my spot in the community in a way that works well for me.

I make it a habit to read all the comments on blogs I comment on, and have found new blogs to read because of it. The popularity, as judged by Bloglines subs or average number of commenters, doesn't determine whether or not I read or comment myself, but I'm not sure personally if I would keep going back to a blog I Couldn't comment on. I assume the person has their own reasons for blogging and setting their site up that way, but the opportunity to interact is what really brought me in to this little world.

[claudia]

Dude, you MUST study the knitblog community. Seriously.

[Nora]

Well, I checked and re-checked your blog, trying to find that previous post evryone's jumping up and down about... surely it's not that one sentence at the beginning of your sock post?
It is!
I think I'll email you my thoughts (in fear of starting a full-scale war).

[jen c]

i'm finding it interesting that yesterday's post generated only 1/2 the number of comments that this one now has.... and i was surprised at the hostility in some of yesterday's as well. i am hoping that mine wasn't taken negatively...more as a "here's what i do" because you asked why i might do it. i guess this is a very touchy subject for a lot of bloggers. i would agree with one of the commnents (ack - i can't find it or the persons name...) that said something about questioning people who blog for themselves alone. i think if i was only doing this for myself i would use a private blog. my personal writing is very different than what goes online. i want to generate a response - i'm NOT generating a public one, but i'm generating one with the people i know (who are totally clueless and don't know how to comment i might add - i recently explained in great detail (including screen shots) how to post a comment on my blog to my boyfriends dad - so slowly they will figure it out!). this is why i would say i don't "care" if anyone comments. but i also don't have a knitblog. or a techblog. or an anythingblog. it's just my life. which really, is only going to be interesting to you if you know me. or if you're curious about a stranger kind of thing. so it's random.

i'm not sure this comment is coherent. i just took another look at yesterday's entry and was lulled once again by the garter stitch short row heel and toe. i'm going to go give that a try now. looks good....

[Knittripps]

The knitblogging community is very special. I love my blogger friends (both the ones that I know in real like and the ones I don't). I love receiving comments from them on my blog and sharing things with them on their blogs.

[inky]

I have nobody to knit and chat with. By reading all the blogs and knitting at the same time, I feel like I'm attending a real SnB.

I started with Yarn Harlot because I read about her in a knitting magazine, and I'm all about loving a good funny. Make me laugh and I'm yours forever. (Okay, I'm a giggle ho.)

Why blog if nobody comments on it? Because when I throw my voice into the mix, it might have an effect somewhere, even if I don't know it. And I don't have to know it, either.

One thing I will never do is feel like it's an obligation, or that I have to "feed" the blog, or worry that I haven't made other people happy with the frequency of postings. Like Rachel H, sometimes commenting is my contribution.

[Bells]

I never took what you wrote yesterday as rude like some people did (just their interpretation I guess). i thought it was a valid question and one I think about a lot. I love getting comments. took me a while to get them but I found that by connecting with people on their blogs, it developed and I have a nice community now that I really enjoy.

If I don't get as many comments some days, i figure people are busy, I've not written anything very interesting or whatever. It's not personal.

Thanks for asking the question.

[lisa]

So I found you from January one. I've only been blogging since Sept, but since I got the blog up, I've been commenting on most of the blogs I look at. What is interesting to me is who writes back and/or visits my blog. I have made some acquaintences/friends, but there are a few blogs I visit and comment on and I never get a comment or email back. So sometimes now I don't comment on the more popular blogs that have so many comments. I agree, whey would somebody blog without allowing/having comments. Seems a bit like you are stroking your own ego rather than sharing. ... I scrolled down a bit and saw you are questing for a book for your daughter. Sorry no suggestions, but here's a story (about questions kids ask). My son asked me one day if I knew there was a disease with no cure (HIV). Well, yes. He was concerned a bit about getting it. So I told him that he does not do intravenous drugs and does not have unprotected sex (he was in 4th grade...why were they having this subject in 4th grade and not the one about not smoking pot?). "What's protected sex?" "sex with a condom" "what's a condom?". oooh. I knew I was in trouble here. "a rubbery sheath a man wears on his penis". oh. Then the kid got cogitating while he was heading to sleep. He was sobbing. Worried he would catch HIV. So we had to have more talk about it, how you can't just catch it, how you can behave responsibly, how you can have a friend with it and hug them and kiss them and share with them and not get it. Kids sure do think and ask about all kinds of stuff!

