Once upon a blog comment…

Typewriter Girl blogs

A while back, I posted this on my facebook page:

I miss the days when people actually commented on blogs for more than just entry to a giveaway of some sort. Before FB “likes” replaced actual words and before so many of us starting reading on mobile devices (which I know makes it so much harder to comment!). And before all the weird spam comments that look like real comments but really link to nasty websites. {sigh} [Small vent over now.]

Apparently, I hit a nerve. This was one of the most commented-on facebook statuses I’ve had in months, so clearly, I’m not the only one that feels this way!

One blogger said, “Oh girl….don’t even get me started. I’ve thought about shutting down my blog, because nobody comments, and I wonder if anyone reads it…sigh.

One of the first and best things I loved about the blog world was the camaraderie. {You know, all those friends who live in your computer! 😉 }

Thankfully, I do still have that sense of camaraderie, but it’s mostly with my long-time blog friends. I wonder if I’d have the same feeling of community if I’d started blogging more recently. Social media has changed things. Maybe it’s easier to share posts you like now, but it’s also easier to stay a lurker, never really joining in the conversation.

I get it. Sometimes I read blogs on my iPhone or iPad, and it’s a royal pain to comment without  a regular keyboard to type on. Sometimes it’s harder to share a post from those devices, too, so I don’t do it either as often as I’d like.

But you know what? I miss the conversation. I try to spend some time every week commenting on other blogs. {And let me take this moment to beg you to PLEASE remove captcha if you are on blogger; it usually takes me no less than three tries and a whole lot of frustration to get those new weird captchas right!}

At the SavvyBlogging conference, Ted Rubin said Facebook had stolen the word “friend,” and he encouraged us to take back the meaning of the word. I say we go further than that; let’s take back conversation and community in blogland! Let’s take some time to leave meaningful comments, respond whenever possible to meaningful comments on our own blogs, and encourage the wonderful community that blogging can create! Yes, it takes time, but if we’re online anyway, can’t we take a few minutes to encourage another blogger?

What d’ya think, blog friends?