[frecklegirl jess]

Well, you have certainly gotten a couple people popping their heads up on this one!

I definitely love knitblogging for the community aspect of it and love getting and writing comments.

The only time I really would see turning off comments is when a blog gets super popular and you can't keep up with them or... if someone is getting slammed by trolls.

Nice topic though- very interesting to read everyone's responses!

[Emma.]

Wouldn't the knitblog community be such a rich area to study ? I do hope you do, sometime.
I have a ''relationship'' with my blog, that is really a relationship with the people who read it. A far greater number than ever comment. It is always nice to get feedback. The echo of an empty comment box can be very disconcerting !
I need to give this more thought...
In the meantime, that really is a very nice sock. I shall have to give that heel and toe a go.

[Jennifer]

I love getting comments and leaving comments on others' blogs. I think comments really makes a blog more of a conversation which is appealing to me. Having said that, my husband blogs (about a NFL football team) and hardly ever gets comments but he loves doing it. He does have a readership if his hit counter means anything, but men (I guess) don't always want to comment on a football blog.

[David]

I love the blog that you have. I was wondering if you would link my blog to yours and in return I would do the same for your blog. If you want to, my site name is American Legends and the URL is:

www.americanlegends.info

If you want to do this just go to my blog and in one of the comments just write your blog name and the URL and I will add it to my site.

Thanks,
David

[Angie]

I am a commentless blogger. I have made some connections by commenting on others' blogs and felt the intelligent and considerate community was safe to wade into.
I keep up my blog because it is separate from my real life where few people care about my knitting. But those of you who are my virtual friends are doing awesome things in knitting land and I feel you welcome me.
Even if you don't comment.

[emily]

as a brand new blogger, this is a question i've really been pondering. i was drawn to blogging, in part, because of the amazing community of artists (knitters, crafters, writers) whose blogs i've been reading.

but i've never commented until today! your question - and all of the comments (and cara's post and the comments there) are such wonderful food for thought.

[scout]

When I've talked with people about how I've gotten my business to where it is my only answer is "The Blogging Community!" I don't advertise. I spend my time making personal connections with other knitters/crafters through their blogs. I make sure and spend time every day reading through as many blogs on my Bloglines as possible. I love the connections I make throught the blog world. Flickr is another great tool too.

[LEO]

Wow, this is a lot of controversy! I'll try not to repeat things that everyone else has said-

I would love to be a bigger part of the (vibrant, diverse, etc) knitting blog community, but the fact of the matter is I just don't have time for that much knitting, or not even just the time, but I'm not able to focus my knitting time as well, as many others who are much more popular and well-known in the community. So I don't produce nearly as much, and so I have a lot less to blog about. "So, the cuff of this sock has been fascinating for the last couple of weeks ... (5,000th picture of cuff of sock) ... Wow I'm stressing out!" Thus, I end up babbling about a lot of other issues on my blog, and who is going to be interested in those who doesn't already know me? Even in the cases of those people who know me, why would they be interested anyway???

I continue blogging because I like getting feedback on my work when that does happen. The other reason is - a blog is a really handy way to keep track of my work. For me, it's the easiest way to include pictures, specs, and my comments about everything I do, should I want to refer back to these things.

And someone way up there (there have been a lot of comments here...) mentioned that she noticed some bloggers who weren't as good about responding to non-bloggers' comments. I have noticed that some folks are better about responding to comments than others, it's true, and I certainly don't expect a personal response every time I comment on someone's blog, but I do recall those individuals whose blogs I have commented on several times without response, and wondered what the story is. What is the point of that kind of blogging then?

Anyway, these are all very fascinating questions, and I'm glad you opened up these issues, even if unintentionally! I think provoking some anger helped get the whole thing engaged and I hope it was worthwhile for you!!!

[Anne]

I started reading blogs through a friend's, and then her links, and their links. I started blogging after I met one of my blog friends in person, which got me thinking... If I met this many great people through their blogs, would great people find me through my blog? And sure enough, there are people I never ever would have met who are now dear friends, or casual IRL acquaintances who have become deeper friends on-line.

But my favorite story comes from when my Mom found out I had a blog--she asked, "Do I need to worry about you meeting strangers on the internet?" I thought about all-y'all and laughed my head off.

[Faith]

People may have thought it rude because us brand-new or commentless bloggers often want comments but can't figure out how to get them! I love it when people comment, but don't think other people commenting is my responsibility. I don't know why people wouldn't allow commenting, but if they do and don't get them... What you wrote may just be rubbing salt into the wound!

[Jen]

Very interesting thread. I came by way of Cara's blog. See how it works? ;)

I started a blog a year and a half ago when I moved to Holland as away of keeping in contact with my friends and also to help answer the inevitable question "How's Holland?" Random people post all the time, which always surprises me. It would take a lot of courage to open up to a group that is clearly chatting to each other and not to the wider public.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how my blog has affected how I have approached adapting to foreign culture. My husband and I aren't doing as well as we thought we would here, and I've been thinking a lot about how my blog may have affected our attitude from the beginning. Was I only looking for weird and offputting things b/c I was looking for "funny" material for my blog? B got sucked into this too. "Jen this would make a great story for the blog!" Did I completely overlook what could have been a nice life here? I thought I was being all Montesquieu, and instead I think I may have sabotaged us. I think more and more about what I will do with that blog when we move back to the States later this year.

About a week or so ago I started a knitting blog specifically b/c I don't have a real world knitting community. I am totally missing out on a great aspect of knitting. But I know that if I want people like you to be part of my world, I had to delurk and post comments on knitting blogs. I often wonder if I come across as insincere and trolling for my own blog comments. It's not even about comments per se - it's interaction that I want. Maybe the Knitty Board would be enough. We'll see.

I'm a web consultant, and I spent a lot of time building up a community for my previous employer. It takes time, and may not happen at all if your niche is small, which is probably why people who post about shaving their nether regions don't have a lot of comments. Oh my.

[Jennifer]

I was led to your blog from January One. Thank you for sharing your musings. You made me think, and I like that.
Thank you.

[Barbara M.]

Hi... I am a constant reader of blogs, but don't have one myself. I rarely comment on a blog that gets tons of comments (like the Yarn Harlot) because I figure any comment I make will be lost in the other 400! And I don't like to leave the "Me, too" comments, only the substantive ones. But I enjoy reading those bogs and make them a regular part of my day.

Where I do comment, it is often a blog with a smaller comment list, where I feel like I have a serious possibility of making a contact or an impression. The fact that it feels more personal matters to me. Like having a conversation with a few people is more meaningful (and a lot easier) than trying to shout over all the voices at a large party.

I also have problems leaving comments on some blogs... blogger seldom accepts my URL...I guess I don't understand it and have just given up!

[Anita]

I also wandered over from January One and I'm glad I did! I'm a communication professional with interests in sociology, and am considering doing my grad school thesis on Internet communication and virtual communities. I'm still refining it, but I know that blogs and message boards will play a large role. I've often thought about how the Internet is changing the way we communicate, the way we meet people, and the way we express ourselves. Personally, I write in my blog as an exercise in writing. Every day that I post something to my blog is another day I've written something. Also, it's fun to go back and read what I wrote at the same time last year. It's a great way to look at what I was going through at any given time. My blog is a record of several new hobbies, a relationship that didn't work out, starting a new job, and lots of writing projects. One interesting thing is, somewhere along the way I've picked up some readers. I even count them as friends, even though we've never met.

Well, I've written too much already and I'm sorry about that. Your post made me think about blogging, though, and I thank you for that!

[Deborah C.]

I thought about this for a while. If you don't want comments from people, keep a real journal, not a blog. I think blogs invite comments. I read yours all the time, I don't comment a lot because I don't want to leave me-too comments. I love that we can interact. I don't blog because I don't have the time, but I'd love to - it seems that you meet wonderful people that you wouldn't have otherwise. Maybe knitting is a more social thing than the feminism, or maybe it's that we have something concrete (real objects) to share, not just ideas.

[Martin M.]

And yes is what you will Blog today?

[Alisha]

Holy comments.

I sometimes just read blogs but I know if I left more comments I'd probably get more comments on my blog.

I think I would blog even without the comments because I love being creative and blogging is a great way to show your creativity off and track progress. I find it makes me less of a procrastinator.....cause I need to finish a project, take pictures and share. Without the blog I might be more inclinded to set a project aside and not touch it for weeks.

Even without the comments you know people are reading.....just that it takes a topic like this or a contest to bring them out of the woodwork LOL

[Jolene]

Just wanted to leave my own two cents worth. I found you from January One and you have inspired me to become a better commentor on blogs instead of just a reader and writer of them.

[Cornflake]

I too came over from Cara's blog.

When I first read your comment, I thought you were talking about blogs that don't allow comments - and honestly, I don't understand those either. My motivation for blogging definitely includes receiving reactions and feedback on what I say. While I respect those who have different goals, I don't understand it - much like I don't understand many aspects of the religion I was raised with and no longer believe, but I still respect those who do believe.

I think enough people have attacked you already for a stray comment you weren't expecting to offend anyone. I'm a new blogger (just started in January) and I get maybe two or three comments on a post if I'm lucky. I have other reasons for blogging: to keep track of projects, to join KALs, contests, competitions, and swaps, and to join an already-rich online knitting community. I like to think of comments as frosting - sure they're tasty, but even without frosting you've still got a delicious homemade chocolate cupcake.

[Krista M]

I have lately been questioning my motives to blog, and it has been keeping me from posting as frequently. I have come to terms with the fact that I blog to have commenters, but I don't want commenters just for the sake of having them. I want to be friends with them and I think I have succeeded in just that. When I started blogging it was for the sole purpose of taking part in the knitblog community, and part of any community is communication with each other. For the first year I was struggling because I couldn't figure out how to break into the clique, then I just stopped caring about the clique. I commented more on other blogs, and got myself a small amount of readers who quickly became friends. I do consider a post more successful if there are comments, and I consider it a huge success if someone links to my blog on their page, because I just may get another random reader. If I were worried about privacy, or not having anyone comment, I wouldn't keep a blog.
As far as the community being a clique, I have to agree. I tried to participate in Rhinebeck Blogger Bingo, and found the only people getting attention or being searched out were the ones that had a large commenting audience. It was very disheartening, and made me think twice about who I look up to in the community.

[Miss T]

Interesting discussion. I think blogging IS about community. Otherwise, why do it? Journaling can be done in a notebook, and emails can be sent if you want to communicate with only a few people. Blogging is meant to invite in another element, which is people and comments and ideas. There will always be cliques anytime a group of more than two people forms, and there will always be people who are more or less popular than others. I'm happy anytime I get a comment, and pleased that although my blog hasn't become instantly popular, it is slowly building an audience. I started the blog because I like knitters and wanted to be part of the community, so I hope to get to know at least some of the people who read my blog regularly.

[Kim]

I didn't read all the comments so I'll probably be repeating what another commentor has already said but here's my two cents worth.

I love comments on my blog but I don't get a lot. I blog anyway. I read many other blogs everyday and I don't always leave comments. I'm not going to comment just hoping that the blog owner will feel obligated to go to my blog and leave a comment.

I comment when I have something to say about the topic of the post. Many times I plan to comment but while reading other's comments I see that someone has said exactly what I wanted to say. No point in me echoing someone else's opinion.

I guess I'm not a great original thinker.

[Kelly]

My blog is quite new (just since the new year) and while my stats tell me that I have a fair number of "regulars", I've only received five comments. Total. Since starting in January.

I would love to get more comments, even if they're just the "yeah, I've had that happen" kind. I'm not sure how to inspire more commenting, so I just keep writing.

I thought that your observations of the feminist blogs was interesting. Perhaps the thing with knit-centered blogs is that (from what I've seen) they're primarily about knitting, with other stuff - family, work, cooking, whatever - tossed in for balance. My blog is intended as a tool to demystify my role as yoga teacher, and show the human side of my practice and my passion. Knitting is something I do quite a bit of, and so it gets included. Maybe if it were primarily a knit blog, I'd get more comments...and more traffic.

Thank you for bringing up your observations. Given the topic, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to comment! :-)

[Laura]

Hi! Coming over here from Cara's blog. This is an interesting thread! I just wanted to add this about commenting and responding to comments. When I am super busy, I try to keep up with reading blogs even if I don't comment. I like to know what people are up to, and I find blogs so inspiring. Reading them gets me excited about knitting! I am much more likely to leave a comment when I am really inspired by a post, or think I have something helpful to say. I NEVER get offended if I don't get a response after leaving a comment. I understand that people are busy.

That being said, when I am not super busy, I try to respond to as many comments that I receive as I can. One thing, though. One reason that people may not respond to the blogless commenter -- if you are on Blogger, it's almost impossible! I hate it when I can't respond to a nice comment because the commenter doesn't allow Blogger to give out their email addy. If this person has a blog, sometimes I can find their email address on it or just leave a comment on their blog. But this takes a SERIOUS amount of time. And the blogless person can be impossible to track down. Sorry for the long comment, but just wanted to throw that $0.02 in. :)

[Ari]

Comments are fabulous. I have to admit, I read blogs through google reader and usually click to leave a comment. My blog friends are just a great a friend to me as my friend who lives across town. I wouldn't trade my blog friends for anything, they are priceless to me.

[Beth]

Thanks for taking the time to think through some of these interesting social issues, and share your conclusions.

My blog is new, and I have much to learn. I also think I have something to share. Some day, when I have more time, I will learn how to embed links in my posts, I will add links for the sites I visit, and so forth. Maybe I will even get my computer-savvy son to lend his expertise.

I may also be able to encourage my knitting buddies here at home to join in, and share their own knitting projects and stories; blogging terrifies them.

Meanwhile, I keep knitting, and blogging, and getting ready for a husband about to retire, and looking after my mother, and...:)

[Liz]

There's a big difference between the knitblog community and other blogging communities and it's unfortunate when knitbloggers apply their idea of what makes for a successful blog to blogworlds they know nothing about.

Comments are not a measure of a blog's success.

While I started my blog two years ago in an attempt to join the knitblog community, it has morphed into something else altogether (food/environment/lifestyle/some knitting). In short, my blog now cannot be categorized. While my comments have not steadily increased as surely they would have if I stayed a knitblogger, my daily hits have climbed from 7,000/mo to 19,000/mo over the past year and I've been linked to repeatedly. Sounds like a successful blog to me, even if only a handful of folks take the time to comment.

There's a lot you can't see by just visiting a site once. And not all blogs are about comments, or contests, or community.

[Julia MacRobbie]

I think people want a space to write and think. I also think people have faith that others are passing through their blog while surfing the internet. Even if no one takes the time to comment, at least some people might be reading their thoughts. I also think that, sadly, some people keep blogging without comments in the hopes that one day they will eventually develop a readership.

[Beth in WI]

This is a really really interesting conversation, and I'm glad it's more civil than the previous set. ;)

I'm kind of mystified by the latent hostility being shot in the direction of the "popular" blogs. I've ended up at some print authors' blogs because I liked their writing, and been happy that I got to hang out with them at their virtual houses.

I tried to make my first few posts on their blogs the kind of thing that other commenters might find interesting enough to want to investigate further by clicking over to my own blog. I guess I'm lucky...I do get replies from the bloggers themselves. Not all the time.

Even the "big" bloggers are people too, and I'm amazed when they DO read all those comments and send replies to at least some of them.

I'm enjoying the knitblog community. I visited a new yarn shop a few days ago and was treated like a hero when another person there realized she had read my blog. It felt great!

[tasha.]

This is a good discussion, and one I've often thought about during the various blogging experiences that I've had over the years. I agree that it's nice to receive comments, and admit that there's a *wee* bit of a sense of validation involved, even though I know there shouldn't be. (That whole "woo, a comment!" feeling.) And it's a silly thing to think that way, especially when starting out as I am doing with my own blog, because of course you have almost no comments and almost no readers! But the main reason I started my blog was to have a place to force myself to document my knitting with text and photos for myself, to keep me on track, so any comments or readers that I have right now (however few they are) are icing on the cake.

On the flip side, I don't leave comments with the expectation that I will wrangle readers out of it, because in my experience (my current or previous blogs), that hasn't really happened. Perhaps that means I don't have blisteringly interesting comments, but I figure that's not what it's all about. I comment because I have something to say, and hope the author will appreciate it in one way or another (even if it's just a little "woo, a comment!" feeling). It might not be profound, or exciting, or click-worthy to someone else seeing my web site's link with my name. But I say it because it's on my mind, and that's why I post it. I don't expect anything out of it, and I don't feel the need to make every comment a unique purl of wisdom (har har) that sets me apart in the crowd. I'm okay with that. Because if I did post like that, I would feel I was sucked into some kind of virtual competition, which is exactly what I DON'T want. I understand that if I post on big, popular blogs, my comments are likely lost in the crowd, but I'm okay with that, too. If I make a comment and it starts a conversation with a new online friend, that's fabulous! It adds another part of the web to the expanding community. But I can't expect that will happen every time. I'm okay with that, too.

Rambly comment boils down to: I blog because I want to. I comment because I want to. I hope others do the same. When we cross along our journeys, it can be a wonderful thing. I hope that I make some great friendships out of all of this, in time. But for me, I try to make sure it's not *forced*, because the last thing I want is for knitting to ever be associated with drudgery, competition or drama in my mind.

(Clearly, this is a testimonial to the fact that not every comment I make is blisteringly interesting, nor even entirely coherent. ;)

[Rachael]

Wow! The comments are long! I'm only going to say I adore you and I'm glad you're my friend in real life and online, and your post was well-thought out and interesting.

And your reason for not commenting on the other blogs is hysterical. Oh, my goodness, of COURSE you didn't.

[Delf]

So many interesting and diverse comments... No one seems to have mentioned my reason for not having comments: the maintenance hassle of dealing with comment spammers.

[Laura]

If I commented on every blog post I read in a day, I'd never sleep. My reading is much faster than my typing. I love getting comments and try to give what I get. On every single blog every single time? Oh heck no.

Why blog when there's no comments? Sometimes, when you know no one's ready, blogging can be a bit more open or a bit more controversial. Chances are, no one's reading it and becoming offended.

[Tracy]

One reason I don't comment very often is that I fear another "me too" type comment would just clutter things up, and impose more "work" on the blogger.

When I was a very new blogger (still am relatively) I read a discussion about regarding comment etiquette and the bloggers responsiblities. I couldn't help but wonder about those who get huge volumes of comments with soooo many of them being "me too". How do they respond to all of those!?!

I also didn't realize that bloggers sometimes comment on the comments! It had never occured to me to go back to a blog I commented on and look for a comment back!!!

I may or may not comment on the many many blogs I read. It mainly depends on if I have something more than "me too" to say, and then if I do think it is that important I might try to email the blogger instead!

I have a very low volume of commenters on my blog. I will generally respond to their comments either by email or on their own blogs, unless my comment may be of interest to others. But then again, that's kind of a strange thing to do, considering I never read another bloggers comment section unless it's the comment section of a post that invites discussion!

[Katia]

Found this through January One... and I'd like to chime in. I'm one of those 'bloggers' who generate few - if any - comments. While I'd love to have a readership that comments, I'm fuzzy on whether I have a readership at all, and clearly, they aren't talkative if they exist. But I don't blog for anyone else. Frankly, I don't *blog* - my blog is more a personal journal - someplace to record what's going on in my life, someplace for a few friends to look in (though they rarely do), and someplace for me to join in in swaps, secert pals, etc.

Sure, one could journal on pen and paper - but I don't, and never have. Sure, I could make it a 'private' blog - why go to the effort, especially when my blog can be used for the things I've mentioned before? Sure, I could disable comments - but what's the point? They come standard in any blogging software (and blogging software works perfectly for journaling), and more, if anyone *wants* to coment, they can.

I'm not entirely sure what a person needs to do to generate comments, but whatever I do evidently isn't it. I imagine it might be disconcerting to someone who regularly gets comments on their blogs to imagine life without it. It is, as you mentioned, something different entirely to be blogging with and for an audience. But since I'm (evidently) not, I don't worry too much about it.

[Josie]

I read this post a while ago and I finally realized why I blog without comments.

I finished University about six years ago and occasionally had bad dreams about being six years behind on my homework.

Since I started a blog, I almost never have those dreams anymore!

[alice]

(another sociologist who looks at media & com'ns)

I've thought for a while that knit online communication is an interesting case study, especially in terms of female use of com'n tech.

I also find commentless blogs 'startling', but it's odd because I know for every comment there are loads of readers. A load of comments (especially, it could be said, in knitblogs) are pretty pointless. I tend only to comment when I actually have something to say, or 'squeee' if it's, as you suggest' a form of saying 'hi' (I do think they link us)

E.g. I've been using a blog for teaching and students hardly ever commented. I asked them if I should just ditch the idea if they've not be reading it - but they were adminent I should keep it. It just wasn't something they wanted to comment on. Even when I wrote posts that invited commenting.

People can get a bit competitive about comments - "how can I get more comments" etc, and it really shouldn't be a way of evaluating a blog. Especially when you get comments on some blogs that just say "wow I'm the first person commenting".

[ali]

Wow! What a discussion you've got going on here!
I love comments, and I love commenting, usually, if I have something to say. But I definitely read more than I comment.
I kind of agree with an earlier comment about how sometimes reading blogs is like reading an article in the paper or a magazine, and how we certainly don't respond to every author we read- who has the time for that? And who's looking for 'relationship' with every author they read.
That being said, I know blogging is more than that, and that there is a real element of relationship. But relationships take work, effort, like commmenting- sometimes you just don't feel like it, like sometimes you just don't feel like dealing with 'that' friend (if you happen to have one of 'those'- I do, one that can sap the energy out of your so fast... but at other times can be great...)
Anyway- I seriously did NOT intend to start rambling on...
The socks are looking fabulous, makes me want to knit more socks...
Happy knitting,
ali

[deeni]

An excellent topic for a paper. I know people who blog without wanting comments because they're more comfortable using that particular format than a journal. They want put their thoughts down where no one they 'know' will see it or judge them for it. Not a psychology expert but I gather it may be one of the following issues: trust, self-confidence or control.

I only post on your blog on a regular basis. Not that I don't appreciate other blogs, I do. I love the knitting blogs that describe yarns in intimate detail or postings of WIPs and finished projects. I also like blogs that make me think or look at life from a different perspective.

What I don't like, and I've been noticing this coming up quite a bit, is the commercialization sp? of some blogs. The flogging of goods regardless of what type of blog it's supposed to be. I find objectivity gets lost when money is involved.

I know store owners blog, they blog to flog. It's the subtle to not so subtle stuff that bugs me. But that's what is so wonderful about the internet, I don't have to go back to that particular blog.

I don't blog. I live in the middle of butt fuck nowhere. What would I blog about?

Not an academic but the evolution of lists, message boards, blogging and avatars fascinate me. The whole sense of having to 'belong' to a particular community, the shunning that goes on and so on.

Fascinating stuff.

[PT]

My husband registered a blog for me 2 years back and only recently(1 month) have I really been blogging. Even after regularly posting on my blog, I did not let anyone know that I had a blog, not that I dont care about what my friends think. But I feel that my creativity might get cramped if I know that so-and-so is reading my blog. I am not afraid of the opinion of strangers, its the people that I love whose thoughts really matter to me. So I finally sent out an email to them, and all except for one, emailed me their responses. That one friend has a blog so she commented on mine. Not everyone has a blog or wants to take the time to comment on someone else's. It doesn't bother me at all. But at the same time I don't think that I am better than anyone or ANY LESS than anyone who gets a million hits on their site. As someone else said, I started blogging to brush up my writing skills. Having a lot of beautiful pictures and projects going on all the time , does attract a lot of readers, but that's not my style. If everyone has the same style then there will not be any need to read several blogs.

[marjorie]

I am new to your blog, and I am a new blogger (just started blogging in late December), and so I have posts with no comments. I just figure I've got to get started, and eventually more people will read what I have to day. I already have some "cyber knitter friends", and so far the experience has been terrific. Would I like to have more commenters? I sure would. But I expect, that like almost everything else, you've got to start at the bottom. And, sometimes, when I read others' blogs, I don't have much to say at first. I feel that once I get to "know" a blog by reading it for a while, I can make a comment that is meaningful.

[vanessa]

angie of imminentmetaphor, if you read this comment, i went to your blog, but couldn't find a way to leave a comment, or send an email!